It's time to GATHER.
It's time to GATHER.
GATHER is a creative, trauma-informed facilitator virtual training from the heart of circle work.
The current GATHER cohort is already in session, journeying together from September through December 2025. Future cohorts will open in 2026.
Add your name to the waiting list below to be the first to know when registration opens again
What is GATHER?
GATHER is my love letter to the practice of circle. It’s a multi-week, creative, trauma-informed facilitator training for people who feel called to hold space, for healing, for grief, for parenting, for community, for whatever threshold you’re standing at.
GATHER is a dream I’ve been carrying for a very long time.
Three years in the making, yes. But really… decades in the growing.
Long before I was a doula, I was a performer, a writer, a teaching artist, a community facilitator. I was someone who was drawn, again and again, to spaces where people sit in a circle, share their truths, listen deeply, and are witnessed.
Since 2016, I’ve been mentoring doulas. Since 2020, I’ve held between three and five circles every single week, for expecting parents, new parents, care workers, healthcare providers, and birth workers.
And somewhere in the quiet between all of that holding, a little whisper kept saying:
It’s time to gather the gatherers.
GATHER is for:
🌙 Doulas
🌙 Birth workers
🌙 Healthcare & care workers
🌙 Community builders
🌙 Anyone who wants to learn the art of spaceholding in a deeper, more grounded, more soulful way.
This is not just training for people working with new parents (though you’ll feel my postpartum lens woven through everything, because that’s part of who I am). This is a training for humans who want to hold space that feels real, brave, soft, and alive.
What We’ll Do Together
We’ll move through 13 spiraled modules, each one anchored in a phase of the moon because circle work is cyclical, not linear. It ebbs and flows. It mirrors the rhythms of nature, and the inner seasons of our own lives.
You’ll learn how to:
🌙 Plan, structure, and sustain nourishing circles
🌙 Hold space online and in person
🌙 Tend to group dynamics with compassion and clarity
🌙 Create rituals, themes, and content that feel alive and relevant
🌙 Anchor your facilitation in equity, inclusion, and trauma awareness
🌙 Care for yourself as a spaceholder (because you matter, too)
🌙 Bring creative practice and seasonal rhythm into your facilitation
🌙 Understand the business of circle work—how to promote, fill, and sustain your groups
You’ll Also Receive
📓 A full workbook built from downloadable templates and worksheets
🤝 Peer support and community connection throughout
📣 A spot on our facilitator registry, if you’d like to be listed
🌱 An invitation to join the Birdsong Patreon at a discounted rate for continued kinship and support
And, something I’m especially excited about…we’re partnering with a platform called Togather, where you’ll have the optional opportunity to pilot your own circle with my support, the Birdsong community, and the Togather team behind you. This part is totally consent-based, but if you want to try out your idea in real time, we’ll be there to help you bring it to life.
The Rhythm of the Moons
Each week of GATHER is paired with a moon phase, and with one of the 13 moons of the year, like the Strawberry Moon, the Harvest Moon, the Cold Moon.
These phases are not just poetic. They are anchors. They remind us that this work is living, breathing, and full of seasonality.
We’ll explore:
🌒 Waxing Crescent for intention
🌕 Full Moon for visibility
🌘 Waning Gibbous for gratitude
…and everything in between.
Because facilitation isn’t about staying “on” all the time. It’s about knowing when to shine, when to rest, when to reflect, and when to rise again.
The 12-week arc moves through:
🌙 Foundations of circle and group work
🌙 Trauma-informed facilitation
🌙 Equity and justice in group spaces
🌙 Ritual, story, and creative practice
🌙 Practice facilitation (optional)
🌙 Closing integration
Why me? Why now?
I’ve led thousands of circles. That number still surprises me, but it’s true.
From postpartum support groups to doula mentorship spaces. From grief gatherings for providers to circles for community health workers.
This has been the center of my heart work and care work for the past decade.
