Doula support guided by the nervous system
A birthing person's sense of safety is more than a feeling; it's physiological and can shape how labor unfolds. This training prepares doulas to work skillfully with everything that shapes that sense of safety, even as it shifts throughout labor. You'll learn to observe and interpret coping behaviors, shifts in nervous system activation, and relational dynamics as meaningful information that guides what kind of support to offer and when.
A nervous system–informed, mind-body approach to labor support
The Nona Birth Coherence™ Doula Training prepares birth professionals to support labor and birth through nervous system literacy, grounded presence, and relational attunement. This training is designed for doulas who want to deepen their ability to recognize, respond to, and support the physiological, environmental, and emotional processes that shape birth.
Grounded in the Birth Coherence™ framework, this training integrates contemporary neuroscience, birth physiology, trauma-informed care, and embodied learning. Our emphasis is on supporting regulation, adaptability, and resilience for birthing people and their support systems.
At a Glance
- Format: Online, self-paced recorded curriculum + quarterly live Q&A sessions + optional in-person retreat — join from anywhere
- Who it's for: New doulas building a strong foundation and experienced doulas seeking nervous system frameworks
- Framework: Birth Coherence™ — nervous system science applied to labor support
- Certification: Coursework and assessments, 3 attended births with evaluations, plus childbirth and breastfeeding course observations
- Includes: 2 years of professional membership, mentoring, and a professional learning community
- Tuition: $1,299
- Instructor: Erica Kroll, LPC — licensed perinatal therapist, DONA-trained doula, Polyvagal Institute certified, 25+ years in birth work
- Enrollment: Opens periodically — join the waitlist for first access
What you will Learn
Practical & Foundational Skills
Professional Collaboration & Business
Birth Justice
Nona Original Frameworks and Models
About Erica Kroll, Your Trainer
Erica Kroll has been teaching and studying mind-body birth education and prenatal yoga for over 25 years. She is a licensed perinatal therapist, educator, and retired doula, with a professional background that bridges birth support, mental health, and embodied education.
Erica began working in women's health in 1999, first training as a doula through DONA International. Recognizing a need for specialized mental health support during the childbearing year, she completed a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Missouri in 2010, earning her professional counseling license working with survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.
She founded Nona Birth Education in 2012 and has led Nona Birth Doula Trainings since 2014, including training labor and delivery nurses at the University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital. Her certification through the Polyvagal Institute grounds the Birth Coherence™ framework in neuroscience through the functional lens of polyvagal theory, connecting decades of hands-on birth work with contemporary nervous system science.
Selected Credentials
- Licensed Professional Counselor, perinatal specialization
- Master of Education, Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, 2010
- E-RYT and RPYT, Yoga Alliance
- Consultant, University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital Low Intervention Birth Program, 2015
How This Training Is Structured
- Self-paced curriculum delivered through recorded lectures and guided practices, with time for integration and reflection — complete it from anywhere
- Live Q&A sessions with Nona founder Erica Kroll, drawing on her experience as a perinatal therapist and over two decades in birth work. Offered quarterly.
- Optional in-person retreat for practice, deepening skills, live mentoring, and community building
- Professional online community for ongoing peer support, shared reflection, and connection
Who This Training Is For
- Newer doulas seeking a strong foundation in nervous system-informed, mind-body birth support
- Experienced doulas who want language and frameworks for what they observe in the birth room and a deeper sense of attunement with their clients during birth
What You Will Gain
- A cohesive framework for understanding labor and birth through the lens of nervous system regulation and relational safety
- Greater confidence reading coping behaviors, supporting labor progress, and adapting as circumstances change
- Refined presence, communication, and capacity to stay grounded in complex or emotionally charged situations
- Clarity on when and why to offer specific forms of support, and when less intervention is more supportive
Community, Mentorship, and Ongoing Learning
- Professional learning community for shared reflection, case discussion, and integration of the Birth Coherence™ framework
- Regular live Q&A sessions to ask questions, explore real scenarios, and deepen your practice over time
- Ongoing connection to prevent the isolation common in doula work, especially for those practicing independently
- Mentorship from Erica Kroll, who is a licensed perinatal therapist and brings more than two decades of experience as a doula, prenatal yoga teacher, and childbirth educator, making her especially equipped to guide your development.
Tuition: $1,299
Includes:
- Full access to the self-paced training curriculum
- All Nona models and frameworks
- Access to a growing professional learning community membership
- Quarterly live Q&A sessions and mentoring with Erica
Join the Waitlist
Enrollment opens periodically. Join the waitlist to:
- Be notified when enrollment opens
- Learn more about how this training may fit into your professional path
If you're drawn to a nervous system-informed, relational approach to birth support and want to explore this work further, you're welcome to add your name.
Join the WaitlistWhat Past Participants Say
"I've been to a lot of trainings in a lot of domains and this may be the best."
— Emorie
"The training went above and beyond my expectations. It helped me to feel completely equipped with the knowledge and tools I will need to start my career."
— Shelby
"I can't imagine what else we could've squeezed in! I'd recommend it above all else because of the mindfulness piece — and learning how not to be 'That Doula.'"
— Maren
"The inclusion of mood disorders, cultural awareness, transgender awareness, mindfulness, and business makes this curriculum well rounded and very informative."
— Krishna
"Very educational. The content is great, and it is free of any kind of agenda I have seen present in some other organizations."
— Alicia
"The training promotes a responsible and collaborative doula model. The trainers are experienced and knowledgeable, as well as excellent teachers and resources."
— Amanda
Certification and Professional Membership
Certify by completing the training, and professional membership is how your certification stays active over time.
Becoming certified
Certification confirms that you have completed the training and demonstrated competency. To certify, you will:
- Complete the full curriculum, including required readings, assignments, and assessments
- Attend 3 births and submit evaluations
- Observe a childbirth education course and a breastfeeding education course in your community
What certification and membership give you
Your training includes 2 years of professional membership. As an active member in the professional community, attending Q&A sessions and workshops, you can automatically recertify by renewing your membership. Together they allow you to:
- Identify publicly as a Certified Nona Birth Doula
- Describe your education as grounded in the Birth Coherence™ framework
- Be listed on the Nona Birth Education website
- Participate in ongoing mentoring, peer support, and live Q&A sessions
- Access continuing education and updates to Nona materials
Staying certified
Certification is valid for 2 years, the same period your included membership covers. The two renew together: recertification happens through your professional membership, so continuing your membership is how you keep your certification and your public title current.
Frequently Asked Questions
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