Why Mentorship Matters for New Doulas: Exploring Research on Professional Learning

By Birth & Baby University · Last updated: October 2026 · 7 min read

Finishing a doula training is a beginning more than an arrival. The first births, the first postpartum shifts, the first uncomfortable moment with a clinician and the first time a client’s situation exceeds your scope all happen after the course is over. Many new doulas say they want someone more experienced to turn to. This article looks at what research can and cannot tell us about mentorship and professional learning, drawing on studies of doulas themselves and on better-studied professions such as nursing, and ends with practical ways to find and use a mentor.

Key takeaways

Quick answer: there are no controlled trials of mentorship programs for doulas. What exists is qualitative research in which doulas say they want mentorship, and systematic reviews in nursing and other health professions that associate mentoring with better transitions into practice, though the studies are small and of modest quality. Mentorship looks like a sensible, low-risk investment, and it should be described that way.

• A 2026 qualitative study of 29 U.S. doulas (Shklarski and colleagues) identified “extending learning post-training through apprenticeship and mentorship” as one of four themes, and concluded that findings point to the value of apprenticeship and mentorship.
• A 2025 qualitative study of seven doulas (Burke and colleagues) found they emphasized the need for mentorship and support for novices transitioning to hospital settings, particularly when caring for high-risk patients.
• In a 2023 study of 17 Georgia doulas (Mosley and colleagues), almost all said they had fewer than their ideal number of clients, all said they were insufficiently paid, and they reported that training, mentoring and networking help build their businesses.
• Systematic reviews of mentoring for newly graduated nurses (9 studies; 5 studies) report lower turnover, improved competency and job satisfaction, while describing the quality of the underlying studies as limited.

What the research says

What doulas say. The doula-specific evidence is qualitative: interviews and surveys of working doulas. In a study of how U.S. doulas are trained to address perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (Shklarski and colleagues, 2026), 29 doulas described four themes, including the value of real-life examples and practice, “holding space” more than relying on screening tools, and extending learning after training through apprenticeship and mentorship. The authors concluded that mental health content should be integrated into doula certification programs and noted the value of apprenticeship and mentorship. A qualitative study of seven doulas in hospital team-based care (Burke and colleagues, 2025; five identified as Black or African American) found that doulas emphasized the need for mentorship and support for novices moving into hospital settings, and concluded that career development and mentorship can help novice doulas integrate smoothly. In Georgia (Mosley and colleagues, 2023), 17 doulas surveyed and interviewed said training, mentoring and networking help build their businesses, and the authors suggested fostering stronger doula networks with mentorship. A 2024 futures-oriented study of 26 community doulas (Darvish and colleagues, 2024) listed “instilling a chain of learning through mentorship” and using doula collectives to decrease burnout among the opportunities doulas saw for strengthening the workforce.

These are small, self-selected samples and describe perceptions and needs, not measured outcomes. They are strong evidence that mentorship is wanted. They are not evidence of what it achieves.

What other professions show. A systematic review of mentoring programs for newly graduated nurses (Zhang and colleagues, 2016; nine studies) found that turnover could be decreased through a mentoring program and that mentoring can enhance competency and create a supportive workforce environment, adding that successful programs need rigorous mentor selection and adequate training, and that time constraints and scheduling are barriers. A second review of mentorship for recently registered nurses (Chen and Lou, 2014; five studies) reported reduced turnover and turnover costs, improved job satisfaction and professional identity, and described the strength of evidence as Level III, based on study design. A systematic review of mentoring for health workers in Africa (Feyissa and colleagues, 2019; 30 papers reporting 24 studies) found mentoring interventions effective for improving clinical management and managerial performance, and noted there is no evidence to recommend one model of mentoring over another.

Applying this to doulas needs caution. Nurses are employees in institutions, with licensure and workplace structure. Many doulas are independent practitioners, and their mentors are often peers who are also business owners. The reviews also note small numbers of studies and limits in study quality.

