The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

A 6-month matrescence training for perinatal professionals and others fiercely committed to maternal wellbeing

Learn the research-backed, practitioner-proven map to the as-yet-uncharted territory of matrescence.

Deepen your capacity as a guide and mentor for new mamas.

Join the rapidly-growing movement of matrescence support professionals + emerge as a leader in the field.

The transition to motherhood is a rite of passage.

It’s a process that takes 2-3 years, not six weeks or three months.

And it’s a transformation that is more than about learning how to change diapers and make really strong coffee.

It’s an identity shift.

In times and places long ago and far away, mothers were ushered through this transformative time with the support of a community of wise ones, with ritual and ceremony to celebrate their shifting lives.

But so many modern mothers have lost the “village” that was supposed to help them when this mothering thing got hard.

As a result, the mothers being born today are suffering. They rush to “get back to normal” and often struggle with loneliness, sadness, and feeling lost. Rates of postpartum depression and anxiety are skyrocketing. Everything from social media to social policy denies mothers the opportunity to fully own, embody, and find power in their mothering identity.

It's time to re-create The Village.

But we can only do that by apprenticing ourselves to the art and science of mothering the mother.

Despite the fact that humans have been becoming mothers *literally* since the dawn of our existence, the study of matrescence – the transition to motherhood – is a brand new field.

Our current modern, Western understanding of matrescence is THAT it happens. We know that mothers experience a total identity shift when their babies are born. We know that that can be challenging, especially in a culture that doesn’t yet recognize and honour this transformation.

But we don’t know HOW matrescence happens.

And when we don’t know HOW it happens, we simply cannot provide adequate support to mothers at every step along the way.

At least until now.

After working with new mothers as a doula and a coach for nearly twenty years and diving into the research on motherhood, rites of passage theory, and adult development psychology, I have created a model that describes how the process of matrescence unfolds for modern mothers.

Think of it as a map.

And now, think of yourself as a guide for the journey.

The Village is a 6-month Matrescence Educator Certification program for people who work with – or want to work with – mothers as they navigate matrescence.

So, whether you’re a doula, a yoga teacher, a midwife, a therapist, a childbirth educator, a naturopath, a bodyworker, an IBCLC or another mother who wants to learn how to support the mamas around you better, you are welcome here. You are needed here.

Those who complete the program will become Certified Matrescence Educators with a deeper, evidence-based understanding of how matrescence happens, a richly-appointed toolkit of resources and skills to guide new mothers, and in-depth support to bring what you've learned to life in your work.

Become a Certified Matrescence Educator

Get on the waitlist for The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Reviews of The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program:

Testimonials

“I am feeling so grateful to be a part of this Village – I learn so much every week. I love the format of our online learning and also really appreciate learning from the wise friends who are present. The online space has also been really rich with support, resources and on-going connection."– Rachel Brnjas, Registered Social Worker

Testimonials

“This program is the highlight of my week. It gives me a sense of belonging and is helping me find new purpose in my work. I love the weaving of personal & professional support that this program offers. Jessie has created a container that is nurturing, supportive, inspiring and real, and her refined execution of the topics made me feel like I was in a high quality learning environment.”
– Kelsey Dubois, Massage Therapist + Embodiment Coach

Testimonials

“In the end, the biggest growth was probably on a personal front, in my own matrescence journey. I loved the community we built, and I loved the guest speakers, and being able to find a global online network of folks supporting matrescence. And none of that would have been possible without the beautiful space held by Jessie.”
– Devon Parish, Writer + Yoga Instructor

Research shows that being aware of matrescence + understanding it as a developmental process is protective against postpartum depression and anxiety.

It's time we supported new mothers to know, in their bones, that they are not broken, they are becoming.

