Crossing the Threshold is Birthing from Within's signature workshop that offers experiential learning for birth professionals. This embodied workshop can be taken on its own as an inspiring, nourishing, healing retreat, or as an element of Birthing from Within's Childbirth Educator and Doula Certification program, Birth as a Heroic Journey.

Crossing the Threshold is for aspiring and experienced birth professionals who want to bring compassion to their clients and themselves by exploring new perspectives and fresh insights about birth and their role as birth workers. Whether you’re an OB/GYN, midwife, nurse, doula, IBCLC, therapist, yoga teacher, parent support group leader, massage therapist, or just birth-work-curious, this workshop will give you the enrichment that you need to (re-)inspire your practice.

Crossing the Threshold is a personal retreat that can be experienced in a two-and-a-half day immersion or a five-week series. It is offered both virtually and in person. This dynamic, embodied retreat will be presented in 2.5-3 hour segments with substantial breaks in between - even in the virtual format, you will not be staring at a screen for the entire weekend. To get the most out of our time together, we encourage virtual participants to prepare their space set aside the time necessary for a deep dive!

Following the retreat, you will be enrolled (at no further charge) in a four-module online course, Introduction to Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring, where you will integrate what you experienced during the retreat, while learning several of Birthing from Within’s most prized mentoring methods so that you can begin using your new learning with parents in your community right away.

Yes, you can participate in a virtual CtT from any location where you have internet access! Please check event times to make sure they work for your time zone, as session recordings are not available.

For in person retreats, you will need to travel to the location in which the retreat is taking place.

Please make sure that you have a stable internet connection and reliable electronic device for joining the retreat. The retreat will be hosted on Zoom (a web-based video-conferencing tool). While a phone or tablet could work, a laptop or desktop computer with audio/video capabilities is ideal in order to be able to see the facilitators and other participants clearly, and to participate fully in the workshop.

Full attendance at either a live or virtual CtT is required to complete certification as a Birthing from Within Doula and/or Childbirth Educator if you are certifying through the Birth as a Heroic Journey program.

If you are certifying through an in-person Doula from Within training, the Crossing the Threshold retreat is incorporated into the training and you do not need to attend a separate CtT.

To respect everyone’s privacy, sessions are not routinely recorded. Occasionally, when we have a facilitator in training, we record for training purposes only. You will be notified in advance.

Yes, attending either a live or virtual CtT is required to complete certification as a Birthing from Within Doula and/or Childbirth Educator.

The weekend retreat will be presented in 2.5-3 hour sessions, with substantial breaks offered, including a two hour lunch break for weekend sessions. The weekly series will be presented in 3 hour sessions with several shorter breaks.

While we strive to follow the schedule, there may be slight variations in session end times due to the interactive, dynamic, and individual nature of our workshops. It is, however, important that each session begin on time. Please commit to attend the entire workshop from start to finish. Participants who join late or leave early will not experience everything they need to understand the impact of Birthing from Within's philosophy and processes. Full attendance is required to count towards our Certification Programs.

Yes!

Participants in virtual retreats will need the following supplies on hand:

— at least three sheets of art paper (at least 11 x 14 inches)

— a small set of chalk pastels (not oil pastels)

— damp cloth or wipes to clean chalk off hands

— journal

— 6-foot piece of string or yarn

— a sweet treat

— a paper plate

— one or two markers

— a tea light candle (real or battery-operated)

You may also wish to have a floor covering (sheet, tapestry, etc. to keep pastel dust off your floor/furniture), pens or additional writing utensils or art supplies, water bottle, snacks, and any other comfort items on hand to increase your enjoyment.

Participants in in person retreats should bring the following supplies:

— water bottle

— covered travel mug

— journal/notebook/sketchbook

— pens/pencils

— small set of chalk pastels (not oil pastels)

— anything else you need to be comfortable in the retreat space (slippers/warm socks? sweater/shawl? small devotional items?)

Birthing from Within does not offer refunds. If you notify us two weeks in advance that you cannot attend a workshop you have registered for, you may transfer your registration to another workshop of the same type, within one year, for a $50 rescheduling fee.

Less than two weeks before the first night of the retreat, no transfers will be allowed. If you will be unable to attend this training for any reason, please contact our office as soon as possible, as we often have a waiting list.

If Birthing from Within needs to cancel a workshop or retreat, you will be refunded the full amount paid. We cannot be held liable for any fees you might incur for travel cancellations, so please make sure to purchase travel insurance when appropriate.

Please reach out to us at contact@birthingfromwithin.com with any questions you may have!