Registrations are now open for the October 2026 cohort.
Course start date: October 12, 2026
Duration: 28 weeks
Format: Online
Live sessions: Sixteen 2-hour online calls
Group size: Limited to 30 participants per cohort
Registration deadline: September 20, 2026
Fee: $2,500 CAD
Time commitment: Minimum of 4 hours per week
About The Portal
The Portal is a Compassionate Inquiry®-based training for professionals who support people through conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenting.
It invites a deeper way of seeing the perinatal field: not only as a series of clinical events or practical milestones but also as a living relational ecosystem shaped by the body, the baby, the birthing person, the family, and the people who support them.
Through professional learning and personal exploration, you’ll examine how implicit early experiences may live in the body, shape connection, and arise in your work with clients, families, and yourself.
The Portal offers foundational learning and practice with Compassionate Inquiry® as it applies to the perinatal field. It is not a substitute for the full Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training.
Why this training matters
Pregnancy, birth, and early parenting are profound thresholds in human life. They may bring connection, transformation, and instinctive wisdom. They may also activate implicit memories, inherited patterns, and unintegrated trauma, often outside conscious awareness.
The Portal invites a deeper understanding of the perinatal period as a relational, embodied, and formative experience for the parent, baby, partner, and wider family system.
For professionals in the birthing and perinatal field, this awareness can support a more compassionate, attuned, and trauma-informed way of holding space. The intention is not to assign blame, but to bring more awareness, support, and compassion into a period where families need connection most.
Who this training is for
The Portal welcomes professionals, Compassionate Inquiry® participants, and those personally interested in prenatal and perinatal health and healing.
This includes:
- Midwives, nurses, doctors, and obstetric professionals
- Doulas, birthkeepers, birthworkers, and childbirth educators
- Lactation consultants and infant-feeding professionals
- Early parenting educators
- Perinatal therapists and counsellors
- Perinatal and birth coaches
- Prenatal and postnatal bodyworkers
- Somatic practitioners and facilitators
- Compassionate Inquiry® Practitioners who wish to specialize in the perinatal field
- Compassionate Inquiry® participants from the Short Course, Circles, Experience, or Suicide Attention Training
No previous Compassionate Inquiry® training is required. A willingness to engage in self-reflection, embodied awareness, and relational presence is essential.
What you will gain
Through The Portal, you’ll deepen your capacity to:
- Understand how prenatal, birth, and early experiences may influence emotional and relational patterns throughout life
- Recognize when a client may be accessing early perinatal trauma
- Create a safer, more attuned space for clients, families, babies, and partners
- Explore your own prenatal, birth, and early childhood imprints, and how they may influence your presence and work
- Notice body language, tone, emotion, breath, and other verbal and non-verbal cues
- Support bonding between parents, partners, and babies from conception through early parenting
- Respond with care when pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or early parenting does not unfold as expected
- Practise trauma-informed perinatal care with more clarity, steadiness, and compassion
What’s included
The Portal includes:
- Over 100 hours of teaching videos and transcripts from the Compassionate Inquiry® Short Course and The Portal training
- Sixteen 2-hour live online sessions
- Approximately 10 hours of reading material and home practice
- Twelve 60- to 90-minute biweekly dyad or triad practices
- Video interviews with leading voices in perinatal health, trauma, and healing
- A supportive online learning environment for reflection, integration, and community dialogue
A minimum of 4 hours per week is required to complete the course.
Course Structure
The Portal is offered over 28 weeks in two phases.
Weeks 1–4: Introduction to Compassionate Inquiry®
The first four weeks introduce the Compassionate Inquiry® approach and orient you to the Short Course content that supports the rest of the training.
Weeks 5–28: The Portal Perinatal Training
From Weeks 5 to 28, you’ll explore the application of Compassionate Inquiry® to the perinatal period through 12 focused modules. Each module includes teaching, reflection, live group learning, and dyad or triad practice.
