Become a Certified Caregiving Guide | The Caregiving Years Training Academy

Become a Certified Caregiving Guide

Help family caregivers find their way. Deliver our evidence-informed workshop that empowers people with the knowledge, skills, and tools to navigate caregiving with clarity and confidence.

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$247

Enrollment fee for the Certified Caregiving Guide training.

16 CEUs

Continuing education available for healthcare professionals and coaches

Ongoing Access

Keep resources and credential while your certification remains active

Program Overview

As a Certified Caregiving Guide, you help family caregivers find their way. You empower them with skills, tools, and knowledge by delivering The Caregiving Years: Navigating the Six Caregiving Stages and Systems—our evidence-informed proprietary workshop that transforms how people understand their caregiving journey.

This 16-hour training program is perfect for life coaches, social workers, Community Health Workers, peer support specialists, and any professional who supports family caregivers. Whether you own a business, work for an organization, facilitate a support group, or volunteer in your community, you'll learn to deliver a powerful workshop that helps caregivers feel understood, empowered, and hopeful.

What's Included (16 Hours Total)

📚 9 Hours: Caregiving Master Classes (On-Demand)

Gain deep insights into the caregiving experience through seven comprehensive Master Classes that prepare you to educate others.

• The Art of Listening
• The Caregiving Fatigues
• The 19 Caregiving Systems
• Grieving After Caregiving
• The Six Caregiving Stages
• Resilience During Caregiving
• The Family Caregiver's House of Cards

📖 Required Reading (Self-Paced)

Deepen your understanding through three books by Denise M. Brown:

• The Caregiving Years: Your Guide to Navigating the Six Caregiving Stages
• Healing Words, Soothing Strategies for Your Caregiving Fatigues
• After Caregiving Ends, A Guide to Beginning Again

🎯 6 Hours: Live Training (Virtual)

Learn to deliver your workshop from Denise M. Brown. Two three-hour sessions on the third and fourth Monday of each month at 2 p.m. ET.

• Managing challenging behaviors in workshops
• Communication strategies and techniques
• Structuring your presentation (1-hour, 2-hour, 3-session, 6-week formats)
• Practice teaching and feedback

🌍 Ongoing Resources & Support

Sustain and grow your guide practice with:

• Personizable PowerPoint slides for your workshops
• Caregiving Wheels for sparking meaningful discussions
• Volume discounts on Denise's books for your attendees
• Private community group for guides (quarterly meetings)
• Fresh, timely content for workshops and social media
• Opportunities to contribute to The 19 Caregiving Systems Project

Who Should Take This Training?

The Certified Caregiving Guide training is designed for:

👥 Healthcare Professionals

Social workers, counselors, nurses, and therapists who want to educate and empower their clients.

🎯 Coaches & Consultants

Life coaches, executive coaches, and consultants seeking to add meaningful education to your services.

🏢 Organization Leaders

Nonprofit directors, HR professionals, and organizational leaders wanting to support your communities.

🤝 Community Advocates

Community Health Workers, peer support specialists, and volunteers creating impact in your community.

📚 Educators

Workshop facilitators and educators who want to deepen your curriculum with caregiving education.

💼 Business Owners

Entrepreneurs creating a small business teaching caregivers with flexible, part-time opportunities.

How It Works

📚 Complete Master Classes

Access 9 hours of on-demand training on the Six Caregiving Stages, Fatigues, Systems, and more. Learn at your own pace.

📖 Read Denise's Books

Study three books that deepen your understanding and equip you to answer attendees' questions with confidence.

🌐 Join Live Training

Connect with Denise for 6 hours across two Mondays. Learn delivery techniques, manage challenging behaviors, and practice.

🎯 Host Your Workshop

Deliver your own 30-minute workshop and collect attendee evaluations to earn certification (certification requirement).

What You'll Learn

During training, you'll develop skills in both content knowledge and workshop delivery:

Content Expertise

The Six Caregiving Stages and their psychological progression
The 19 Caregiving Systems family caregivers navigate
The 12 Caregiving Fatigues and how they manifest
The Family Caregiver's House of Cards concept
Why listening is a transformational skill
How to support people grieving after caregiving

Workshop Delivery Skills

Managing nine challenging participant behaviors
Three-prong communication strategies
Creating safe, welcoming workshop experiences
Using Caregiving Wheels to spark meaningful discussions
Organizing your workshop (1-hour, 2-hour, 3-session, 6-week formats)
Meeting your attendees' three core expectations

The Caregiving Wheels: Your Teaching Tools

One of the most powerful resources you'll receive is access to our proprietary Caregiving Wheels. These visual tools help spark meaningful discussions and guide attendees through the caregiving journey. Each stage has its own wheel, plus additional wheels for systems navigation.

