A 7-Module Self-Paced Video Training
Dr. Martha Jo Atkins, Founder of Dying School and Author of Signposts of Dying on her 7-week immersive course about the Map of Dying…
“This course is not just about learning information, it’s about learning how to become someone who sits at the bedside of a dying person and can stay. When you are able to recognize the subtle shifts that happen when someone is at their end of life journey and someone who recognizes the sacred thresholds along the way; you’ll listen beneath the surface about what’s happening. By the time we get to the end of the course, you’re going to have this information… not to control the situation as you’re caring for somebody, but as a way to orient yourself. When somebody is able to orient, and settle and be peaceful, it helps everyone in the room - and it surely helps the person who is dying. I look forward to being with you in this class as we learn to navigate the Map of Dying together.”
During this transformational journey, you’ll:
Recognize the physical, emotional, and spiritual signs of dying, responding with calm and compassion
Learn a new somatic exercise to orient you in each module
Practice grounding, breathwork, and mindfulness tools to remain present in challenging moments
Apply the Map of Dying™ in daily life, caregiving, and personal reflection with lasting impact
Learn rituals and reflective exercises that create sacred closure and strengthen connection
Decode patterns and the language of dying to guide care and understanding
Integrate real-life stories to deepen empathy, insight, and confidence
And much more...
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Modules
This course features step-by-step teachings and experiential practices from Dr. Martha Jo. Each session builds harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to gain a clearer picture of how dying unfolds so you can respond with tenderness and compassion. Your purchase includes 24/7 ongoing access to your course content, allowing you time to review the materials at your own pace and integration.
In this 7-module transformational course, Dr. Martha Jo guides you through the skills and competencies you’ll need to deepen your understanding of the dying process so you offer love and support while staying emotionally balanced.
The Beauty of On-Demand
Curriculum:
This 7-module transformational course guides you through the skills and competencies you’ll need to deepen your understanding of the dying process so you offer love and support while staying emotionally balanced.
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When you’re supporting someone at the end of life, it’s easy to feel unmoored. But Dr. Martha Jo gently reframes dying as a natural, intelligible process with its own rhythms and thresholds.
Using the Map of Dying™ framework, you’ll gain orientation to the physical, emotional, and spiritual arc from hospice decisions through the final breath. With clearer context, you’ll feel steadier, less afraid, and more able to respond with compassion and presence.
In this session, you’ll:
Reframe death as a natural, intelligible process — helping you meet it with greater steadiness and perspective
Experience a guided meditation to help you feel supported, resourced, and less alone as you move through the work
Discover the purpose and structure of the Map of Dying™ — from hospice decision through the final breath
Understand how the Map of Dying™ creates space for a conversations to reduce fear and support dignity and clarity in tender moments
Learn language to name what is often felt but rarely spoken — supporting meaningful connection and presence
Recognize how your own beliefs and history shape the way you accompany others
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The body speaks clearly at the end of life, therefore listening is key. Dr. Martha Jo shares common physical signs and changes that surface as death approaches, helping you grasp their meanings and view them as expressions of the body’s innate intelligence. As you learn that bodies know how to die, you’ll begin tracking that process so you can feel more equipped to help, support, and connect with the person who is dying.
In this session, you’ll:
Examine physical signs of the dying process — so you can recognize what is natural and expected
Practice two breathing exercises to shift anxiety and fear to help gain mental clarity and reduce stress
Begin tracking the end of life process through real life video examples, illustrating different stages
Discover ways to support and comfort the dying person — responding with attuned presence rather than panic
Find out how fear can escalate when the body is misunderstood — and why knowledge helps soften those feelings
Understand what being with suffering can look and feel like — so you can remain present without turning away
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Next, you’ll learn how to meet emotions without fixing, suppressing, or bypassing. This module will help you understand how emotional states function near the end of life for both the dying person and the caregiver.
You’ll practice shifting focus, and explore additional tools for tracking and changing somatic states.
In the process, you’ll discover firsthand how when feelings are met with compassion, they often diffuse, allowing space for connection and honesty.
In this session, you’ll:
Learn about common emotional patterns that arise near death — so you can recognize intensity without being overwhelmed by it
Experience in an open focus exercise to shift your brain so you don’t get pulled into unwanted energy
Find out what it means to stay in your “hula hoop” — understanding the difference between empathy and saving
Discover tools for meeting fear and anger with steadiness — supporting presence instead of reactivity
Understand how to navigate the experience of loving someone you may not always like — making space for complexity without shame
Practice an eye movement exercise to bring you back to yourself and bring a mind-body reset
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Many people have reported visions, heightened awareness, or a sense of presence beyond the physical at the end of life. Through The Language of Dying™, this module will help you explore these experiences.