Module Overview
| 1. Pre- and Perinatal Trauma Explore primal period trauma, birth imprints, and implicit memory. | 7. Acknowledging the Baby’s Experience: Children, Family, Responsibility Explore the baby’s experience from pre-conception onward, including bonding, attachment, and the family system. |
| 2. Exploring the Impact of Your Own Birth Reflect on your own birth story and how early imprints may shape your life, relationships, parenting, and professional presence. | 8. When Things Don’t Go as Expected Build capacity to hold space for fertility challenges, perinatal loss, medical interventions, NICU admission, lactation difficulties, grief, and other complex experiences. |
| 3. Presence, Safety, and Attunement in the Primal Period Develop skills for creating safety and attunement with birthing women, people, partners, and babies. | 9. Birth and Parenthood as Teachers Explore how birth and parenting may become opportunities for reflection, integration, and growth. |
| 4. Recognizing Triggers and Signs of Trauma in the Primal Period Learn to recognize trauma responses and notice when you are activated as a professional. | 10. Becoming a Family: Establishing Connection Practise supporting parent-child bonding, relationship repair, postpartum support, and infant feeding. |
| 5. Honouring Feelings During Pregnancy and Birth Explore conscious and unconscious feelings around conception, pregnancy, birth, bonding, and the partner’s role. | 11. Birth Belongs to Women, People, and Families Cultivate trust in the birthing process and explore birth story sharing as an opportunity for integration. |
| 6. Working with Memories, Stories, and Beliefs in the Primal Period Explore how memories, stories, and beliefs may influence birth and parenting choices. | 12. Integration Bring together Compassionate Inquiry® skills, personal reflection, and trauma-informed perinatal care. |
October 2026 cohort schedule
Laura’s group dates:
Live call time: Tuesdays at 3:00 a.m. ET
First live call: October 20, 2026
View full schedule
Weeks 1-4 : Weekly calls beginning at 3am ET, Tuesday:
October 20, 27
November 3, 10
Weeks 5-28: Biweekly calls at 3am ET, Tuesday:
November 24
December 8
January 5, 19
February 2, 16
March 2, 16, 30
April 13, 27
May 11
Anouk’s group dates:
Live call time: Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. ET
First live call: October 22, 2026
View full schedule
Weeks 1-4 : Weekly calls beginning at 12pm ET, Thursday:
October 22, 29
November 5, 12
Weeks 5-28: Biweekly calls at 12pm ET, Thursday:
November 26
December 10
January 7, 21
February 4, 18
March 4, 18
April 1, 15, 29
May 13
Watch our last Live Information Call held on June 27, 2026
Course Creators and Facilitators:
The Portal is guided by experienced birth, perinatal, somatic, and Compassionate Inquiry® professionals who bring deep respect for the sacred, relational, and embodied nature of birth.
Laura Latina
Laura Latina is an independent midwife, international speaker, and Certified Compassionate Inquiry® Practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in global maternity care. Her work is rooted in gentle, respectful birth and parenthood.
Hannah Betty Idarius
Hannah Betty Idarius practised as a homebirth midwife for 30 years in British Columbia, Arizona, and California. She is a Certified Compassionate Inquiry® Practitioner and Somatic Coach with experience in prenatal and perinatal trauma healing.
Facilitators:
Anouk Wehli
Anouk Wehli is a trained birthworker and trauma-focused psychotherapist who supports families through pregnancy, birth, early parenthood, grief, loss, and profound life transitions.
Beth Sanderson
Beth Sanderson is a Compassionate Inquiry® Practitioner, Integrated Baby Therapist, Cranio-Sacral Therapist, and Compassionate Inquiry® Circle leader. Her work focuses on birth integration, early relational repair, and family connection.
The participant experience
What our past participants say…
Fees and registration
Regular price: $2,500 CAD
Registration deadline: September 20, 2026
Cohort size: Limited to 30 participants
Spaces are limited to support intimacy, safety, and individualized learning.
The cost of The Portal: Perinatal Training is $2500 CAD
Deadline: September 20, 2026
Payment plans
Flexible payment plans are available:
To convert to your local currency, click here.
Subsidies and discounts
Subsidies
A limited number of subsidies are available for The Portal.
Please apply only if you:
- Would be unable to attend otherwise due to financial constraint
- Are committed and able to attend the training
- Can pay the discounted course fee by September 20, 2026
- Understand that subsidies are not transferable between courses or participants
Subsidy application deadline: Sunday, September 13, 2026, at midnight ET
Final registration and payment deadline: Sunday, September 20, 2026
Successful applicants will be notified a few days after the subsidy application deadline.
To request a subsidy application form, please email [email protected].
Discounts
You may be eligible for a discount, if you:
- Are a present or past participant of the Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training: $350 CAD discount
- Have completed the Compassionate Inquiry® Facilitated Short Course: $100 CAD discount
- Are a returning participant in The Portal: $1,500 CAD discount
To request a discount code, please email [email protected].
Please request a discount only if you can pay the discounted rate by the required date in one payment.
Creators of Compassionate Inquiry®:
Dr. Gabor Maté is a retired physician, bestselling author, an internationally renowned speaker and the creator of the Compassionate Inquiry approach to psychotherapy.
Gabor evolved this therapeutic approach over 20 years of his personal journey, and from his work with patients in family practice, palliative care, and addiction. He developed his system further while facilitating integration workshops focused on healing trauma through the use of psychedelics.
Sat Dharam Kaur N.D. has supported Dr. Gabor Maté in structuring the Compassionate Inquiry approach and developing the online training.
Sat Dharam is a naturopathic doctor, teacher and author, who combines naturopathic medicine with Compassionate Inquiry, yoga, breathing practices and meditation to support others in healing and integrating mind, body and spirit.
FAQ
When does the October 2026 cohort begin?
The October 2026 cohort begins on October 12, 2026.
How many participants are accepted?
Each cohort is limited to 30 participants to support intimacy, connection, and individualized support.
