ITM Launched Canada's First program in Contemplative End of Life Care and has been offering the training annually due to its popularity.
We have spent years developing a comprehensive, integrated training available to professionals, clinicians, individuals, families and communities, in compassionate end of life care.
We aim to make dying a process that holds the potential for profound meaning and transformation for both the dying, and the communities supporting them. We have introduced the term 'thanadoula' to describe the art of serving the dying and the dead. Thanatos (in Greek Oavarog - Death) was the personification of death in Greek mythology and doula, is a servant.
Our Contemplative End of Life Care Program Provides training opportunities and mentorship for hospice staff, palliative care physicians and nurses, psychotherapists, healthcare practitioners, social workers, spiritual care professionals, and those who are interested in acquiring competencies that would allow them to be of service to their families and communities within the discipline of end of life care.
The CEOLC program was developed as part of a larger effort to improve end of life care in Canada and beyond (Thanadoula Education Project). Over the years, this initiative has brought remarkable teachers to our Institute (First Nations, Buddhist, Psychotherapists, Physicians) representing diverse perspectives and insights into care of the dying. We are committed to our role as a leader in a revolutionary development of human awareness that is transforming how we live, die and relate to others. Although many individuals and communities value personal care given to the dying, few have the knowledge, skills and support to provide effective end of life care. The CEOLC program addresses this need, and provides the training necessary to develop a resourceful and skilled community that can care for the dying and bereaved, while expanding spiritually and culturally appropriate resources, available to everyone.
Areas of Study Include:
Bio-psycho-social-spiritual aspects of dying & care of the dying
Historical & Philosophical Context to End-of-Life Care
Cultural Perspectives on Dying & Death
Spiritual Foundations to End-of-Life Care
Care of the Community, Self-care
Mindful Grieving & Bereavement
Mindfulness Tools & Skills for End-of-Life Care
Communication, Listening & Therapeutic Relationship Skills
Heart-Centeredness & Discernment
Legal & Ethical considerations
Hospice & Palliative Care Resources
Complementary Therapies incl. Palliative Massage
Childhood death and approaches to this loss
Medical, Non-Medical & Interdisciplinary Interventions
Recognizing & Addressing spiritual symptoms & suffering
Informed End-of-life decision making
Outer & Inner stages and signs of the dying process
End-of-Life Choices; Euthanasia
Home Funerals & Final Passages
Vigiling
Rituals & Ceremonies at the End of Life
Medical Systems, Terminology & Practices
Creating Care plans for the end-of-life
Pain and Symptom Management
Contemplative End of Life Care Certificate
Graduates of the Contemplative End of Life Care Professional Development training are eligible to apply to sit the thanatology certification exams offered through the Association for Death Education and Counselling (ADEC) in the US.