Educator • Ceremonial Care Specialist • Holistic Funeral Director • IISCC
Animal & Human End-of-Life Training
Their end of life is part of our human experience
Practical, compassionate training for people/animal/pet owners, end-of-life doulas and carers/nurses/veterinary/pet professionals.
Courses & Training
Below, you will find 8 different training paths created for
both the general public and professionals to learn about both pet and human end-of-life and after-death care.
Please take your time to explore the different courses and find the one that feels right for you.
If you have any questions or are unsure which course to choose, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
REGARDING PEOPLE
Suitable for the
general public
When Someone Dies: Choices, Care and Saying Goodbye
A live online gentle, practical course for families and friends exploring what you can do after someone dies - from understanding your choices to taking part in supported care and creating a personal, meaningful goodbye.
REGARDING PEOPLE
Suitable for people wishing to train as a professional
holistic funeral director
Learning how to support families & lead a funeral with a holistic ethos
Suitable for those wishing to train as professional holistic funeral directors, combining practical funeral knowledge with compassionate, person-centred care. This pathway explores how to support individuals and families before and after death, create meaningful and highly personalised funerals, and guide people through the practical, emotional and ceremonial aspects of saying goodbye.
REGARDING PETS
Suitable only for animal care professionals
(ELDA)
Supporting Animals Through End of Life
A live online practitioner course for animal professionals, including vets and veterinary nurses, who wish to train as an End-of-Life Doula for Animals (ELDA), building on their existing knowledge and experience to support animals and their families through later life, illness, dying, death and bereavement.
REGARDING PEOPLE
Suitable only for professionals - nurses/carers/
end-of-life doula's/soul midwives & holistic practitioners
Supported Ceremonial Care of the Body: Guiding Families After Death
A live online compassionate, practical training for end-of-life doulas, soul midwives, holistic practitioners, nurses and carers. Develop your confidence in supporting families to participate in caring for the body after death, honouring their wishes, beliefs and relationships through gentle acts of care and personal ritual.
REGARDING PETS
Suitable for people wanting to train as an End of life doula for animals (ELDA)
supporting owners & their animals through the pets end of life
A live online practitioner course for those who wish to become an End-of-Life Doula for Animals (ELDA), developing the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to professionally support animals and their families through later life, illness, dying, death and bereavement.
REGARDING PETS
Suitable only for qualified human end-of-life doulas
(ELDA)
Animal End-of-Life Doula Conversion Certificate
A live online practitioner course for end-of-life doulas and soul midwives who support people and wish to extend their practice to animals, building on their existing experience with specialist knowledge and practical skills to support animals and their families through later life, illness, dying, death and bereavement.
About your tutor -
Holly Lyon-Hawk
End-of-Life Doula for People and Animals · Multi-Award-Winning Holistic Funeral Director · Celebrant · Educator My work brings together an early background in veterinary nursing with nearly 12 years of supporting people, animals and their families through end of life, death and bereavement. I draw on practical experience of accompanying families, caring for those who have died and creating personal ceremonies, alongside professional teaching, conference speaking and contributions to discussions about the future of end-of-life care. Professional experience Veterinary nursing background: Earlier work in veterinary nursing provided a foundation in animal care and an understanding of the relationships between animals, their families and veterinary teams. Nearly 12 years of end-of-life support: Supporting both people and animals, including preparation, emotional support, after-death care and bereavement. Multi-award-winning holistic funeral director: Founder of Gentle Endings, providing personal, family-centred funeral care. Celebrant and Supported Ceremonial Care specialist: Helping families participate in meaningful acts of care, farewell and remembrance. Teaching and public speaking - Professional training: Delivered training for Felicity Warner and End of Life Doula UK. - International teaching: Delivered animal end-of-life CPD to practitioners in Sweden. - Palliative-care conferences: Speaker on approaches to supporting people and families around death and dying. - International death-literacy conferences: Contributions in the Netherlands and Brussels over the past two years. - Green Party conference: Conference talk addressing environmental funeral practices and proposals for change. Trusteeship and sector representation - Trustee, End of Life Doula UK: Contributing to the charity’s work supporting end-of-life doula practice. - Committee member, Association of Green Funeral Directors: Contributing to discussions about environmentally responsible funeral care. - Sector representation: Contributions to discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority, representing the Good Funeral Guide and End of Life Doula UK. Writing and resources - Author of A Gentle Goodbye with Cinnamon the Rabbit. Supporting conversations about animal loss with children and families. What this brings to the training My teaching combines practical knowledge with reflection, compassionate communication and clear professional boundaries. It makes room for the wonder and depth of our relationships with animals while preparing learners for the uncertainty and difficult decisions that can accompany dying. Learners are encouraged to develop their own understanding, presence and judgement, drawing on teaching grounded in experience across animal care, human end-of-life support, funerals and ceremony.