End-of-Life Care & Education

Where Death Is a Teacher, and Companioning Is a Calling

Carla Archuletta Consulting is a division of Carla Archuletta Counseling.

At the end of life, presence matters more than perfection. My work as an end-of-life doula and educator is rooted in the simple yet profound truth that dying is not only a medical event—it is a deeply human passage. I companion others with compassion, clarity, and steadiness, creating space for meaning, ritual, and healing.

About Me

I am a practicing end-of-life doula, a Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement, and a faculty member in the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program, where I also earned my End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate. While many doula trainings are offered online, I was also fortunate to apprentice in person with a local practitioner—an experience that offered both invaluable hands-on learning and the steady guidance of personal mentorship.

With more than a decade of experience, I specialize in grief, trauma, serious illness support, and meaning-centered end-of-life education. I maintain a private end-of-life doula practice, along with speaking and teaching, companioning individuals and families outside the clinical setting, as well as serving in hospice and hospital volunteer roles. I am also an active member of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA), recognized as NEDA Proficient and After-Death Care Educator Proficient (ADCE).

What I Offer

Training & Workshops — Grounded, interactive experiences for individuals, families, caregivers, and professionals who want to walk more confidently with the dying and the grieving.
Online Courses — Flexible, heart-centered learning designed to make end-of-life knowledge accessible anywhere. Explore offerings at courses.carlaarchuletta.com.
Community Conversations — Gentle spaces to speak openly about death, dying, and grief, and to rediscover what it means to live fully.

Guiding Philosophy

Death is part of life. When we face it with openness, we create opportunities for peace, connection, and love.
Grief is not a problem to solve. It is a natural response, unique to each person, and worthy of respect and care.
Care is communal. No one should walk this path alone. Together, families, caregivers, and communities can companion one another with strength and tenderness.
Learning transforms. Education empowers us to move from fear into presence, and from uncertainty into trust.

An Invitation
Whether you are preparing for your own transition, caring for a loved one, or seeking to deepen your professional practice, you are welcome here. Together, we can reclaim death as a natural part of life, and companion one another with wisdom, courage, and compassion.

Understanding End-of-Life Doula “Certification”

Many people ask whether end-of-life doulas are certified. It’s an important and understandable question. Families want to feel confident in the experience and skills of the doulas who serve them, and professionals often look for familiar markers of training, like licensure or certification.

Unlike nursing, counseling, or other regulated professions, there is currently no universally recognized accrediting or regulatory body—local, state, or federal—that certifies or licenses end-of-life doulas. Some training programs offer what they call an “in-house certification,” which acknowledges completion of their specific curriculum. While this can demonstrate a level of training or accomplishment, it is not required in order to practice as an end-of-life doula, nor does it equate to licensure by an independent third-party certifier.

In short: doulas may hold certificates of training or “certification” from particular programs, but there is no single national or state certification that governs or licenses end-of-life doulas at this time.

If End-of-Life Consultation or support sounds like exactly what you’re looking for, pick up the phone and call me at (615) 852-5055 or complete the form below for more information.