Is previous Compassionate Inquiry® training required?
No. The Portal is open to health, care, birth, and perinatal professionals with or without previous Compassionate Inquiry® training.
How much time should I expect to commit each week?
A minimum of 4 hours per week is required for course material, live sessions, readings, home practice, and dyad or triad practice.
What are the Course Completion Requirements for The Portal: Perinatal Training?
In order to receive a Certificate of Course Completion, the following requirements must be
met:
- Attend at least 13 of the 16 two-hour biweekly live calls (80%); live calls are not
recorded. - Participants who arrive more than 20 minutes late or leave 20 minutes early will be
marked absent. - Participants who miss either: 1) 3 consecutive biweekly meetings, or 2) more than 3
meetings in total, will be asked to leave the facilitated biweekly meetings and triad
sessions, but can continue to view the online materials and attend the perinatal
focus group. This ensures that we maintain the integrity of the course for all
participants. Participants who miss more than 3 biweekly meetings in total, or 3
consecutive biweekly meetings, and still desire to participate in the program, may
continue attending the Biweekly meetings and dyad/triad practice sessions until the
end of the program, although they will not receive a Certificate of Completion. They
may register for the next cohort for a reduced fee of $1000, and repeat the program
the following year. - Participants must be attending regular dyad/triad sessions to attend the biweekly
meetings, and vice versa – if you are practicing in dyads/triads, you must attend the
biweeklies. You may not drop out of the biweekly and continue in dyads/triads
unless you have completed the training. - Complete at least 12 dyad/triad sessions (100%) during the duration of the course,
and submit your dyad/triad attendance form within one month of completion of the
training, by emailing it to [email protected]. - Complete the viewing of all of the online materials for the Short Course and The
Portal: study and practice guide material for each module, videos, conversations,
Powerpoints, multiple choices and feedback forms during the duration of the
program. - Completion of at least 5 Case Study forms, documenting individual sessions where
you were acting as the perinatal practitioner and demonstrating competence. At
least 2 of these Case Study forms must be with actual clients, who are not part of the
Compassionate Inquiry training. Case Studies should be submitted, typed in a
document, and saved as 1 file, with each case study starting at the top of a page. Use
initials rather than full names to protect your client’s identity and maintain
confidentiality. - Be observed as a ‘therapist’ by your online group members and given feedback by
your online facilitator and/or intern. - The course completion requirements must be submitted within the duration of the
training, or within a 3-month extension period, to receive a Certificate of
Completion. There is a $50 late fee for the 3 month extension. - Acknowledgement and signature on the Compassionate Inquiry Code of Ethics for
course participants - Completion of Feedback Forms for each module once, as well as the long Feedback
Form at the end of the course.
The Certificate of Completion will state that you have completed 28 hours of the Facilitated Compassionate Inquiry Short Course and 183 hours of the Facilitated Compassionate Inquiry Perinatal training ‘The Portal’. You may use this designation when describing your training. You may not call yourself ‘certified’ or a ‘Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner,’ as these designations refer to people who have completed The Compassionate Inquiry Professional Online Training and The Mentorship Program.
Is this training inclusive of all birthing people?
Yes. While this training uses some gendered language to reflect the lived experience of many birthing women, it also honours and welcomes all people who give birth or support the birthing process.
Cancellation Policy
This is an experiential training with a limited number of spaces. Once registration and payment are complete, your place is reserved.
No refunds are available 14 days prior to the course start date or thereafter. No exceptions.
If you request a refund 15 or more days before the start date, it will be granted minus a $250 CAD administrative fee.
For questions related to billing or payments, please contact [email protected].
What Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available?
For Canadians, US-based and international participants:
Spiritual Competency Academy (30 CE):
The cost for those who would like to receive CE Credits in the US is $150 CAD. You will be given a link for this option when you finish the training.
If you are a mental health professional from outside of California, please check with your state licensing board or regulatory body as to whether or not they accept credits from the SCA, which is an approved sponsor of CE by the American Psychological Association.
- CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by sponsors of CE who are approved by the American Psychological Association.
- LCSW, LPCC, LEP and LMFTs, and other professionals from outside of California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept credits from programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
- SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes. Nurses outside of California must confirm acceptance with their licensing boards.
- For questions about your certificate or the content, logistics, or other support issues regarding this course, please contact Michelle Soto at [email protected].
- For questions about whether APA CE is valid for you, contact your licensing board directly.
- For general questions about APA CE, contact SCA at [email protected].
Join The Portal
If you support women, birthing people, babies, families, or partners through conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or early parenting, The Portal offers a space to deepen your presence, strengthen your trauma-informed skills, and explore the early imprints that shape connection across generations.
Registrations are now open for the October 2026 cohort. Spaces are limited to 30 participants.
Disclaimer
This training uses some gendered language and is intended to be inclusive of all people, including those who do not identify as women or as female.
The Portal is educational in nature and is not a substitute for therapy, medical care, medical advice, or the Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training.