The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program will revolutionize the way you support new mothers. You will:

Emerge as a leader in the field of matrescence, with a robust body of work that weaves together everything you learn in The Village along with your own established skills and wisdom

Transform how your clients experience matrescence using a framework that has been time-tested and proven to support thousands of mothers

Attract clients and help mothers who are craving a deeper level of support + who are looking for a true wisdom-keeper to guide them

Learn how to work developmentally rather than transactionally with your clients - which is what new mothers actually need

Develop a rich toolkit of evidence-based frameworks, resources and tools

Grow your confidence in supporting your clients through complex experiences like grief and disorientation

Learn how to design meaningful rituals and ceremonies to support your clients and add a touch of magic to your facilitation skills

Process and integrate your own experience of matrescence and your initiation into masterful mother support

Create or hone your authentic, unique body of work

Deepen your skills to offer richer 1:1 sessions, group support, online programs, workshops or community-based services

Be a Certified Matrescence Educator, trained in a world-class apprenticeship program

Village alumni have gone on to create bustling practices, hold powerful mother's circles, get their writing published, grow their followings, and create world-leading mother-support programs of their own – just to name a few!

What are you dreaming of? What might be possible?

The Village experience includes evidence-based learning, mentorship, coaching and Village circles interwoven with personal reflection + practice.

Here's what you'll experience in The Village...

Evidence-based learning

You’ll journey through ten modules, learning the research-backed, practitioner-proven model of how the transition to motherhood unfolds. This model is a map to the as-yet-uncharted territory of matrescence, and The Village will teach you how to be a guide + mentor for mamas along this often-rocky terrain.

Intimate group size + a network of colleagues

Each Village circle is carefully designed to foster a sense of community. You’ll hone the craft of holding space for the new mothers you work with by holding space for and with your fellow Village members. You will complete the program with not just a new body of knowledge and skill, but with an expanded network of likehearted professionals.

Weekly circles + ongoing online support

The Village centres experiential learning and mentorship as teaching modalities. Each week, you’ll circle up with the other program participants to receive teaching, coaching, and sharing opportunities. You’ll also get access to a private online community to receive support, ask questions, and find inspiration.

A beautiful guidebook to support your process

You'll receive a beautiful e-book to guide you through your Village journey, with plenty of space for class notes, responses to journal prompts, and other reflections.

1:1 mentoring + coaching

You'll receive opportunities for 1:1 coaching from Jessie and mentoring from the world's leading experts on matrescence, mother support and business. You'll be well-equipped with all the tools and resources you need to bring this work into the world in your own unique way.

Bonus resources

You’ll also receive a copy of my award-winning book on matrescence, Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage, and have access to an extensive reading and resource list to enhance your learning.

Our time together in The Village is divided into two 3-month learning journeys:

Apprenticeship and Mastery

Here's what you'll experience in Apprenticeship

The first three months of The Village are a season of deep apprenticeship. You'll journey through ten evidence-based learning modules, delivered to you each week via email. We'll circle up every week to dive deeper into what you're learning, with plenty of opportunities for mentorship + coaching, questions and sharing along the way.

Here are the topics of the ten learning modules you'll be exploring:

Welcome + Introduction

You can get started on your matrescence apprenticeship path as soon as you register for The Village with this pre-recorded module. You’ll learn about matrescence and the identity shift into motherhood, and be introduced to the evidence-based framework for how matrescence unfolds. You’ll be guided to understand how The Village works and supported to set your intentions for your participation in the program.

Module One: A Modern-Day Rite of Passage

In order to support new mothers effectively, you must understand the key modern-day contextual influences on their transition to motherhood. You’ll learn about the deep impact of birth technology, trauma, social policy, racism, social media, the loss of the village, patriarchal norms, and systemic oppression on modern mothers’ matrescence. We’ll explore the pathologization of postpartum, and how seeing motherhood as a rite of passage is protective of mothers’ mental health.

Module Two: A Changing Life

You’ll learn a powerful but deceptively simple way to support new mothers to deeply explore the changes to their lives, their relationships, and themselves that motherhood has brought, and how they feel about them. This module will form the groundwork of your work with mothers during matrescence.

Module Three: Navigating Grief + Loss in Motherhood

In this module, you’ll learn about the parts of matrescence that often get overlooked: grief and loss. As the mothers you work with navigate their new identity, they’re also leaving behind many aspects of themselves and their former lives. You’ll explore how to support mothers through the normal experience of grief through holding space, practical exercises, and meaningful ritual.

