Village Deathcare death doula training & retreats
JOIN OUR NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY~ COMING SOON!
Village Deathcare death doula training & retreats
JOIN OUR NEW ONLINE COMMUNITY~ COMING SOON!
DEATH DOULA TRAINING AUG 2025
What a beautiful time to dive deep into your heart and mind to serve others...
UPCOMING ONLINE TRAINING- APPLICATIONS OPENING SOON
VILLAGE DEATHCARE CITIZEN COURSE 90 and 111 HOUR DEATH DOULA CERTIFICATE AUGUST 2025
It is crucial, now, that deathcare be revived as a healthy part of community. Deathcare is ancient and belongs to no one and belongs to everyone- but we have lost our way. Through examining our own mortality, fears and aspirations, and discovering the challenges of today's complexities of caring for our own dying and dead, we will begin to understand the great importance and urgency of reviving community deathcare. There are many courses to train you within a system of professional care to be a Death Doula (I can recommend some) this training is for deepening the roots of healing within yourself, your home and your community whether that community be physical, virtual or that moves along with you wherever you find yourself. Graduates are changed for life after this course and are well prepared to begin the path of the death doula. Apply by submitting a one page summary of why you would like to be a a village deathcare citizen to strengthen your community and bring deep loving healing into your own life.
UPCOMING IN-PERSON RETREATS:
OCTOBER 2025 SPIRITED IRELAND (applications now open)
MOUNST SHASTA MAY 2025 (FULL)
Online APPRENTICESHIPS
FOR GRADUATES OF THE VILLAGE DEATHCARE CITIZEN COURSE
Prior graduation from the Village Deathcare Citizen Course required. Apprenticeship options start at a nine week commitment.
An apprenticeship is a serious endeavor. It means that you have completed the 111 hour course and you want to learn more. In this apprenticeship you are required to follow along in the 9 week course, but this time holding two different perspectives. One is an observation and study of those that are newly embarking upon the deathcare jouney. The second is to answer the weekly questions that I propose to you, to help you refine your gifts and learn what your strengths are in the deathcare world. The answers to these questions you post for the class to read. So, you do not do the VDC assignments all over again (unless you wish to) but you are following along and completing apprenticeship response essays each week.
Interested in making money as a death doula? The apprenticeship is the time when you can learn as much from me as possible. You will be a part of two 2.5 hour mini retreats where we dive deep into the work. You also will have two 45 minute sessions with me solo to further define what it is that you desire and bring it to fruition.
You'll work with the other apprentices on the work that is what I do "behind the scenes" and will be asked to create your own responses to help craft your deathcare support and vocabulary. You'll also have an ongoing job to do for the nine weeks which is in support of the functionality of the course.
The cost for the nine weeks apprenticeship is $499 (or $55/week) which is absolutely a smart investment if you wish to continue on the path as death doula and/or want to start a business for yourself or with others!
Use the button below to start a correspondence. You will have a response within 3 business days- please follow up if you have not had a reply.
APPRENTICESHIP CURRENTLY OPEN FOR AUGUST 2025
FAMILY DIRECTED FUNERAL SUPPORT
Death Doula Care, Green Burial, Home Burial...
Anne-Marie is a trained nurse assistant, former hospice volunteer and active death doula. She offers assistance teaching family and caregivers about bedside care, sitting vigil, open gentle conversation, scheduling, errands, establishing a "flow" in the area of care and other considerations. Please inquire directly for more details. Though not currently taking long term clients due to her active teaching schedule online support is always available.
Anne-Marie is a trained funeral celebrant and writes eulogies, obituaries, ceremonies and offers consulting on Family Directed Home Funerals in Vermont. She has hands-on experience with home funerals, home burial and green burial. Please inquire for more details.
Death Doula Support
Online Consultation
Other Ways to Connect
Online Consultation
One hour online support, recommendations for care, flow and circle building around caring for the dying. ALSO, questions you have about your healthy self or another to plan for the future.