And I want to share everything I’ve learned with you.
Not just the tools and templates, but the heart of it.
The magic and the mess of what it means to hold people well.
I teach from the belief that you have to feel what it’s like to be in an incredible circle in order to know how to create one. So inside GATHER, you will be both a student and a participant. You’ll learn by being held.
The Details
Start Date: Monday, September 22, 2025 (Autumn Equinox)
End Date: Monday, December 8, 2025
Time: Mondays at 3:30–4:30pm ET
Structure:
🌙 12 live weeks + a “Week Zero” that unlocks as soon as you register
🌙 13 modules total (one for each moon)
🌙 Live gatherings, recorded content, creative resources, and lots of heart
Pricing
Each GATHER circle is unique, and future pricing may shift to reflect what it takes to hold the circle with care and sustainability. No matter what, GATHER will always offer sliding scale options and scholarships, in alignment with our core values of access and economic justice. When the next cohort opens, updated pricing will be shared with the waiting list first.
Tend the Circle
“I can give more to sustain the whole.”
You’re not only joining the circle, you’re helping it flourish. This tier supports others to join who might not otherwise be able, and helps nourish Birdsong’s mission of collective care and postpartum justice.
Choose this tier if:
You have the capacity to support yourself and contribute to someone else’s access.
You have stable housing and income
You can afford regular self-care or extras (like travel, subscriptions, dining out)
You want to contribute to collective care
Your contribution helps us:
Offer supported pricing to others
Fund future scholarship spots
Sustain Birdsong’s economic justice-driven education model
Hold the Circle
“I can sustainably invest in this work and in myself.”
This is the true cost of the course and reflects the heart of your commitment. You’re joining from a place of balance and reciprocity, sustaining the work and your own growth.
This is the true cost of the course. It reflects the full value of GATHER.
Choose this tier if:
You can meet your basic needs consistently
You’re investing in your work and continuing education
You want to engage at full value, and this pricing is comfortable
Join the Circle
“I need a little extra care to be here...and I belong.”
You’re welcome here. If joining at this rate makes it possible for you to access the space, please choose it with trust. This tier is for those carrying financial hardship or historically excluded from access to education and healing work.
This tier is for those with less financial access, who still want and deserve to be here.
Choose this tier if:
You’re navigating financial hardship or systemic barriers
You’re part of a historically excluded or marginalized group
You are excited to join but need a little extra care to make it work
What People Are Saying
Presence + Warmth
“Erica has a way of making people feel her caring heart through the screen.”
“Erica is down to earth, genuine, knowledgeable, and most importantly supportive. We’ve never met in person but I feel a great connection like I’ve known her personally.”
Spaceholding + Emotional Safety
“My first experience in the support group was amazing. Erica, the facilitator, brought a sense of really holding the space as well as humor to the group.”
“Being in circle made me feel cared for in a way I didn’t even realize I needed… It reminded me I wasn’t alone. Erica makes sure everyone feels comfortable and safe, and it’s actually easy to feel comfortable with her because of how naturally warm and grounded her energy is.”
“She will always have your back, no matter what. She is the heart-shaped glasses, red-haired Mama, who will fight tooth and nail for your dignity, respect and existence as a whole person.”
Knowledge + Guidance
“I had so many questions and concerns about the unknowns of pregnancy and Erica helped me tremendously. She is patient, kind, understanding, and knowledgeable — which made me feel grounded, seen, and heard.”
“Erica is like Cinderella’s postpartum fairygodmother. She makes you feel seen, heard, and gives advice with her herbs and experiences that you didn’t know were possible solutions.”
“She’s knowledgeable, loving, caring, compassionate, fun and amazing! She truly cares deeply and pours so much intentionality in everything she does.”
Life Changing Impact
“Between my pregnancy journey and early postpartum I wholeheartedly feel this space has legit saved my life! I’ve never felt so seen, so heard and understood.”
