OPEN YOUR EAR,
Tell Me What Happened
We will begin end of January or early February.
Dates to be announced after orientation,
students from every time zone requires group planning
Mentored by Pam England, Birth Story Magician
CERTIFIED BIRTH STORY SPECIALIST APPRENTICESHIP
Transform the way parents experience birth and help them complete their integration after birth
This 28-week apprenticeship trains you in a groundbreaking field of specialized counseling dedicated to helping mothers and fathers during pregnancy and postpartum, and birth professionals, too. As a Certified Birth Story Specialist, you’ll guide parents in exploring their beliefs, expectations, and emotions, guiding them to find meaning, resolution, and personal growth during their childbearing year.
The program consists of two 14-week modules, during which you will build a strong foundation in solution-focused dialogue, Logotherapy and post-traumatic growth models, as well as learning to use metaphor, myth, and birth art while applying your skills in supervised practice with real clients. Our apprenticeship model ensures you receive both comprehensive knowledge and personalized mentorship, so you graduate with the confidence and competence to support parents with insight, compassion, and professionalism.
Join us in making a lasting difference in the lives of families during one of their most pivotal times.
Is This Course for You?
If you spend time with parents during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum, you know how powerful birth stories can be. You may also know how hard it can be to respond when the story is painful or traumatic.
This apprenticeship is for you if you:
-
Listen to birth stories as part of your work or calling
-
Sometimes feel unsure what to say after hearing a difficult or heartbreaking story
-
Are offering—or dreaming of offering—birth story listening and healing sessions or groups
Prerequisites
Applying for the 14-week Practicum
If you have completed our three-part course and want to refresh your skills and deepen your understanding. Or, if you completed the three-part course within two. years, and have been leading sessions regularly, you can apply to take the second 14-week practicum.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COURSE
Ways of Learning:
Readings, Videos, Weekly 120-minute group calls for Instruction, Demonstration, Case-Studies, and Practice
You cannot learn to lead Birth Story Medicine’s amazing transformative Process just by taking notes in class. You must actively participate, complete homework; and practice to learn a new language, map, and skills. Practicing each step of the Process helps you embody it, which means it becomes a part of the way you see, hear, and think so in a session, rather than think—you have learned to listen within your belly (not your mind) while listening to the story unfold.
You will learn to:
Empty your mind, open your ear . . .
Feel more empathic and observant.
Shift from listening passively, not knowing what to say, or disengaging. . . to knowing what to listen for, what to ignore, and feeling connected to the storyteller and the story.
Prerequisites
1. Completing the mandatory three-hour “The Weaving of Stories" online workshop.
2. Since you’ll be working with birth stories, you must have a basic knowledge of childbirth.
Before you register, make sure you have the following:
-
Familiarity with terminology and medical jargon common in birth stories
-
A basic understanding of the physiology of childbirth some experience in birth in our culture, either through personal experience giving birth and/or working in the field.
Tuition: $850. Payment plan available.
Tuition covers 20-hours of lively weekly classes, feedback on homework, a three-hour workshop, and a personal mentored session on Zoom, plus course materials. Registration is limited to eight committed students. No refunds once the course begins.
LEVEL TWO:
A 12-Week Birth Story Listener Apprenticeship begins in January through March 2024