Events

Join the Guild to participate in events

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monthly Pod Gatherings | In Person | For all Guild Members

  • Pod Leaders coordinate time and location for monthly in-person monthly meetings in their area: North of Boston, South of Boston, Boston Center and West of Boston.
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas to connect, find support and share ideas.
  • Some Pods organize movie nights, invite special guests, or arrange for workshops or events following members’ lead.

Monthly Compass Pod | Online 

  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas. This online Pod is intended for Doulas who live beyond the Greater Boston Area and cannot join in person Pods.
  • The Pod leader keeps members informed of upcoming meetings.

Monthly Doula Dialogues | Online | For All Guild Members 

  • Doula Dialogues are online events where one of our Doula members, or a guest, is invited to share about their specialty.
  • Doula Dialogues are wonderful opportunities to share your expetize or experience with others, or learn about what other doulas are doing in our community.
  • These conversations strengthen our connection within our community, and provide inspiration for our work!

Bi-Annual Gatherings | In-Person | For All Guild Members 

  • These in-person meetings are informal events (brunch, meet-up, or other) providing opportunities for unstructured conversations amongst members from all pods.
  • These gatherings are Guild-wide, therefore members of all pods mingle and connect beyond the smaller regional pods they belong to.

Field Trips | In-Person | For All Guild Members 

Ok... our Field Trips may not lead us through the desert, but they are always fascinating! In 2025, we visited Mt Auburn Cemetery and Crematory; what will 2026 bring?

Sample of Past Events

Field Trip | In Person | Entire Guild

Mount Auburn Cemetery and Crematory

  • October 22, 2025  | 11am-12:30pm followed by optional lunch together
  • This special event is tailored expressly for us End-of-Life Doulas, offering a deeper look into the cemetery’s crematory operations, burial options, cemetery symbolism and sustainability practices. We will have the opportunity to engage directly with staff, ask questions, and explore how our work aligns with and supports services offered here.

Sample of Past Doula Dialogues | Online| Entire Guild

  • Empowering Doulas, Supporting Patients: Essential Hospice Knowledge for Doulas | Linda Ezedonmwen
  • Unpacking Death Cafes | Sarah Gladstone
  • On Grief | Kyle Freeman
  • A Seasoned Doula's Path | Dina Standar
  • Making Choices: The Gift of Life and the Gift of Death | Karen Monaghan
  • Your History and Your Doula Practice | Michele Bograd
  • Between Worlds: A Conversation | Shirley Riga
  • IFS and Presence as Doulas | Michele Bograd
  • MAiD in Vermont | Kasey March

Pod Gathering | In Person | Boston 

  • October 16, 2025  | 6-8pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | Online | Compass Pod 

  • October 14, 2025  | 3-4pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | West Boston 

  • October 7, 2025  | 4pm-5:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person | North Boston 

  • October 7, 2025  | 4pm-5:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person | West Pod, MA

  • September 20th, 2025 | 10am-12pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person | South Shore Pod, Norwell, MA

  • September 18th, 2025 | 6:30-8:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Doula Dialogue | Online

IFS and Presence as Doulas - Michele Bograd

  • September 17th, 2025 | 7-8:30pm
    This session will be a personal exploration of how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model may inform our work as doulas.
    To get the most out of the live online session, please be sure to watch the pre-recorded IFS overview video beforehand. This video, prepared by Michele, provides the foundational concepts we will build on during our live online discussion. Log onto you Doula Guild account, find the link is under the Doula Dialogues page.
    The live session will assume familiarity with this material and will focus on personal application, reflection, and discussion.
    For this special Doula Dialogue, we kindly ask member Doulas  to register by emailing doulaguild@gmail.com.

