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Why I Teach Full-Spectrum Doula Training in Guatemala: A Transformative Retreat at Lake Atitlán
[/mk_title_box][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]Author: Stefanie Antunes[/mk_title_box][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1767642223480{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Every time I step into the retreat space at Lake Atitlán in Guatemala to teach Full Spectrum Doula Training in Guatemala with a group of aspiring doulas, I feel deeply grateful. Teaching this immersive doula certification course through Doula School has shown me how powerful it can be when we combine modern, evidence-based birthwork with ancestral birthing wisdom rooted in place.
In that setting surrounded by mountains, water, and a community that honors birth I get to guide people not just toward certification, but toward a grounded, compassionate practice that will serve families for years to come.[/vc_column_text][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]
What Makes Full-Spectrum Doula Training Different?
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Unlike traditional birth doula training programs that focus solely on labor support, full-spectrum doula training prepares you to support families through every stage of their reproductive journey. This comprehensive approach means you’ll be equipped to serve clients during conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and even through pregnancy loss or infant loss.
During this 7-day intensive retreat (complemented by online learning components), I guide trainees through our complete full-spectrum doula curriculum:
Birth & Labor Support
You’ll master comfort measures, labor support techniques, understanding medical interventions, client advocacy, and informed consent practices. This foundation ensures you can confidently support birthing people through whatever their labor brings.
Postpartum & Newborn Care
Learn essential newborn care skills, infant feeding support (including breastfeeding and bottle feeding), postpartum body changes, perinatal mental health awareness, and navigating complex family dynamics during the fourth trimester.
Fertility & Reproductive Health Support
For those called to support fertility journeys, we cover reproductive anatomy, menstrual cycle awareness, holistic fertility care, and how to compassionately guide clients through conception challenges.
Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
Gain the specialized training needed to sensitively and professionally support clients through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, and fertility challenges—one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of doula work.
Professional Practice Skills
I provide practical guidance on launching and building your doula business, including client communication, professional ethics, contract writing, pricing structures, and sustainable business practices.
Cultural Awareness & Inclusion
We intentionally integrate learning about diverse birth traditions, cultural humility, anti-racism in birthwork, and inclusive support practices—essential skills for serving families from all backgrounds with respect and competence.
With this training, my goal is to equip you not only as a doula but as a well-rounded, empathetic practitioner ready to support clients through any part of their reproductive journey.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/full-spectrum-doula-training-in-guatemala.jpg” image_height=”500″ align=”center”][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]
Why Guatemala? The Power of Place in Doula Education:
[/mk_title_box][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1767642649112{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]I chose Lake Atitlán for this doula training retreat for reasons that go far beyond its breathtaking beauty. This sacred space offers something transformative that traditional classroom settings simply cannot provide.
Immersive Learning Without Distractions:
When you step away from your everyday environment and into this retreat setting, you leave behind the distractions of daily life. You can dive fully into learning, practice, embodiment, and personal transformation. This level of presence accelerates your growth as a doula in ways that weekend workshops spread over months cannot match.
Balance of Education, Rest, and Cultural Immersion:
Unlike intensive doula training programs that pack information into cramped schedules, our Guatemala retreat balances hands-on learning with rest, community building, and cultural immersion. You’ll have time to process what you’re learning, connect with your cohort, and experience local birth traditions firsthand.
Ancestral Wisdom Meets Modern Evidence
Guatemala’s rich birthing traditions offer profound lessons about instinctive birth, community support, and honoring the sacred in reproduction. By learning in this environment, you experience the beautiful blend of ancestral birthing knowledge and contemporary, evidence-based doula practice— creating a more complete understanding of what birth support can be.
Personal, Professional, and Spiritual Transformation:
This isn’t just about getting certified. The retreat format creates space for personal healing, professional clarity, and spiritual growth. Many graduates tell me the Guatemala experience didn’t just train them as doulas, it transformed how they see birth, themselves, and their purpose in the world.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/full-spectrum-doula-training-in-guatemala-room.jpg” image_height=”500″ align=”center”][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]
Who Should Join This Full-Spectrum Doula Training?
[/mk_title_box][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1767626015601{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]I welcome you to this doula certification program if you:
- Feel called to support families through birth, fertility, postpartum care, or pregnancy loss
- Want comprehensive training that covers the full spectrum of reproductive support—not just labor and delivery
- Appreciate immersive, in-person learning in a beautiful, supportive retreat environment
- Value cultural humility, diversity, inclusion, and a holistic approach to birthwork
- Are ready to build a doula practice rooted in respect, compassion, skill, and professional excellence
- Want to be part of a supportive community of birth workers who will continue learning together long after the retreat ends
Whether you’re starting fresh in birthwork, transitioning from nursing or midwifery, seeking postpartum doula training, or expanding from birth doula work into full-spectrum care, this program will meet you where you are and guide you forward.[/vc_column_text][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]
My Promise to You as Your Doula Trainer:
[/mk_title_box][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1767642612899{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]My commitment is to teach with heart, knowledge, and integrity—and to support you fully, long after the retreat ends. I believe in giving you the tools, confidence, and compassion needed to walk beside families during their most vulnerable, sacred moments.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1767642574347{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]My commitment is to teach with heart, knowledge, and integrity—and to support you fully, long after the retreat ends. I believe in giving you the tools, confidence, and compassion needed to walk beside families during their most vulnerable, sacred moments.[/vc_column_text][mk_title_box highlight_opacity=”0″ font_family=”none”]
You’ll leave Guatemala with:
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- A recognized doula certification that opens doors professionally
- Practical skills you can immediately apply with clients
- A supportive network of fellow doulas
- Ongoing mentorship and community through Doula School
- Confidence in your ability to serve families with excellence
- A transformed understanding of what birthwork can be
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Begin Your Journey as a Full-Spectrum Doula:
[/mk_title_box][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1767626399312{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]If you feel called to this work, I would be honored to guide you in the stunning surroundings of Lake Atitlán as you begin your journey as a full-spectrum doula with Doula School.
Our next Guatemala doula training retreat is filling quickly. Learn more about the program, see what’s included, review the curriculum details, and register here:[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Full Spectrum Guatemala Doula Training” css=”” link=”url:%2Ffull-spectrum-guatemala-doula-training%2F”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1767632756726{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Your calling to support families through their most transformative moments deserves training that’s equally transformative. I look forward to welcoming you to Guatemala.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1767632852709{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stefanie Antunes, Co-director of Doula School
Stefanie is co-director of Doula School with a vision of creating trauma-informed, culturally responsive doula education that honors both evidence-based practice and ancestral wisdom. With over 20 years in birthwork she brings depth, experience, and heart to every training.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]