Tier 1
Foundations
Online training · live virtual classes with instructors
$495
- 3 live group calls with your trainers
- Private student community
- Digital workbook & comfort-measures library
- Certificate of completion
The Training Stack
Three ways in. Same foundation.
Every tier teaches the full core curriculum. What changes is how deep you go — and how much of it happens with our hands guiding yours.
Tier 2
Hands & Presence
In-person intensive · 3 days
$1,450
- Everything in Foundations, plus:
- 3-day in-person weekend intensive
- Hands-on comfort measures & positioning labs
- Live birth-scenario practice
- Small group — 12 students max
Tier 3
The Retreat
All-inclusive retreat training · 5 days, 4 nights
$2,200–$3,600 sliding scale
- Everything in the first two tiers, plus:
- Lodging, all meals & materials included
- Sunrise practice, evening circles, full days of training
- One-on-one mentorship sessions with Colleen & Rachel
- Business-of-birth-work workshop: pricing, clients, boundaries
- Ongoing mentorship for your first 3 births
Retreat Pricing
A sliding scale, on your honor
Birth work should not be gatekept by money. You choose the price that reflects your means — no forms, no proof, no questions. All three prices buy the exact same retreat.
Community
$2,200
For students for whom the full price would be a barrier. Same room, same meals, same training.
Sustainer
$2,900
The true cost of your seat. Most students land here.
Supporter
$3,600
Covers your seat and helps fund a scholarship spot for a student who couldn't otherwise come.
Your Trainers
Taught by working birth professionals
Not career course-sellers. The women teaching you were at a birth this week.
Rachel O'Donnell
Doula Educator · Mentor · Birth Doula · Massage Therapist · Aromatherapist
Rachel O'Donnell is an experienced birth doula, licensed massage therapist, aromatherapist, educator, and mentor with a passion for supporting families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the transition into motherhood.
As the owner of Nurturing Spirit Doula and Massage, Rachel has spent years building a heart-centered practice rooted in compassionate, individualized care. Her professional background includes birth and postpartum support, prenatal massage, neuromuscular massage therapy, myofascial release, and aromatherapy for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This combination of hands-on experience gives her a unique understanding of both the physiological and emotional aspects of birth and the many ways doulas can support families while honoring their professional scope.
Rachel believes exceptional doula work goes far beyond memorizing the stages of labor or learning a collection of comfort measures. It is about developing presence, intuition, adaptability, communication, and the confidence to truly read a room. Her philosophy honors both evidence-informed education and the wisdom that has been passed from woman to woman for generations.
Through Sacred Traditions, Rachel is passionate about helping doulas bridge the gap between training and real-world birth work. Her mentorship emphasizes practical skills, professional boundaries, partner inclusion, confident advocacy, sustainable business practices, and learning how to remain a calm, grounding presence in unpredictable birth spaces.
At the heart of Rachel's work is the belief that birth support is both a learned skill and a sacred tradition. By intentionally sharing our knowledge, experience, and wisdom, we strengthen not only the next generation of doulas, but the families and communities they will go on to serve.
Colleen Maheswaran, CPM
Certified Professional Midwife · Doula Educator & Mentor · Soul Focus Healer
Colleen Maheswaran, CPM, is a Certified Professional Midwife, doula educator and mentor, and Soul Focus Healer with over 25 years of experience supporting women, families, and birth workers.
Her journey began in 2000 with foundational doula training under renowned birth educator Patty Brennan. Since then, Colleen has supported thousands of families through her work in birth centers, hospitals, breastfeeding support, private midwifery practice, and professional mentorship.
With decades of experience spanning both doula and midwifery care, Colleen brings a unique blend of intuitive, compassionate support and extensive clinical knowledge to her teaching. She is passionate about preparing birth workers to serve with confidence, skill, and a deep respect for the physiological process of birth. At the heart of her work is self-mastery — helping students cultivate the inner awareness, resilience, and healing that allow them to deeply support others.
Colleen believes that birth work is one of her greatest gifts to the world. Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that life is happening for us, and that when we begin to heal ourselves and shift the way we see the world, our ability to uplift others becomes a natural extension of who we are.
Outside of birth work, Colleen finds renewal in nature through kayaking, hiking, and camping. She is the mother of two daughters, both born at home, and loves historical fiction, self-discovery, and a life spent exploring the outdoors.
What You'll Learn
The core curriculum, every tier
Birth physiology & the stages of labor
What's happening in the body, and what it needs from you at each stage.
Comfort measures & positioning
Hands-on techniques for pain, progress, and presence.
Advocacy & informed choice
Helping families ask the right questions and hold their ground with grace.
Supporting parents through challenging moments
When plans change, when fear rises, when the room gets hard — how to stay useful.
Postpartum care & the fourth trimester
The support doesn't end at delivery. Neither does your training.
The business of birth work
Pricing, finding clients, setting boundaries, and building a practice that lasts.
Student Words
Proof lives here soon
After the first cohort, this section fills with real student stories. Their words will sell the training better than anything we could write.
This seat is saved for a Foundations graduate — the story of going from nervous first call to confident first birth.
This seat is saved for an in-person student — what the hands-on labs changed for her.
This seat is saved for a retreat graduate — the five days that turned a calling into a career.
Questions
Before you ask
Do I need any experience to start?
No. Foundations assumes nothing but the calling. If you've ever felt pulled to support families through birth, you're ready to begin.
Will I be certified when I finish?
Every tier ends with a certificate of completion, and retreat graduates receive mentorship through their first three births.
Are payment plans available?
Yes — that's the plan. Split-pay options for every tier, plus the sliding scale on the retreat.
Which tier should I choose?
If you're exploring, start online. If you learn with your hands, come in person. If you're ready to make birth work your life's work, the retreat is built for you.
Ready When You Are
Join the collective
Be the first to hear when cohort dates and real pricing are set. No spam — just the founding updates.