You’ll learn how to recognize common spiritual and liminal phenomena and understand them as meaningful communication rather than confusion or signs of decline — becoming a steady witness and decoder of this ancient language with calm presence and respect.
In this session, you’ll:
Learn about common spiritual and liminal experiences that arise near death — so you can recognize them as part of the threshold experience
Find out how to respond without interpreting, correcting, or pathologizing — allowing meaning to unfold naturally
Explore language that honors mystery without imposing belief — supporting the dying person’s worldview
Discover why these experiences often bring reassurance, coherence, closure, and even peace to the dying
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Dr. Martha Jo demonstrates how to “read” the room while deepening mind-body awareness, and how your presence will be the most powerful support you can offer at the end of life.
You’ll practice three tools for regulating your nervous system when you need it most. Rather than striving, you’ll learn how to stay — physically, emotionally, and energetically — without abandoning yourself so you can cultivate a grounded, resourced presence in the face of uncertainty.
In this session, you’ll:
Watch videos of people in liminal spaces, observe their behaviors, and discuss what you see
Practice simple grounding tools for high-intensity moments — helping you stay emotionally steady when emotions rise
Find out how nervous systems co-regulate near death — and why your inner calm can be your greatest offering
Discover signs that you’re overwhelmed — and review practical ways to reset before you shut down or overextend
Realize why presence matters more than saying the right thing — reducing pressure to perform
Learn practices for sustaining yourself over time — so you can continue this work without depletion
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End-of-life goodbyes mark endings, and can become moments of meaning-making that shape your memory long into the future.
This module will help you explore how to support conversations, rituals, and gestures to foster completion. You’ll create space for what needs to be said, and small, intentional practices that can bring comfort before and after death.
When goodbyes are understood as a process rather than a single moment, they can become honest, relational, and deeply human.
In this session, you’ll:
Realize what makes a goodbye healing rather than rushed — helping reduce regret and unresolved grief
Watch a moving video of a dying ritual to prepare you for the language of dying
Learn about rituals that support deep meaning and lasting connection — even in ordinary settings
Invite honesty without pressure — asking questions about how people want to be tended and opening space for hard conversations
Discover how to support families before and after death — strengthening relational bonds
Understand how thoughtful endings can ease long-term grief — shaping memories with greater tenderness
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Your journey will come to a natural close by gathering all the teachings you’ve learned. You’ll have space to reflect on the prior lessons, exploring how an awareness of the dying process can forever alter how you live your life.
Dr. Martha Jo also honors the wisdom that cannot be mapped. You’ll explore how to carry these lessons into your daily life and relationships, cultivating a deeper trust in your ability to meet life’s thresholds.
In this session, you’ll:
Examine core lessons that emerge from accompanying dying — giving insight into life, love, and priorities
Watch experiential videos of people dying and their processes — gaining newfound depth and understanding
Discover how death clarifies values, and that what matters most is fostering conscious choices
Find out how to integrate the Map of Dying™ into your understanding and practice — bringing structure to experience
Realize how mystery deepens wisdom — supporting acceptance of what cannot be fully known
Harness the power of imagination and meaning-making — creating enduring significance in life and death
SPECIAL BONUS OFFER
In addition to Martha Jo’s transformative 7-module course, you’ll receive this special bonus offering to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Where Are You on the Timeline?
Reflecting on Mortality, Decline, and the Shape of Dying
Audio Teaching and PDF Guide From Dr. Martha Jo Atkins, PhD
This reflective audio teaching plus PDF guide invite you to explore where you are on your life timeline, and how that may shape your fears, hopes, and assumptions about dying. Guided prompts will help you consider different death trajectories and the kind of end-of-life experience you may anticipate or desire. Dr. Martha Jo offers you gentle support for approaching the inquiry with honesty and self-compassion, helping you locate yourself personally in the material before the course even begins.
Opening the Conversation:
Prompts for Talking About Death Before You Have To
Conversation Prompts PDF Guide From Dr. Martha Jo Atkins, PhD
Designed to help participants begin conversations about death and dying, this 9-page prompts-based PDF guide offers reflective questions on first memories of death, early messages received, and the ways culture shapes experience. It also provides gentle language for opening a dialogue with loved ones. Together, these elements normalize death as a natural part of our human reality and help build confidence in speaking about it openly.
Here’s What You’ll Receive:
Seven 90-Minute Class Sessions With Dr. Martha Jo Atkins, PhD
Experience a unique opportunity to be mentored by and learn from end-of-life professional counselor and SE practitioner Dr. Martha Jo Atkins, PhD, founder of Dying School — from the comfort of your own home. Each class session includes a livestreaming video option and will guide you to learn a heart-centered approach to moving through loss, and transforming how you relate to death.
Seven Transcripts of Class Sessions
You’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson