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Birth Doula Training Background
The Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations at Bastyr, (originally a program of the Seattle Midwifery School) provides one of the highest quality birth doula workshops available anywhere. Internationally renowned author, childbirth educator and Simkin Center Senior Instructor, Penny Simkin created and taught our Birth Doula Skills Workshop staring in 1988. Since then, nearly 5000 women and men have come to Simkin Center to discover the doula in themselves under the nurturing guidance of our world-class instructors.
The early graduates of this groundbreaking workshop founded PALS Doulas, a professional organization providing peer support, continuing education, doula certification, and referrals. Using the successful model of PALS Doulas, advocates and doulas around the North America joined together to found DONA International. Simkin Center was the first organization to be granted DONA institutional approval for our curriculum and faculty.
The Birth Doula Skills Workshop is approved as one step toward PALS Doulas and DONA International certification. Students who are interested in becoming certified must also fulfill application and experiential requirements after completing the Birth Doula Skills Workshop. For more information on doula certification, contact PALS (206.325.1419) or DONA International (888.788.3662).