Module Four: Liminal Space

You will learn how to support mothers in the discomfort of liminal space – the natural part of every life transition when we are no longer who we were, but have not fully stepped into who we’re becoming. You’ll learn the 6 key ways that mothers can meet themselves well during the challenge of this time so they can unlock the power and potential of the “in-between."

Module Five: A Shifting Identity

In this module, you’ll learn how you can support the new mothers you work with to begin to explore who they’re becoming. This work is rooted in evidence-based methods of support for sustainable change: there are no goals, to-do lists, behaviour modifications or affirmations here. This is about deep, lasting and meaningful transformation.

Modules Six and Seven: The MotherPowers

We often focus on the sacrifices and challenges that come with motherhood, and forget about the gifts it offers. The “MotherPowers” are a set of seven key skills and capacities that mothering allows us to unlock. And the MotherPowers don’t just support us to thrive in matrescence: they’re exactly what the world needs right now. In these modules, you’ll learn about the MotherPowers + how to support your clients to cultivate them.

Module Eight: Honouring Mothers through Meaningful Ritual

Ritual is an essential ingredient for traversing any major life transition. It helps us integrate change, release grief, honour the journey we’ve been on, and celebrate who we’re becoming. In this module, you’ll learn how to co-create (not culturally appropriate) meaningful ritual to support your clients’ transition to motherhood.

Module Nine: The Return - Integrating + Connecting with Community

The final phase of any rite of passage is often known as The Return, where you integrate what you’ve learned along your journey, and return to or re-create your community of support. This is often the most challenging phase of a rite of passage. In this module, you will learn the 4 essential ingredients of The Return so you can help your clients to complete their rite of passage into motherhood.

Here's what you'll experience in Mastery

The second three months of The Village are a season of integration, mentorship + coaching.

During this time you will be supported to bring this work to life in your own unique way, whether you’re starting a new business, creating a support circle for new mothers, or incorporating this knowledge into your already-existing practice.

The Mastery portion of The Village includes seven mastermind-style sessions co-created based on the needs and interests of the group, covering topics such as:

Honouring the cycles and seasons in your work life, sustainable business practices, and how to balance business and your own caregiving roles

Social media, visibility + platform growth

Ethical, feminist marketing and pricing

Powerful, trauma-informed group facilitation skills

Peer “supervision” and support for client or group quandaries that naturally occur when working with other humans!

Ongoing accountability + mentorship for the ways you want to establish and/or deepen your practice

These mastermind sessions will be interwoven with sessions from five AMAZING guest teachers, including:

Dr. Sophie Brock Guest Speaker in The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Dr. Sophie Brock, Motherhood Studies Sociologist

Sophie Brock, PhD, will be leading a session on the cultural and social constructions of motherhood that profoundly impact mothers’ wellbeing. This session will support you to more deeply understand and empower mothers within the contextual challenges of modern-day matrescence.

Mara Glatzel Guest Speaker in The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Mara Glatzel, Intuitive Coach + Author

Mara Glatzel, author of the book Needy: How to advocate for your needs and reclaim your sovereignty, will be joining us to talk about how to support mamas to offer themselves – and ask for – the support they need and to engage in self-care that actually works.

Becca Piastrelli Guest Speaker in The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Becca Piastrelli, Community Builder, Ritualist, Author + Mama

Becca Piastrelli is the author of the book Root + Ritual, host of the Belonging podcast, and a MotherSHIFT alumni. Becca will be sharing with us how we can support mamas to build community, find belonging, and revillage their lives.

Chelsea Robinson Guest Speaker in The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Chelsea Robinson, Perinatal Therapist

Chelsea Robinson is a licensed clinical social worker, maternal mental health clinician, educator and founder of The Matricentric Way. Chelsea will be joining us to talk about how to skillfully and sensitively differentiate between normative matrescence and postpartum mood disorders.

Danielle Cohen Guest Speaker in The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program

Danielle Cohen, Visibility Coach + Business Strategist

Danielle Cohen is a visibility coach and photographer whose career has also included work as a doula, healer, teacher and business consultant. During her session, Danielle will support you to find the clarity and confidence to share your work with the world.