“This experience truly changed my life… It made one of the most pivotal times in my life feel supported, safe, and sacred — and that is something I’ll carry forever.”
“Being in these circles has truly changed the trajectory in which my life went.”
The Boldest Praise
“Erica is THAT doula. She’s so understanding and resourceful — I love the safe space she creates.”
“Erica is like my white sister from another mother… I consider her a friend at heart and that is priceless.”
“Erica is an Angel and I’m so grateful my path crossed hers.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Every Monday session will be recorded and shared with participants. You’ll have access to watch or re-watch as needed.
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Our only overlap this season is October 13th, Indigenous Peoples Day. We’ll still gather if you’d like to join live, but you’re not required to attend. The session will be recorded, so you can step away to honor the day and return to the circle when it feels right for you.
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Live attendance is encouraged for the collective energy of the circle, but it is not required to graduate. Watching recordings and engaging with the practices is a valid pathway.
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Yes. All participants who complete the program will receive a Facilitation Certificate from Birdsong’s University of Doula Arts & Sciences (UDAS).
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No. GATHER does not include an in-program practicum or required facilitation.
Completion is based on steady participation in the 1-hour weekly calls or recordings and the weekly reflection or practice work.
Through our partnership with Togather, graduates may propose a beta group or program to pilot after the course. This is optional, consent-based, and designed for real-world feedback and growth.
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GATHER is designed for anyone called to hold groups, circles, or community spaces. While it is taught by a doula with extensive experience leading thousands of support groups for expectant and postpartum families, the training is not limited to birth or parenting contexts.
Participants may include:
Doulas of all walks (birth, postpartum, abortion, grief, death)
Healthcare and allied health professionals (nurses, therapists, social workers, midwives, chaplains)
Faith-based leaders and spiritual guides
Educators, organizers, and community facilitators
Individuals beginning to hold groups in any context
The tools taught in GATHER…circle design, trauma-informed practice, equity frameworks, ritual, and facilitation skills, are adaptable to any form of circle or group space. Our focus is postpartum-centric at heart, but the frameworks are interdisciplinary and transferable to a wide range of professional and community settings.
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Each week:
1-hour live call (or replay) note - the last class will be 2 hours long
30–60 minutes of practice, reflection, or readings outside of class
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GATHER was born from Birdsong’s heartbeat, postpartum care and equity as the ground we stand on, but it’s not only for postpartum spaces.
It moves like a semester: steady, spacious, and rigorous, yet held with care. Each week we weave together academic frameworks, restorative practices, ritual, and doula-style warmth, so you learn with both your head and your heart.
What makes it unique is the mix: interdisciplinary community, trauma-informed facilitation, and equity at the center. You’ll not only gain tools for holding groups, you’ll experience what it feels like to be inside a well-tended circle, so you can carry that embodied knowing into your own spaces.
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No prerequisites. GATHER is designed to meet you where you are and expand your skills.
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The 12-week arc moves through:
Foundations of circle and group work
Trauma-informed facilitation
Equity and justice in group spaces
Ritual, story, and creative practice
Practice facilitation (optional)
Closing integration
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Sliding scale and scholarship options are available. Details are listed on the enrollment page.
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UDAS is in formation. At this time, GATHER offers certification as a training organization, not an academic degree. We are pursuing partnerships and dreaming toward formal accreditation in the future.
Led by Erica Livingston
Erica is a postpartum centric full spectrum doula passionate about driving change at the intersection of public health and social justice, I am dedicated to advancing systemic change in birth, postpartum and reproductive equity.
As Co-Founder and CEO of Birdsong, this dynamic doula-centered maternal health and education brand, including comprehensive doula trainings and mentorship programs, I've spearheaded rapid expansion and transformative impact in the field. Training and mentoring brand new doulas serves as a grassroots approach to catalyzing systemic change from the ground up and it’s something I LOVE TO DO!
