LEVEL 3 — WORKING WITH COMPLEX CASES, PROFESSIONAL SELF-CARE, AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

Who this level is for those planning to work long-term with severe and complex losses (palliative care, war-related losses, child loss); those who wish to formalize their practice as an independent professional service. After completing Level 3, participants will be able to support families experiencing complex and traumatic losses; be skilled in approaches to perinatal and neonatal loss; know how to work with guilt, shame, and family conflicts surrounding death; have tools for preventing professional burnout and secondary traumatic stress; maintain basic documentation and understand legal and ethical limitations; be able to build and offer their own service while remaining within professional boundaries. Level content includes Complex losses: sudden, violent, war-related death, and suicide — specific features of support. Perinatal and neonatal loss: appropriate language, rituals, and parental support. Multiple losses and exhausted families: pacing and dosing of support. Grief intertwined with guilt and shame: “I didn’t make it in time,” “I failed to notice,” “I was far away.” Working with the practitioner’s own triggers: self-observation and recognition of secondary traumatization. Burnout prevention: personal care practices, supervision, and boundaries between life and work. Supervision and intervision formats for doulas / end-of-life guides. Documentation and data-handling ethics. Legal and ethical nuances in end-of-life support (decision-making authority, family disagreement, religious requirements). Collaboration with medical teams in complex cases. Rituals and farewells for “difficult” deaths (suicide, absence of a body, etc.). Short-term post-death family support. Public communication of complex cases (without disclosure of personal data). Building a doula / end-of-life guide service: format, boundaries, fees, and ethical terms of collaboration. Ending the support relationship: how to leave the family gently and respectfully. Final comprehensive case study covering all stages of accompaniment.