Many times students of Doula, Herbalism, Midwifery, and other certification programs within the world of natural healing have difficulty finding a clear direction, and/or place within which to put their newly learned wisdom to practice. They can struggle to connect with their own diverse clientele or fail to find an apprenticeship/internship which meets their needs.
As with any educational experience, it is essential that students have the support and tools they need to gain hands-on experiential knowledge once the rigors of their theoretical knowledge have been satisfactorily completed.
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Our modern 'Westernized' culture does not largely provide support for the apprenticeship model, which is highly unfortunate as it has been used effectively amongst humans for time immemorial as a way to facilitate the transition from a student to a professional. Therefore, many people now struggle with a period of prolonged stagnancy between when they become certified and when (if ever) they use that certification to the benefit of their families, practices, and the larger community.
The scarcity mentality is highly prevalent in westernized cultures and is inherent to the unraveling of our communities and networks. When we are acting while in a scarcity mentality we are not open to collaboration. This way of perceiving plays on some of our most basic survival instincts as humans, it can and does effectively separate entire communities of care providers who would otherwise welcome a new student-practitioner and/ or complementary practitioner at their side. When people are operating under the false belief that the natural medicine market is "saturated" or that there will not be enough clients for them to serve they are playing directly into the hand of the establishment, which aims to discourage all forms of accessible medical care within small communities.
Clustering. Clustering is a phrase used to refer to humans when we behave in a way that is very common to our nature, which is to find those who we perceive to be like-minded and then stay within that same social comfort zone. This phenomenon is more prevalent in some communities than others but is exponentially exacerbated by the targeted advertising we are now subject to every day. Internet algorithms combined with the fact that we tend to socialize in-person with the same few dozen people may perpetuate the feeling that what we have to offer the world is already being done by someone else, or that there will not be enough clients and community support for our practice to thrive.
Original Instructions School of Traditional Medicine and Practical Skills is dedicated to facilitating certification programs and educational retreats which bridge the gap between intellectual and experiential knowledge for our graduates. In order to provide our Original Instructions Doulas with extra support with the integration of their newly acquired skills, we focus on several ways of facilitating that process for our students.
Expanding the lens through which you are looking can often be the most influential factor in diversifying the community you serve. When the clustering phenomenon occurs it is due to a lack of creativity and ingenuity, coupled with a fear of the unknown. Therefore, our certification program emphasizes the use of culturally neutral language, economically accessible foods/medicines, victim's advocacy, and other skills throughout our training which provide our Doulas with a greater opportunity to serve women from varying backgrounds. During part of the final lesson of our Doula certification programs, we ask our students to research various local resources (which we provide) for women and their families including women's shelters, rehabilitation clinics, detention centers, and hospitals.
Uncovering your medicine means cleaning off layers of that which does not serve you in order to let your uniqueness shine through, and for many uncovering and learning how to give the medicine that only you carry is an unending life process. When you complete our Original Instructions Doula certification training you will have learned about and directly experienced meditations, ceremonies, and songs which help you strengthen your true self. The last two lessons of our Doula certification programs focus on identifying exalted aspects of yourself which are unique to you, and which will distinctly serve your community.
Making a plan is an essential part of the process of manifesting anything real in this world out of our ideas and dreams. It is extremely important to us that the knowledge and skills you gain through attending our certification programs are of applicable value to your lives. Whether you choose to use your skills as an Original Instructions Doula to serve your biological family or to run a busy practice in the center of town, we will help you outline what your next steps in life as an Original Instructions Doula will be. After you have completed all of the required lessons in our program you will have a graduation call that lasts up to one hour and focuses on clarifying and solidifying the knowledge you've gained through our program as well as what your next steps will be.
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> Join Original Instructions School Founder Brittany Wilson and guest instructor Christine McArdle for this online certification training <—
There were times over the past 20 years of being involved with the education of birth care providers and humans who are preparing to give birth that I felt I was mindful of being inclusive to people who have C-sections. However, after having been through it, I now see painfully clear how little I understood or provided in that way. It is in the Spirit of expansion that we offer you our newest Original Instructions certification program, My Sacred C-Section. In it we include training surrounding nutrition, comfort measures, scared tissue remediation, physical rehabilitation, general postpartum care, herbal allies, traditional ceremonial practices, and a road map to recovery for those who give birth via C-Section and their care providers.
A 4-week long online container
Every Sunday in April of 2024 from
Bottom (often Vaginal) steaming has been practiced since time immemorial by women from all continents albeit in varying forms. Bottom, or vaginal, steaming can be very helpful for passively receiving plant medicine into the labia, vaginal canal, cervix, womb, and ovaries. In addition to receiving medicinal properties from the essential oils and nutrients Which are evaporating within the steam, you are also working to directly heat up the womb center, which is key in promoting fertility.