Pod Gathering | In Person | North Pod, MA

  • September 13th, 2025 | 6-8:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person | Jamaica Plain, MA

  • September 9th, 2025 | 6-8:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Doula Dialogue | Online Event

Between Worlds: A Conversation with Shirley Riga
  • May 28, 2025 from 7 to 8:30pm
    We warmly invite you to a special conversation with Shirley — Spiritual Director and  Trance Healing Physical Medium — whose life’s work centers around healing, personal growth, and conscious end-of-life transitions.
    Shirley’s path has been shaped by profound personal loss. She brings deep insight and compassion to her work as a Spiritual Director, Certified Psychosynthesis Counselor, and Usui Reiki Master. Through years of dedicated study and profound personal experiences, she was gradually drawn into the World of the unseen, where she deepened her understanding under the guidance of some of today’s most respected Mediums.
    In this intimate talk, Shirley will share her personal journey and insights gained through decades of healing work. Together, we will explore powerful themes including:
    • Fear inviting fear
    • The voice of innate wisdom
    • Compassion versus empathy
    • The practice of trance healing
    This gathering offers a space for reflection, connection, and deeper understanding of the soul’s role in living, dying, and what lies beyond. Come and join us for this heartfelt and thought-provoking dialogue.

Guild-Wide Gathering | In Person | Boston, MA

  • May 31, 2025 | Location: Jamaica Plain
  • All Pods gather today to connect and share a meal together.

Pod Gathering | In Person, Jamaica Plain, MA

  • May 7, 2025
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Doula Dialogue | Online Event

Your History and Your Doula Practice, with Michele Bograd
  • April 16, 2025 from 7 to 8:30pm
Our histories shape much of how we practice as doulas, consciously and not.  Elements of our histories can provide our greatest strengths but also our blindspots.  In this conversation, we’ll explore our relationship to silence (a key element of presence) and the deaths that have shaped us. 

Pod Gathering | In Person - Norwell, MA

  • April 14, 2025 | 6:00pm to 8:00pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person - Jamaica Plain, MA

  • April 2, 2025 | 6:30pm to 8:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person - North of Boston

  • Monday, March 24, 2025 | 6 to 7:30pm
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Pod Gathering | In Person - West of Boston

  • Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 10:00 AM 11:30 AM
  • WALTHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY | Trustee Room
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Doula Dialogue | Online Event

Making Choice: The Gift of Life and the Gift of Death, with Karen Monaghan

  • March 19, 2025 from 7 to 8:30pm
    I will be sharing my experiences as a kidney donor, a clinical social worker (LICSW) and an immigrant.

    • Organ donation raises many issues that may be pertinent to our clients, such as disparities in terms of race and socioeconomic status. In sharing my story as a donor, I hope to raise awareness about the process and the choices it offers.
    • While working as a clinical social worker in dialysis and in oncology, I had many experiences of supporting patients and their medical team when considering questions that arise around sustaining life. I often had to support MDs in making more mindful choices about patient care and advocate for patients who wanted to stop treatment.  Important challenges we can help our clients with include making hard decisions and exploring cultural differences between our client and their providers regarding death and dying.
    • I will also talk about my experience of cultural differences in death and dying between Ireland and  the US and encourage a discussion about best practices at end of life.

Pod Gathering | In Person - West of Boston

  • Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 10:00 AM 11:30 AM
  • Weston Public Library
  • Gather with fellow end-of-life/death doulas, connect, find support and share ideas.

Doula Dialogue | Online - A Seasoned Doula’s Path with Dina Standar

  • Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | 7:00 PM 8:30 PM
Join us to hear Dina Stander, an End-of-Life Navigator and Celebrant, share how she has navigated her own path in supporting a wide range of clients over the years. Come and hear her wisdom, stay for questions and lasting connections!
Dina Stander is one of the few End-of-Life Doulas with the invaluable perspective of time, having begun her practice over a decade ago. Her experience is both rich and profound.

Pod Gathering | In Person - Jamaica Plain, Boston MA

  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | 10:00 AM 11:30 AM
Boston Doulas! Gather in the warmth of Kyle’s home for conversation and connection. Stay for lunch if you can (bring your own food and beverage!).