Online Learning
Scroll this page for an overview of Erin’s full curriculum and quick links to details. You'll find the latest enrollment information for Deathschool, upcoming dates and cities for in-person death doula workshops, access to recorded classes on crafting funerals or starting your death doula business, and a peek at what’s coming next—because, friends, this is a place for progress and there is work to do.
Deathschool Evolved
Step into the Mystery
A Conversation for Everyone Who Will Someday Die
For years, Deathschool has been a transformative space for those seeking to engage deeply with end-of-life care, doulaship, and the mysteries of mortality. Now, after 5 years, 19 sessions, hundreds of graduates, thoughtful evolutions and big changes, Deathschool is back in its new evolution: Deathschool Evolved Class Outline - Master
This time we offer two session:
Summer Days Deathschool: July 22 - Sept 11, on Tuesday and Thursdays mornings
Fall Days Deathschool: Oct 1 - Dec 4, on Wednesday Evenings and Thursday mornings
an invitation to step into this uncharted territory as a guide for others and also as someone willing to explore the depths of your own humanity.
Dead Set,
Planning Ahead So Your Loved Ones Don’t Have To
A 3-hour reflective class with Erin Merelli
Come with questions, leave with a plan
If we don’t plan our own funeral, someone else will have to do it for us.
In this powerful 3-hour session, I will guide you through the essential choices that shape your end-of-life experience. From the logistics of disposition and ceremony, to your wishes around environment, music, ritual, and legacy - to deeper things, like your relationship with pain and your fears.
Start Date: July 12, 2025
Schedule: Noon - 3pm MSTFormat: 3 hours course on Zoom
Threshold Work: Intermediate Death Doula Training
A single afternoon. A lifetime opened.
Threshold is where we begin when we feel the quiet tug toward this work. When we aren’t quite ready for the long descent of Deathschool, but we know we must take a step.
This is the (new) online version of Erin’s beloved in-person workshop, It’’s a soul-deep, skill-building afternoon for those ready to explore the path of death doulaship more meaningfully. This is intermediate training. You’ll need some curiosity and courage to enter—but you don’t need credentials, only the willingness to ask: Is this path for me?
It’s not an 8-week course.
It’s one afternoon.
A small investment that may change your life.
The Sea and the Soul
A Unique Retreat in Jamaica
Six nights of soul work, sanctuary, and sun.
October 23–29 | Six Nights in Negril, Jamaica
Join Amy Silva and Erin Merelli for The Sea and the Soul, a poetic journey to return home—to yourself. Over six nights of sacred sun, cliffs, ocean, and sanctuary, you’ll feel the tide gently cradle your pain, the sand softening your edges, and a loving community forming around you.
This is an invitation for doulas, therapists, caregivers—and anyone longing to hold space for their own healing—to step into a liminal door of renewal. Laugh. Learn. Belong.
Funeral Celebrant Training
Get the 2-hour Replay for only $199 $99!
This course is helpful to anyone who is coordinating the services of a loved one. It is an excellent addition for death doulas and deathworkers who would like to add a skill and service to their toolbelt. It is also appropriate for Funeral Directors who find themselves standing in as Celebrants and would like to enrich the skills that they spontaneously employ.
Death Doula Business Class
Get the 3-hour Replay for only $199 $99!
In this 3-hour class Erin shares her personal journey from beginning doula to thriving business owner, reveals her personal processes and tools, and gives you professional methods to identify your market, set up a sustainable self-paced business, curate professional marketing materials, and put yourself out there!
The Reality of Mortality
A Free Conversation for Everyone Who Will Someday Die
We prepare for everything in life—except this.
We learn to cook a meal, manage a budget, and plan for life’s big milestones… but what about death?
10/10 of us will face it, yet we avoid the conversation—leaving ourselves and our loved ones unprepared. I’ve spent years guiding people through this transition, training thousands of death doulas along the way, and speaking on platforms like TEDxMile High,PBS, Forbes and more. And yet, one of the most common things I hear is:
💬 “I wish I had known this sooner.”
Pet Hospice: Caring for Our Animals at the End of Life
A 4-hour recorded workshop with Erin Merelli & Dr. Jess McAfee
$150
Honor the Sacred Bond
Our pets are more than companions—they are family. When their journey nears its end, they deserve the same compassion and dignity we offer our human loved ones. This workshop provides guidance to navigate these tender moments with grace and understanding.
Testimonials
Live Workshop
Art and Science of Death Doulaship
June 14, 2024
Co-taught by seasoned death doula Erin Merelli and Jill Hill, NP
Join us on June 14 in Madison, Wisconsin, from 9am–6pm for a full-day, in-person training in the sacred craft of death doulaship. This expansive experience is designed for anyone ready to explore the profound intersection of skillful support and soulful care at the end of life. Led by veteran death doula and educator Erin Merelli, this workshop is her signature 8-hour Death Doula Lab. It is an intensive, holistic training designed to ground you in the philosophies, tools, and rituals of compassionate deathcare. Erin will be joined by Jill Hill, a seasoned hospice nurse with decades of medical experience, adding rich perspective on how this evolving field of end-of-life support can integrate and collaborate alongside clinical care. Together, we’ll explore the full arc of the doula’s role, from Preparedness and Legacy work to the sacred 11th Hour. We will explore ceremony creation, and crafting funerals that don't suck. You’ll learn green deathcare, how to support grief through personalized ritual, and study real-life casework to sharpen your ability to meet this work with clarity and compassion. It is a fun, functional day in a cozy classroom with a small group catered for a small group, and you leave with a certificate in death doula training.
Cost and Scholarships: Tuition is $480 and class size is limited to 20.
Testimonials
Public Speaking
Will Erin be a Guest on my Podcast?
She'd most likely love to! Please do reach out and include in your email the name of your podcast, the date and time you have in mind, and a short explanation of why you think she’d be a good fit, and Erin’s team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Testimonials
Learn about our services
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Funeral Planning and Officiation: It is my greatest honor to craft funeral services and memorials that honor the dead and provide a supportive space to grieve for the living. I can help wirite obituaries and services, emcee ceremonies, as well as offer full scale funeral planning for all sizes of memorial services. Together, we’ll create a service that brings healing and meaning to those gathered.
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Ready to take the next steps?
Erin offers a variety of ways to learn - shoet recordings, online certification courses and in-person death doula training workshops. Whether you’re here to learn a little or a lot, welcome to the journey of a lifetime.