Coach

Death

Death Coach

Coaching the caretakers, so no one carries the dying alone.

This immersive, 8 week, online training is for those called to support the supporters of the dying, to help them stand in their sacred role without burning out, shrinking into fear, or carrying it in isolation. Over eight weeks, you'll learn what caretaking actually asks of a person, how to support caretakers exactly where they are, and how to use core coaching principles, social work skills, and end-of-life knowledge to help caretakers access their own ancestral wisdom. In turn, you will also build a sustainable Death Coach practice that nurtures, rather than depletes you.

September 16 - November 4
12:00 - 2:00pm MT

Co-taught by:
Melissa Delizia (Doctor of Social Work and Life Coach)
Lauren Carroll (Funeral Director and End of Life Educator)

Graduates receive a Certificate of Completion

See Enrollment Options

What is a Death Coach?

This is not a Death Doula training (but it kind of is). This class focuses on teaching folks how to coach the caregivers and loved ones of the dying to be the doula. A class making room for death care to be brought back into the hands of families and community. A class that would empower death experts to teach and support and empower caregivers to embrace their role as the expert of their own person, while also having their needs tended to.

A death coach is trained to walk with caretakers through territory both new and familiar, offering practical resources, emotional grounding, and steady companionship as the ground beneath them shifts. This stable presence creates safety, allowing caretakers to access their intuition and wisdom, find confidence, and embrace their sacred role.

Read Co-teacher Melissa’s Personal Journey to creating Death Coach HERE.

In Death Coach certificate training, you will learn:

the physical changes present at the end of life,

holistic ways to support the dying body,

how to support families in reclaiming their own ancestral care traditions,

how to gather and share resources that actually match caretakers unique needs,

how to navigate complex family systems with empathy,

the importance and impact of active listening,

what different grief models are and how grief moves through the body,

core coaching principles tailored to end-of-life,

how to navigate disenfranchised deaths,

how to define your own ethics, boundaries, and sustainable care models,

how to hold space without burning out.

The Classes

01

Community
Building

class one

  • Meet your cohort and share your calling to this work

  • Explore the differences between life coaching, death coaching, and death doula work

  • Identify gaps in care within your community

  • Micro-level community care & how to build community in your community

  • Begin mapping support networks for families in need

02

When Death
Occurs

class two

  • Navigate the specifics of death and dying processes

  • Understanding MAiD as an option for the dying

  • Explore after-death options

03

Funeral
Planning

class three

  • Learn how to guide families through funeral home requirements

  • Develop aftercare practices for the living

04

Supporting the
Disenfranchised

class four

05

Integrating
Grief

class five

  • How to put your work out there & begin getting referrals

06

Logistics for
Caretakers

class six

  • Craft your Death Coach mission statement and ethical framework

  • Develop your consultation process and intake form

  • Learn about appropriate compensation models

  • Create a comprehensive resource packet for clients

07

Session
Prep

class seven

  • Practice active listening and client intake in real time

  • Master the art of goal-setting in death and grief contexts

  • Translate client needs into actionable support plans

  • Build a toolkit of resources for common situations

08

Putting it
into Action

class eight

Plus 8 hours of self-study
& one-on-one work

What Students are Saying…

  • "Lauren's personal touch and special brand of care shines through every time. Melissa's knowledge and expertise were wonderful and incredibly helpful in navigating unasked questions."

    Britta

  • "This class is much needed to help an underserved community within eol work. Lauren and Melissa are engaging, knowledgeable educators. I enjoyed the thought provoking exercises and the honest way things were presented. It was fun to be part of such an eclectic group of compassionate people. This is the only class I’ve taken where everyone was given opportunities to contribute, and where I felt heard and included."

    Brenna

  • "Thank you Lauren and Melissa for creating a safe, peaceful and non-judgmental atmosphere. You both worked so well together and I appreciate all of the work you two must have done behind the scenes."

    Graduate

If you are drawn to support others through significant loss, this is for you.

This training is designed for death doulas, hospice staff, chaplains, spiritual care providers, social workers, counselors, and community organizers - all seeking to expand their practice and find deeper approaches to their work. As well as for caregivers anticipating a loss of their own.

Join us to empower caregivers in their sacred role

September 16 - November 4
12:00 - 2:00pm MT

See Enrollment Options

Select the payment tier below that suits you best

Extended payment plans through PayPal, Klarna, and Afterpay.

$325.00
For 2 months
$162.50
For 4 months

Tier One

For those facing financial constraints who are stretching to participate

$425.00
For 2 months
$212.50
For 4 months

Tier Two

For those with stable finances who can participate without strain

$575.00
For 2 months
$287.50
For 4 months

Tier Three

For those with financial abundance who wish to actively redistribute

Your teachers

Melissa Delizia

Melissa Delizia, MSW, LSW, DSW (she/they) is a death doula, educator, professional coach and social worker whose work lives at the intersection of sacred care, transformative education, and social justice. With a Doctorate in Social Work and certifications in grief companionship, deathcare, and sacred ceremony, Melissa brings both clinical insight and spiritual depth to their offerings.

Their practice is rooted in ancestral connection, mediumship, and energy work, with a focus on holding space for queer and trans individuals navigating death, dying, and grief. Melissa approaches this work with reverence, tending to the liminal with embodied presence and a belief in the healing power of collective care and ritual.

As an educator and adjunct professor, they are dedicated to reshaping how death is taught and understood—centering marginalized experiences, challenging systems of harm, and cultivating spaces where grief and identity are honored in all their complexity. Whether teaching or learning, Melissa holds a deep commitment to equitable deathwork and heart-centered education.

Lauren Carroll

Lauren Carroll, co-founder of La Mort, is a Death Educator & Holistic Funeral Director who is passionate about weaving community and family back into the death space. Her work centers around re-aligning our culture with Mother Earth and helping humans remember how to love one another. She is a former board member for the National Home Funeral Alliance and co-founded The Deathwives. She lives on an urban farm at the base of a mountain where she tends to her animals, raises her two children, and dances around bonfires on the full moon with friends while listening to Nick Cave.