Reviews of The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program:

Testimonials

“I feel like a different woman, mother and coach from engaging in such rich discovery and examination of a mothers’ rite of passage. I am even more connected to my purpose and wanting to be of service to mothers traversing this incredible time of transition. This program is incredible, a gift you can offer yourself to deepen your support of the women you serve."
– Sophie Bonneau, Founder, Queen Bee Coaching

Testimonials

“My world exploded during The Village – I can’t really verbalize how much it changed me and my work I do with moms. I can now hold a better space for the mothers I serve. Thank you Jessie, you are so incredible. I am now standing on the shoulder of a giant.”
– Louise Perry, Therapist

Testimonials

“This entire course exceeded my expectations. Jessie is the perfect mix of evidence-based, funny, well-articulated, and filled with down-to-earth ritual wisdom. From the journal prompts to the powerful quotes and cited research this course had so many layers that I feel I will be re-listening to these recordings for years to come. My career, my family life and my experience of motherhood has been forever changed.”
– Kelsi Ludvigsen, Founder, After Birth School

Registration for the next season of The Village will open in September 2027

Enter your information to be one of the first to access the Early Bird discount!

When you do, you'll also receive a free 45-minute matrescence training that previews the topics we cover in The Village.

More About Me

Hi, I'm Jessie.

I have been supporting mothers through matrescence and other rites of passage for nearly two decades.

I am a coach, doula and author, and I hold a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Masters of Health Promotion.

I am also the founder of MotherSHIFT, the internationally acclaimed matrescence support program and the author of the award-winning matrescence book Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage. I am the editor of the one of the first academic books on matrescence, Mother Becoming: Reflections and Scholarship on Matrescence. My work and writing on matrescence has been featured in Green Parent Magazine, Today’s Parent, Mother.ly, Expectful, International Doula Magazine and more.

I am committed to expanding our collective understanding of the rite of passage into motherhood, growing richer, evidence-based and lived experience-informed discourse and practice that truly supports new mothers through this radically transformative time in their lives.

The Village Matrescence Educator Certification | Jessie Harrold - Coach, Doula and Author | Top Matrescence Expert

Reviews of The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program:

Testimonials

“The Village breathed life back into my vocation. When I registered for this program, I was lost, stuck, and unsure in my work. The weekly online gatherings around our virtual fires were orienting, invigorating, and clarifying. Even though I could only participate via recordings, I was able to get so much from this program and apply what I was learning to my own life in real time as we trekked through the program.
– Lisa Zaehringer, Counselor + Yoga Instructor

Testimonials

“The Village was an incredible deep dive into matrescence. It was an honour to receive Jessie’s depth of wisdom, knowledge, unique perspectives and her experience working with mothers. Her poetic, grounding, story-telling ways brought such joy each week. I have walked away with tools to support myself and mothers through their matrescence journey. I highly recommend this program.”
– Tanya Heinrich, Postpartum Doula + Circle Facilitator

Testimonials

“I came into the program looking to ‘figure it out.’ I was on a quest for certainty. What I found was sisterhood where I could actually ground deeply in my inner knowing. Now rather than vague feelings and lots of questions – I have a framework to make sense of this quest we are all on. My personal experience as a mother has been greatly enriched and professionally I feel equipped to support mothers in a deeper and more profound way.”
– Heather Sande, Parenting + Gentle Sleep Coach

Registration for the next season of The Village will open in September 2027

Enter your information to be one of the first to access the Early Bird discount!

When you do, you'll also receive a free 45-minute matrescence training that previews the topics we cover in The Village.

Questions you might have about The Village Matrescence Educator Certification

Who can participate in The Village?

Participation in The Village is open to anyone who works with or wants to work with new mothers. This includes but is not limited to doulas, midwives, physicians, psychologists and counsellors, coaches, lactation consultants, pre- and post-natal yoga instructors, bodyworkers, pre- and post-natal educators, and community support providers.

There are no prerequisite qualifications other than your deep commitment to supporting mothers through the identity shift into motherhood! If you are new to this work, rest assured that this program will offer you plenty of opportunities to explore how you want to bring your new knowledge in service to the world.

Is this a certification program? Can I receive CEUs for it?

