No, Soul Midwives give non-medical support, working alongside and in co-operation with the existing medical teams.
We teach Soul Midwives from all walks of life, including teachers, veterinary assistants, healers, funeral directors, therapists, even a rock star! Many nurses, doctors and chaplains have also completed our training to enhance their existing work skills.
We are there to provide comfort, love and support to anyone facing the end of life, it’s as beautifully simple as that.
Our work is non-denominational and not aligned with any particular faith or religion. We are there to provide deep and consistent companionship and spiritual support during the dying process.
Our Soul Midwives come from many backgrounds including Anglican, Catholic, Buddhist, Quaker and Pagan, and we honour all faith traditions. Many hospice and hospital chaplaincy teams include Soul Midwives.
We have twenty or so qualified male Soul Midwives and we’d welcome more. They are a great comfort, bringing calm and dignity to all who work with them.
To start training you need to attend a Live Intro (Zoom) training or attended a TLC Day). This is the essential groundwork.
Many people come along to the Live Introductory Days (Zoom) to ask questions and to learn some simple but useful skills for supporting loved ones.
These days are taught by Felicity Warner, assisted by other Soul Midwife tutors
We have been teaching Soul Midwifery for around twenty five years and are very well known in the field.
We are respected for our pioneering and education work, and for developing the benefits of holistic and spiritual care at end of life.
We offer our work in many care settings and have won two major awards – from the National Council for Palliative Care (sponsored by The Royal College of Nursing) and The Good Funeral Awards.
Our TLC Programme has been adopted by the NHS in Dorset.
With regard to the titles of ‘Soul Midwife’ and ‘Death Doula’, we prefer the term ‘Soul Midwife’, which we feel better reflects our therapeutic and spiritual companionship role.
Many Soul Midwives also use the title ‘End-of-Life Companion’.