Ask Wheel

Find Wheel

Receive Wheel

Family Wheel

💡 How to Use the Caregiving Wheels

Launch Discussions: Display the wheel to prompt meaningful conversations about the caregiving stage
Guide Workshop Flow: Each wheel provides structure to keep your workshop focused and productive
Create Connection: Attendees recognize themselves in the wheels—they feel seen and understood
Distribute Resources: Print wheels for attendees to take home and reference
Expand Offerings: Access new wheels as your Caregiving Wheels library grows

Evidence-Informed & Transformative

The Caregiving Years workshop is backed by real results from 284 evaluations across family caregivers and healthcare professionals. Attendees consistently report:

✓ Feel Understood

For the first time, caregivers see their entire journey and realize their emotions are normal.

✓ Feel Empowered

Understanding the stages helps people feel capable of continuing their caregiving role.

✓ Find Answers

Attendees feel connected to solutions for their caregiving questions and challenges.

✓ Plan Ahead

With clarity about stages and systems, attendees can begin planning for their future.

📊 Workshop Results

Net Promoter Score: 81 · 100% of healthcare professionals agreed the program expanded their knowledge · 70% of family caregivers showed meaningful overall improvement

The Six Caregiving Stages workshop has been presented worldwide—from Qatar to India, Israel to Canada, New Zealand to Trinidad. Attendees consistently experience transformation and healing.

Read the full Evidence of Impact →

Certification Requirements

You'll become a Certified Caregiving Guide after completing:

✓ Complete Master Classes

Finish all 9 hours of Master Classes and pass their exams.

✓ Read Required Books

Study the three books by Denise M. Brown to deepen your knowledge.

✓ Attend Live Training

Participate in the 6 hours of live training (two 3-hour sessions).

✓ Host Your Workshop

Deliver your own 30-minute workshop and submit attendee evaluations.

✓ Timeline

Complete all requirements within 90 days of your final live training date.

✓ Earn Your Credential

Your certification provides a credential to present The Caregiving Years program.

Timeline: Complete all requirements within 90 days of your final live training date. Those completing after 91 days incur a $200 penalty fee. Plan your 30-minute workshop within this timeframe to launch confidently.

Certification Renewal

Your Certified Caregiving Guide certification is valid for two years. Here's how renewal works:

Renewal Requirements

📊 Deliver Your Workshop
Present The Caregiving Years at least 2 times within your two-year period
✅ Pass Renewal Exam
Demonstrate continued competency in caregiving content and workshop delivery
💰 Flexible Renewal Fee
Pay a renewal fee that works within your budget

💎 Ongoing Access & Credential

As long as you maintain your certification through renewal, you maintain your credential to present The Caregiving Years program and retain unlimited access to all training materials, Master Classes, and resources.

This means you have a complete resource library, updated Caregiving Wheels, fresh content, and community support to sustain and grow your guide practice throughout your career.

Your Opportunities as a Caregiving Guide

🏫 Deliver Workshops

Present in libraries, community centers, houses of worship, workplaces, and online—multiple formats available.

💼 Build Your Business

Create a guide-focused business with flexible scheduling and multiple income streams.

🤝 Expand Services

Add guide training to your existing coaching, counseling, or consulting practice.

👥 Create Community Impact

Help family caregivers in your community feel understood, empowered, and hopeful about their journey.

Meet Your Trainer

Denise M. Brown

Your trainer is Denise M. Brown, founder of The Caregiving Years Training Academy. She initially developed The Six Caregiving Stages concept in 1997 and continues to refine it for relevance today. In 2023, she added insights about The 19 Caregiving Systems navigation to the framework.

With 30+ years of professional caregiving expertise and 35 years of personal caregiving experience, Denise brings authentic wisdom to her teaching. She's been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Time magazine.

Denise believes deeply in the transformative power of helping caregivers understand their journey. Through your training as a guide, you become the resource your community needs to find their way.

Denise M. Brown

Founder & Trainer

30+ years of professional caregiving expertise. Developer of The Six Caregiving Stages (since 1997). 2017 Next Avenue Influencer in Aging. Featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Time.

Continuing Education Credits Available

We've been approved to provide 16 continuing education hours for healthcare professionals and coaches who complete our Certified Caregiving Guide training program. Credits are provided by the Continuing Education Institute of Illinois.

All 50 States

Certified Dementia Practitioners®
Certified Senior Advisors®
Nurses
Professional Coaches (16 PDCs)
SHRM Professionals (16 PDCs)

Illinois + Neighboring States

All Illinois healthcare professions
Social workers in Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin
Check our CEU provider map for your state

Need credits for another profession? We're approved for healthcare professionals throughout the United States. Check the map from our CEU provider to see if your profession is included. Don't see yours? Email Denise to inquire.

Enhance Your Offerings: Bundle with Systems Navigator Training

Expand your impact by adding our Certified Caregiving Systems Navigator program. Help caregivers both understand their journey AND find the resources they need.

Certified Caregiving Guide + Systems Navigator

Bundle and save! $347

As a Systems Navigator, you help families find resources and support. Combined with your Guide skills, you offer comprehensive caregiving education and navigation. You'll also receive our Certified Caregiving Advocate training at no charge!

Explore Bundle →

Ready to Become a Caregiving Guide?

$247

Includes 15 hours of comprehensive training, 9 Master Classes, 3 required books, 6 hours of live training with Denise, PowerPoint slides, Caregiving Wheels, and community access.

Enroll Now