What mentorship can and cannot do

• It can give you someone to debrief with after a hard birth or visit, help you notice habits you cannot see, introduce you to a local professional network, model how experienced doulas set boundaries and speak with clinicians, and help you plan a business.
• It cannot replace training, supervision where your certifier requires it, or professional help for your own distress. It does not make you a clinician.
• It carries risks if done poorly. A mentor who gives clinical advice, breaches client confidentiality when “debriefing,” or pushes their own preferences as rules is not helping. The nursing reviews note that mentor selection and training matter.

Forms mentorship can take

• Shadowing and accompanying. Attending a birth or visit alongside an experienced doula. Check your certifier: DONA’s FAQ notes that births attended as a “doula buddy” or observer cannot be submitted for its certification, even though this can be a valuable learning experience.
• Case review. Regular, confidential conversations about past cases without identifying clients.
• Peer circles or collectives. Groups of doulas who meet to share experience and support each other, which the 2024 community doula study linked to decreasing burnout.
• Structured programs. Mentorship offered by a training organization, agency or community program, sometimes with set goals and timelines.
• Business mentoring. Advice on pricing, contracts, marketing, bookkeeping and backup arrangements.

Putting it into practice: finding and using a mentor

1. Define what you need help with. Clinical-adjacent knowledge, labor support skills, postpartum practice, hospital collaboration, mental health referrals, or running a business.
2. Ask about experience and style, not just titles. How long have they practiced? In which settings? How do they handle scope? Can they describe a time they referred a client?
3. Agree on boundaries up front. Time commitment, how often you will meet, confidentiality, how you will discuss cases, and whether money is involved.
4. Bring something to every session. A question, a case, a goal. Mentors cannot help with what they cannot see.
5. Use more than one voice. A mentor, a peer circle and your certifying organization’s resources cover different needs.
6. Review after a few months. Is it helping? Adjust, change mentors or move to peer support as you gain experience.
7. Pay it forward. Experienced doulas can mentor, and training as a mentor is part of what the nursing reviews say makes programs work.

Limits and uncertainty

None of the studies above tested a mentorship program for doulas against a comparison group, and the nursing and health worker reviews were based on a small number of studies of limited design quality. Results from other professions may not transfer. The doula studies come from a handful of U.S. settings and reflect those doulas’ perspectives. Mentorship is a reasonable bet supported by what doulas say and by adjacent evidence, not a proven intervention.

The bottom line

New doulas consistently say they want guidance after training, and research from other professions suggests mentorship can support retention, competence and confidence, with caveats. Look for mentors who are experienced, clear about scope and confidentiality, and willing to teach, and use them alongside peers and your certifying organization.

Birth & Baby University’s For Doulas page describes mentorship for doulas who are provisionally certified and aiming for full certification, or trained and ready to grow their practice, alongside its training and recertification options. As with any program, compare it against your own goals and check what your certifier, employer or state requires.

This article is for professional education. It is not medical, legal or tax advice. Check the standards of your certifying organization and the rules where you work.

Sources and further reading

• Shklarski L, et al. “We’re not clinicians, but we see it”: doulas’ roles in supporting clients with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Midwifery (2026). Read the source
• Burke LT, et al. Racial minority doulas’ perceptions of hospital team-based care. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing (2025). Read the source
• Mosley EA, et al. “I want…to serve those communities…[but] my price tag is…not what they can afford”: the community-engaged Georgia doula study. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (2023). Read the source
• Darvish N, et al. What do community doulas think about the future of the doula workforce? Maternal and Child Health Journal (2024). Read the source
• Zhang Y, et al. The effectiveness and implementation of mentoring program for newly graduated nurses: a systematic review. Nurse Education Today (2016). Read the source
• Chen CM, Lou MF. The effectiveness and application of mentorship programmes for recently registered nurses: a systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management (2014). Read the source
• Feyissa GT, et al. How effective are mentoring programs for improving health worker competence and institutional performance in Africa? A systematic review of quantitative evidence. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (2019). Read the source
• DONA International. FAQs for Aspiring DONA Doulas (read October 2026). Read the source

More for professionals: the Professionals Blog.