MENTORSHIP

Mortal Clay

Welcome to Mortal Clay, a six-month immersive death threshold mentorship crafted for those who seek the old ways. Whether you feel drawn to serve others as a death doula or are seeking to deepen the capacity to meet your own mortality, this mentorship offers a grounded, heart-led path forward.

Rooted in ancestral remembrance and aligned with the INELDA (International End of Life Doula Alliance) Code of Ethics, Mortal Clay is both a training and a spiritual pilgrimage—it is an invitation to return to the old ways of tending the dying, dancing with grief, and bearing witness to the mystery of death itself.

Who This Is For 

  • Aspiring or practicing death doulas seeking deeper training, community, and integrity in their service.

  • Caregivers, clergy, therapists, healers, and artists working in death-adjacent spaces.

  • Those experiencing a personal call to face mortality with clarity, courage, and reverence.

  • Anyone who wishes to be more present, grounded, and skillful in the face of death—whether supporting a loved one or exploring their own mortality.

No prior experience is required, only a willingness to turn toward what most turn away from.

What You’ll Experience

Over six months, you’ll move through six modules. Through live teachings, guest guides, ritual practice, reflective inquiry, and case-based learning, you’ll develop a framework that is both practical and soul-centered.

Themes include:

  • The Role of the Death Doula: Ethics, scope, legality, and practicalities grounded in the INELDA Code of Ethics.

  • Holding Vigil/Post Death Care: How death manifests, presence, body care, and reclaiming sacred ritual.

  • Green Burial, Shrouding, and More : The rapidly changing world of alternative body disposition options.

  • Grief, Mourning & Integration: Tools for tending sorrow—your own and others’.

  • Ritual & the Sacred: Reclaiming ancestral and intuitive rites of passage.

  • The Inner Work: Navigating your own fears, boundaries, and transformation.

What’s Included

  • Once-a-month sessions in person or virtually, one-on-one or with a group

  • Guest teachers from diverse lineages of death work, ritual, and advocacy

  • Community for connection, reflection, and practice

  • Downloadable guides, readings, lists, forms, and documents

  • Optional practicum assignments for those on a professional path

  • Ongoing access to the instructor for continued support between sessions

Our Ethos: Returning to the Old Ways

The name Mortal Clay honors the fragile, beautiful form we inhabit—and the earth to which we return. This mentorship calls us back to what many cultures once knew: that death is not a failure, but a threshold. That the dying deserve dignity, accompaniment, and reverence. That those who remain need space for their grief. And that each of us is invited to be more intimate with life through our relationship with death.

Continuing Education

Those wishing to pursue professional doula work will be supported in preparing for next steps after the mentorship, including additional practicum or local volunteering.

Investment

Tuition for a one-on-one mentorship: $2,500
Tuition for a virtual, group mentorship: $1,500

Sliding scale, payment plans, and limited scholarships are available—because we believe death care should be accessible to all.

Join Us

If you feel called to this, the Mortal Clay Mentorship welcomes you. Email Lauren@deathdonedifferently.com today to take that first step toward reclaiming what has always, rightfully been yours.

 *UPCOMING MENTORSHIP DATES*

2025 VIRTUAL COHORT
(6:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST)
Wednesday, June 4th
Wednesday, July 2nd
Wednesday, August 13th
Wednesday, September 3rd
Wednesday, October 1st
Wednesday, November 5th


2026 VIRTUAL COHORT
(6:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST)
DATES TO BE POSTED SOON