Anne-Marie is not taking on long term clients at this time because of her teaching schedule, but she is able to help lay the foundation of care and
One hour online support, recommendations for care, flow and circle building around caring for the dying. ALSO, questions you have about your healthy self or another to plan for the future.
Anne-Marie is not taking on long term clients at this time because of her teaching schedule, but she is able to help lay the foundation of care and time management and link you to her students for ongoing death doula support.
House Calls
Other Ways to Connect
Online Consultation
Although Anne-Marie is not currently taking long term clients she remains available for bedside care, discussions, and bridge building between worlds for the one dying.
Email to set up an appointment.
Other Ways to Connect
Other Ways to Connect
Other Ways to Connect
Anne-Marie offers a 9 and 12 week death doula training course, and regularly offers in-person retreats and talks in Vermont and internationally.
A great way to learn more about her work is to read her two time award-winning book, Death Nesting: The Heart-Centered Practices of A Death Doula
Anne-Marie Keppel
Writer * Educator * Mother * Doula * Founder of Village Deathcare 501c3 nonprofit.
An advocate for those whose voices are unheard, weak or forgotten, Anne-Marie believes Community Deathcare and open conversation about life and death is crucial for the health of individuals and the planet. With gentle timing, and an uplifted manner, she believes conversation about death makes our own lives and the lives of those around us more precious.
A childhood of magical play in faery forests, a barn full of animals, and teenage years in the circus formed an independent and reflective spirit. At the age of 19 Anne-Marie gave birth to her first child which only deepened her inner love and patience for herself and her wee one. Today, Anne-Marie has three children ages 27, 22 and 9 and has held fast to her circus days by teaching tight wire as a form of body/mind awareness practice.
Experience and Training
After two decades of professional event coordination for weddings, fashion shows, concerts, festivals and conferences, Anne-Marie halted everything to work with the elderly. Propelled by her work with the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers and her love of an elderly homeless man, she became a Hospice volunteer in 2013. She continued her path of care as a licensed nurse assistant from 2013-2016 and worked with the elderly in residential care and as a private duty nurse. She was the only full time over-night "nurse" and cared for a home of 12 elderly residents. During this time she also studied herbal healing and received a certificate from Mandala Botanicals' 9 month training in Community Herbalism.
When working as the Director of Meals on Wheels in Montpelier her understanding of how often the elderly struggle living on their own with loneliness, physical ailments, embarrassment and confusion only deepened her desire to engage the able bodied in assisting the elderly. She believes that the more conversations and hands on deathcare (neighbor to neighbor and family to friend) that springs forth in communities, the more empathy will be generated, and the better the chance the elderly, sick and dying will have companionship and a feeling of value at the end of life; this is the core of Community Deathcare.
Anne-Marie is a two time award-winning published author and international speaker. She is a Reiki Master Teacher, meditation and basic goodness instructor and has 12 years training in Shambhala Buddhist teachings. She has completed Level I Dying With Confidence training in Phowa with Anyen Rinpoche, completed "This Sacred Journey: Living Purposefully and Dying Fearlessly" with Pema Chodron and has completed a year long Feeding Your Demons® certification course (Buddhist track) with Tsultrim Allione. Anne-Marie has passed the National Home Funeral Alliance proficiency test.
Death Doula & Celebrant Training
Anne-Marie is a graduate of the BEyond Yonder School of Death Midwifery (Community Deathcare). This four month course of intensive death care training (6 days per week with an average of 20 hours of work per week) covered pre-death needs to post mortem care and disposition. She is qualified to guide families in home funerals and is familiar with Vermont's laws.
After an 8 month training in the fundamentals of celebrancy, ceremonies and ritual, Anne-Marie received her certification as a Life-Cycle Celebrant with a certificate in funerals and memorials. She is a graduate of the Celebrant Foundation and Institute.
Support Village Deathcare
You donation supports 501c3 nonprofit Village Deathcare whose dedication is to community deathcare and education.
