A Home for All Who Hold Space for the Sacred Thresholds of Birth, Breath, and Death
Founded in 2015 by Amy Wright Glenn, the Institute was created to bring together individuals caring for birth and death with those dedicated to mindful, embodied, and compassionate living.
Join the Institute Circle
The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death is an inspiring and nurturing community. We come from many vocations: birth/death midwives, birth/death/full-spectrum doulas, artists, musicians, authors, hospital chaplains, hospice volunteers, spiritual directors, yoga instructors, teachers, clergy, rabbis, imams, psychologists, healers, and mental health professionals. Bereaved parents and those who are moving through significant life transitions are active and vital to our organization.
Committed to gender, economic, and racial equity/inclusion, the Institute is a pioneering force providing in-person and online trainings/workshops for the heartfelt engagement and study of life’s transformative thresholds.
We are dedicated to furthering the personal development and professional skill set
of those called to hold space for birthing, living, and dying.
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Amy’s book ‘Holding Space’ made me feel deeply seen in a way that I didn’t realize I had wanted.
I am so filled with gratitude for this work.
~Lindsay Rathert, hospice volunteer & birth doula
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training in Gainesville, FL ~ 2026
Fall Institute Retreat ~ 2025
Grief Work and Suicide Training for LCSWS, Salt Lake City, Utah ~ 2024
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training in Atlanta, Georgia ~ 2024
Loving, Dying, and Letting Go Workshop ~ Washington DC ~ 2020
The International Death Doula Training in Maui, Hawaii ~ 2019
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ~ 2018
Holding Space Training, Vancouver, Canada ~ 2017
Holding Space does just that for each of us. In a clear, intimate voice, Amy Wright Glenn shares her own experience and wisdom and by doing so makes a space for her reader to develop the same. For anyone going through loss, this book will feel like a treasure. ~ Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Love
I lost my son 10 years ago when he was 4 months old and Amy’s words felt like coming home. They affirmed everything that I have felt about life and death since in a world that doesn’t often make space for such grief and loss. It all resonated so deeply and helped me to see that I am ready to share this work with others and hold space for grief and loss. Thank you so much for the work that you are doing and for sharing your knowledge and experience. ~ Kirsty Pearson, birth doula, UK