Become a Professional Listening Artist | The Caregiving Years Training Academy

Become a Professional Listening Artist

Offer an innovative and meaningful service. Create safe spaces where people can release, vent, and find relief through the transformative gift of compassionate listening.

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$399

Investment in your listening artist training

31 CEUs

Continuing education available for healthcare professionals

Ongoing Access

Keep resources while your certification remains active

Program Overview

Professional Listening Artists offer an innovative, significant, and supportive service. You create the space for clients to release and vent as they receive the gift of your compassionate listening. This 24-hour training program teaches you to listen deeply with curious compassion, helping people find relief after difficult days, stressful experiences, and challenging conversations.

What's Included (24 Hours Total)

📚 10 Hours: Caregiving Master Classes

Equip yourself to receive and support the experiences your clients share with caring calm and understanding.

• The Caregiving Fatigues
• The 19 Caregiving Systems
• The Family Caregiver's House of Cards
• Create Your Daily Healing Plan
• The Six Caregiving Stages
• Resilience During Caregiving
• Grieving After Caregiving

💬 6 Hours: Listener Skills Training (On-Demand)

Develop the specific skills of professional listening.

• Foundational Listening Training (1 hour)
• Three Communication Skills: Asking, Listening & Validating (3 hours)
• Structuring a Listening Session & Managing Common Challenges (2 hours)

🎯 8 Hours: Live & Marketing Support

Connect with Denise and build your listening artist business.

• 2 hours of live training with Denise M. Brown
• Marketing support (on-demand) - creating complimentary sessions & effective messaging
• Practice sessions with real clients (22 required sessions)
• Private community with fellow listening artists
• Free listing in our Solutions Marketplace

Is This Right for You?

You're perfect for our Professional Listening Artist training if:

Your Natural Gifts

✓ Listen with Compassion

You listen with genuine compassion and curious interest in others' experiences.

✓ Listen Without Judgment

You listen deeply without inserting your own story or experiences into theirs.

✓ Sit with Emotions

You feel comfortable sitting with others who express frustration, overwhelm, or heartache.

✓ Believe in Listening

You understand that listening itself is the solution—you don't need to fix or solve.

Your Situation

✓ Want Meaningful Work

You're seeking a side gig or small business that adds real meaning to your day.

✓ Recently Retired

You'd like to start a flexible small business that brings purpose and income.

✓ Are a Family Caregiver

You believe in the power of listening and want to earn extra income with flexible hours.

✓ Add to Existing Work

You're a direct care worker or business owner wanting to add a new, meaningful service.

How It Works

📚 Complete Master Classes

Gain insights into caregiving experiences through 7 Master Classes (10 hours). Access immediately after enrollment.

🎯 Learn Listening Skills

Build your listening toolkit with 6 hours of on-demand training on communication, validation, and session structure.

🌐 Join Live Training

Connect with Denise for 2 hours of interactive practice. Training held first Wednesday at Noon ET and last Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.

💼 Practice & Certify

Complete 22 practice listening sessions (30 minutes each) with real clients. Submit evaluations to earn certification.

What You'll Learn

Build skills across caregiving knowledge, listening techniques, and business building:

Understanding the Six Caregiving Stages and 19 Caregiving Systems
How family caregivers experience multiple fatigues simultaneously
The three core communication skills: Asking, Listening, and Validating
How to structure an effective listening session
Managing common challenges and supporting client self-care
Self-care practices for your own wellbeing as a listening artist
Creating effective complimentary sessions to attract clients
Marketing your services with authentic, compelling messaging
Using HSA/FSA partnerships to make your services accessible
Building a sustainable listening artist business

Certification Requirements

You'll become a Professional Listening Artist™ after completing:

✓ Complete All Training

Finish all Master Classes, Foundations training, and Listener Skills courses.

✓ Attend Live Training

Participate in the 2-hour live training session with Denise M. Brown.

✓ Practice Sessions

Host 22 practice listening sessions (30 minutes each) with real clients.

✓ Collect Evaluations

Submit feedback evaluations from the individuals you've worked with.

✓ Pass Oral Exam

Demonstrate your understanding and readiness through an oral exam.

✓ Meet Timeline

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

Timeline: Complete all requirements within 90 days of your live training date. Those completing after 91 days incur a $200 penalty fee. Plan your 22 practice sessions strategically to meet this deadline.

Certification Renewal

Your Professional Listening Artist™ certification is valid for two years. Here's how renewal works:

Renewal Requirements

💰 Pay $100 Renewal Fee
Biennial renewal investment to maintain your certification
📊 Deliver 15+ Sessions
Host at least 15 listening sessions within your two-year period
✅ Pass Renewal Exam
Demonstrate continued competency in listening artistry

💎 Ongoing Access Benefit

As long as you maintain your certification through renewal, you retain unlimited access to all training materials, Master Classes, and resources—including all course archives and our private community.

This means you have a complete reference library and supportive community network to sustain and grow your listening artist practice.

Your Opportunities as a Listening Artist

🌟 Offer Meaningful Service

Provide an innovative service that helps people find relief and release after difficult days.

💼 Build Your Business

Set your own hours, rates, and client load. Work independently or from home.

💰 HSA/FSA Eligible

Through our Truemed partnership, your clients may pay with HSA or FSA dollars—expanding your market.

👥 Join a Community

Connect with fellow listening artists in our private group for support, ideas, and friendship.

Meet Your Trainer

Denise M. Brown

Your trainer is Denise M. Brown, founder of The Caregiving Years Training Academy. She understood the transformative power of listening when she first connected with family caregivers in 1990.

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

Denise believes deeply in the power of listening. She developed the Caregiving Listener Project in 2023, which piloted the listening artist concept with remarkable results—participants said listening sessions were "exquisite."

Denise M. Brown

Founder & Trainer

30+ years of professional caregiving expertise. 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 31 continuing education hours for healthcare professionals who complete our Professional Listening Artist™ training program. Credits are provided by the Continuing Education Institute of Illinois.

All 50 States

Certified Dementia Practitioners®
Certified Senior Advisors®
Nurses
Professional Coaches
Social Workers

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 Business: Bundle with Guide Training

Expand your offerings by adding our Certified Caregiving Guide program and save $300!

Professional Listening Artist + Certified Caregiving Guide

Normally $399 + $299 = $698

Bundle Price: $499

Deliver our evidence-based Caregiving Stages workshop to deepen client relationships and establish your expertise. Plus, you'll receive our Certified Caregiving Advocate training at no charge!

Explore Bundle →

Ready to Become a Professional Listening Artist?

$399

Complete Professional Listening Artist Training

Includes 24 hours of comprehensive training, 7 Master Classes, listener skills courses, 2 hours of live training with Denise, marketing support, and community access. Exceptional value—normally valued at $997.

Enroll Now