men-tor
noun
a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
DTI is an natural byproduct of the relationships that we developed over the past 10 years – professionally, as doulas and partners, and personally, as friends. When DTI was created, we knew that mentorship had to be built into our program. We learned the hard way, having come up at a time when opportunities to be mentored were hard to come by. We were lucky to find one another, and to mentor each other as we were building our individual practices in New York City. Knowing the importance of that peer-to-peer support, we wanted DTI doulas to receive it from the beginning.
Here’s why we think mentorship is essential for doulas:
Birth is our greatest teacher At every birth, you discover something new about women and about birth. Questions come up for new doulas and experienced doulas alike. It is invaluable to have a mentor to go to who can help to process a birth.
Birth is multi-faceted As doula-mentors, we recognize that support is a key component to having a thriving and sustainable practice. We want doulas at DTI to feel supported to reach out and expand their birth tribe, strengthening themselves and their practices with doulas from within their community and from around the world.
Embracing the business side of birth We bring together a wealth of knowledge about how to run your birth business. When we started out as doulas there was very little information about how to acquire business skills to run a successful doula practice. As mentors, we’ve been through it ourselves. We’re there to walk you through every step of building your business, from your contract guidelines to your fee structure.
Certifications are challenging to finish There are many different avenues to becoming a doula and to certifying as a doula. We know the challenges of taking a three-day training and then needing to complete a program a year or two down the road. We want to see you succeed in completing your certification if that’s what your goal is. Mentorship through our nine month certification program is a built-in way to make sure you’re getting the motivation and support to complete our program.
Providing an emotional foundation DTI is built on our belief that doulas need doulas. Birth work brings up a lot of emotions, whether you’re working through a birth experience with a client or simply working through your own journey as a new doula, a mother, and partner. As mentors we’re there to listen, to offer guidance, and to reassure you that this path is very fulfilling. We’re also there to lean on when the challenges inevitably arise.
But what if you are looking for guidance and you didn’t train with DTI?
DTI provides this mentorship service so that doulas and doulas-in-training can receive the support they need. It’s a service that offers guidance to labor support doulas and postpartum doulas at any stage of their careers. Even if you are a seasoned doula who wants to grow your business – and even if you haven’t trained with DTI – this support is for you.
Every woman deserves a doula and every doula deserves mentorship and support.