JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — INELDA (the International End-of-Life Doula Association) and the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation (EKR Foundation) are excited to announce a new class designed for end-of-life doulas, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and anyone seeking to deepen their capacity to accompany grief through presence rather than prescription or pathology.
Grounded in the teachings of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the INELDA Doula Approach, When Grief is Present is a six-module education series that explores grief as a natural process of the whole person—body, heart, mind, and essence. Through experiential learning, reflective practice, and meaningful dialogue, participants will strengthen their ability to remain present with grief while cultivating greater self-awareness in their own practice.
“As Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s son, it is deeply meaningful to see my mother’s work continue in a way that reaches people directly at the bedside. She spent her life asking us to listen to dying people, to learn from them, and above all to treat them as human beings until the very end. Seeing those principles carried forward for another generation means a great deal to me personally,” says Ken Ross, Founder and President of the EKR Foundation.
This course, championed by Wilka Roig, end-of-life doula, INELDA board member, and president of EKR México Centro Foundation, and Omni Kitts Ferrara, INELDA’s director of education, does not teach a one-size-fits-all model to apply to grieving people. Instead, it offers a way of being with grief that honors each person’s unique experience and supports accompaniment rooted in listening, compassion, and respect for autonomy.
INELDA’s Executive Director, Douglas Simpson, shares, “In On Death and Dying, I repeatedly found myself saying Elisabeth was in the role of doula. How she cared for the dying through her human-centered approach provides a deep foundation for all end-of-life doulas.”
The first class will be January 20, 2027, through February 8, 2027, each Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. ET. The 15-hour class, When Grief Is Present ($495 base rate), is available to all learners with or without INELDA’s End-of-Life Doula Training. The six-session class is grounded in the teachings of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and the INELDA Doula Approach. Participants learn to accompany grief through self-awareness, full-self listening, and honoring the autonomy of the grieving while developing practical skills through lecture, experiential learning, discussion, and reflective practice.
INELDA will also be offering an end-of-life doula training, our first in-person European training, in Zürich, Switzerland—the birthplace of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—in March 2027. More details will be forthcoming.
INELDA Contact: Loren Talbot loren@inelda.org
ABOUT INELDA:
The International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA), a nonprofit founded in 2015, is a global leader in end-of-life doula education and deathcare advocacy. The INELDA Doula Approach™ empowers individuals, institutions, and communities with the knowledge and support to navigate end of life with dignity and intention. INELDA normalizes death and dying by advancing an international movement for accessible, equitable deathcare and compassion at end-of-life.
ABOUT EKR Foundation:
The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—psychiatrist, humanitarian, educator, and pioneer in hospice and end-of-life care. The foundation’s mission is to enhance compassionate care for the seriously ill and the dying and to further the acceptance of death as a part of life (and not as a separate event distinct from life) through our work in partnering, supporting, and providing palliative and grief resources and education in compassionate care.
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SOURCE International End-of-Life Doula Association