The Village is a certification program. When you complete the certification requirements, you will be a Certified Matrescence Educator.

Currently, The Village is not a licensure program, and while the program content is inspired by the MotherSHIFT program, The Village does not permit graduates to offer MotherSHIFT or to use any of the proprietary practises within it. Instead, participants are given extensive professional support through the course of the program to help them apply what they have learned within their own practises.

Even though you receive a professional designation after participating in The Village, at its heart, the program continues a centuries-old tradition of apprenticeship in the work of mother support. In our modern times, we’ve become obsessed with the cult of expertise and the transactional acquisition of knowledge – as well as the letters after our name, certificates and other stamps of approval usually proffered therein. The Village is not here to replicate a system of institutional learning that places the teacher on a pedestal, praying at the altar of hierarchy while gatekeeping knowledge from those who have never been able to or wanted to benefit from society’s stamp of educational approval.

What I want to offer you in The Village is not knowledge, it’s wisdom. As an elder in this field, I will share what I know, and I expect Village participants not to recite this knowledge verbatim and copy/paste my ideas and methods into their practice but rather to alchemize what they’re learning, adding the wisdom that they already bring with them to the program, and discovering how to support their clients in their own radically authentic ways. In this way, the Village program itself walks you through a rite of passage of your own, initiating you as way-shower in this important work. This is not the easy road, with done-for-you templates and “proven practices.” But I can promise you it’s the more interesting road; I can promise you it’s the road that will lead you closer to your own sense of vocation and calling.

Participating in The Village counts toward your 6 hours of Advanced Training for Postpartum Support International's Certification in Perinatal Mental Health. I will happily support you to approach your professional organization to see if they will count your time in The Village toward continuing education credits.

How long is the program? When does it start and finish? What does it entail?

The Apprenticeship Season of the 2026 Village program begins on September 24th and ends on December 17th. After a break over the holidays, the Mastery Season of the program will begin on January 7th and completes on March 25th. Our circles will be held at 3p.m. Atlantic Time. The Apprenticeship portion of the program consists of ten learning modules, and these are supported by 12 weekly virtual mentorship circles. The Mastery portion of the program consists of 12 weekly circles which alternate between mastermind sessions and guest speakers.

Overall, you can expect to spend 2-3 hours per week on the program, including the 90-minute circles, reading each week’s module content, connecting with other group members in our online group, and considering how to implement what you’re learning into your own practice.

Also, as a Village participant, you’ll have lifetime access to the program. There’s no rush – the program will always be here for you. In fact, many past participants choose to revisit the program material as their vocational journey unfolds.

How much does The Village certification program cost?

The Early Bird price for the 2026 Village Matrescence Educator Program is $2950.

The Regular Registration price for the program is $3450.

A 6-month payment plan is always made available.

There is a $500 deposit to secure your place when you enrol in the program. The remaining is due on the first day of the program if you choose to pay in full, or your 6-month payment plan, should you choose that option, will begin on the first day of the program.

I practice a form of parity pricing. This means that if you are Canadian, Australian or Kiwi, this amount is in CDN; if you hail from the US or Europe, this amount is in USD. All deposits are paid in USD, and credited against the total remaining balance in your home currency.

What if I can't make it to one of the live mentorship circles?

Every year, there are folks, because of time zone differences and life, who cannot attend some or even all of the live Village circles. Rest assured, these folks have powerfully integrated the program material and created amazing results, even when they haven’t been able to attend live. Each of the circles will be recorded and emailed to you shortly afterward. You can catch up anytime you wish.

For a great testimonial from a past Village participant about what it was like to complete the program without attending live, head over here.

I would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have about The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program – just get in touch!

Free Matrescence Training

Want to know more about The Village Matrescence Educator Certification Program before you commit? Check out "A Map for Matrescence," the free 45-minute matrescence training that previews the topics we'll cover in The Village. You can get a sense of the content and my teaching style so that you can make an informed decision about participating.

Enter your information here and you'll receive an email with a link to the training.

A Map For Matrescence Free Matrescence Training with Jessie Harrold - Coach, Doula, Author and Top Matrescence Expert