PRACTICE LAB
A MONTHLY GRAND ROUNDS FOR DOULAS
Doulas need somewhere to practice.
Practice Lab is a monthly case-study space created exclusively for doulas to practice the work we do...together. Think critically. Wrestle with complexity. Try things. Get things wrong. Learn from other doulas. And build the skills that are hardest to develop from a lecture.
DOULA TRAINING IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...
KNOWING THE WORK ISN'T THE SAME AS
PRACTICING IT!
Doulas are asked to think critically, navigate complexity, communicate with care, recognize what’s ours to hold and respond in real time when there may be no obvious right answer. We need places to practice those skills before someone is depending on us to get them right.
 NEXT PRACTICE LAB
October 23, 2026 · 10am PT / 1pm ET · Live on Zoom
OCTOBER'S LAB THEME:
"Something has Changed"
What happens when the situation in front of you is no longer the situation you thought you were supporting? This month, we’ll practice noticing, separating observation from interpretation, asking better questions, and responding when something changes.
$30 drop-in
$20 for active mentorship members
INSIDE THE LAB
THE PRACTICE IS THE POINT
Each Practice Lab centers a fictional or composite case created by Erica Livingston and Shishi Rose. Together, we’ll notice what stands out, ask questions, explore possible approaches, and practice responding in real time.
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You’ll practice:
- critical thinking + creative problem-solving
- communication, discernment + scope
- trauma-informed, justice-centered care
There may be many thoughtful approaches to the same situation. Practice Lab is a place to examine them.
JUST FOR DOULAS
THIS ROOM IS FOR DOULAS
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Practice Lab is intentionally a doula-only space, a room where we can speak in the particular language of this work, wrestle openly with uncertainty, admit what we don’t know, and practice alongside people who understand what it means to occupy this unique place beside families.Â
Come prepared to:
- be curious instead of certain
- practice getting things wrong
- learn with, and from, other doulas
You do not need to perform expertise here. You do need to bring curiosity, care, and a willingness to practice.
WHO IT'S FOR
FOR THOSE COMMITTED TO THE PRACTICE OF BECOMING
Practice Lab is for doulas who believe this work deserves rigor and who know that becoming skillful at it requires more than collecting information.
This space is for doulas who want to:
- keep growing beyond certification
- strengthen critical thinking, communication & discernment
- build community with doulas they can actually think with
Because practicing care in community makes all of us better at offering it.
MEET YOUR FACILITATORS
Practice Lab is created and facilitated by Erica Livingston and Shishi Rose, two doulas, educators, mentors, and longtime thought partners committed to building spaces where doulas can think deeply, practice honestly, and grow in community.
WE BELIEVE DOULAS DESERVE PLACES TO KEEP BECOMING.
Too often, doulas complete a training and are left to figure out the complicated parts of this work on their own. The lone-doula-wolf in the wild! Practice Lab grew from our shared belief that doulas deserve ongoing spaces for rigor, reflection, experimentation, accountability, and community...not only more information.
There is so much wisdom in gathering with other doulas to practice, wonder, question, and think together. Practice Lab makes room for that wisdom, and for the kind of growth that happens when we bring our experience, our uncertainty, our curiosity, and our care into the same room.
JOIN US FOR THE NEXT
PRACTICE LAB
One live, case-based practice session. Come ready to think, wonder, wrestle, and practice alongside other doulas.
Active members of Erica or Shishi’s mentorship programs receive $10 off each Practice Lab.