ELP Level I: Compassionate Presence

Course Description:

The way we die matters as deeply as the way we live. In a culture that often fears, avoids, or denies death, The HeartWay’s Level I End of Life Practitioner (ELP) Training, led by Dr. Andrea Deerheart, offers a compassionate, courageous, and multidimensional approach to reclaiming death as a sacred and meaningful passage.

This comprehensive training prepares students to become skilled, grounded, and heart centered companions for individuals and families navigating serious illness, dying, and death. Integrating ancient wisdom with contemporary knowledge, the curriculum draws from a rich tapestry of cultural, clinical, spiritual, historical, and ethical perspectives, creating an experience that is both rigorous and deeply human.

Rooted in relationship centered care and the ethics of sacred service, the program develops the presence, knowledge, and practical skills needed to accompany others at life’s threshold. Participants learn to listen deeply, offer compassionate support, advocate with clarity, and navigate the complexities of dying and death with courage, humility, and respect.

Through this transformative training, students are invited not only to deepen their understanding of death and dying, but also to explore their own relationship with mortality, cultivating the awareness and presence necessary to become authentic, effective, and compassionate companions at one of life’s most profound passages.

Schedule: 

Q & A Session September 2, 2026 at 6:30 pm (PST). 

Orientation: September 19, 2026 9:00 am (PST).

All Sessions from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (PST).

Session 1: October 17 & October 18, 2026 

Session 2: November 14 & 15, 2026

Session 3: December 5 & 6, 2026

Location: Online

Course Overview and Areas of Study (Modules):

This course offers a layered, multidisciplinary education in the foundational principles and practices of end-life care, structured around the following areas:  

1. Historical & Contemporary Perspectives on Death
2. Understanding Death Across the Lifespan
3. Death in a Culture of Denial and Fear
4. Cultural and Religious Perspectives & Traditions
5. End-of-Life Infrastructures 
6. Dimensions and Components of End-of-Life Care 
7. Institutional Models and Philosophies of Care 
8. The Future of End-of-Life Environments 
9. Ethical and Legal Concerns 
10. The Affairs of Dying and Death
11. ELP Ethics, Codes, and Legal Frameworks 
12. Supported Death and the Role of the Practitioner

Who Should Attend:

• Nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers

• Therapists, Social Workers, and Case Managers 
• Death Doulas and Hospice Volunteers 
• Chaplains and Spiritual Counselors 
• Educators and Human Service Professionals 
• Family caregivers and those called to this path 

 Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to [email protected]