A Birth Doula helps expecting mothers and families welcome new babies into the world in the healthiest, most satisfactory way. This usually means with minimal stress and injury to the mother and child, which does not always align with the ideology of the medically trained professionals. A Birth Doula's role then is to provide the expecting parents with the emotional and informational support to advocate for themselves so that the expecting parents feel encouraged and not dehumanized or disempowered during the process. 

A Hospice Doula works with people at the end of their lives. Hospice Doulas allow the dying and those close to them to process this transition by speaking openly about death, the meaning of their life and by empowering them to control their experience through actions like creating an environment that looks and feels how they want — for example, removing harsh lighting, playing music or sounds, and holding readings readings or rituals.

A Dementia Doula is one of the newest forms of Doula work. A Dementia Doula works with caregivers and patients to help them transition to their new roles with as much ease and happiness as possible. A Dementia Doula provides the crucial emotional and informational support needed to reduce the amount of unnecessary stress and damage this transition can impose on a family that is receiving only medical and social services help. They empower the caregivers to provide for their loved ones without sacrificing their own needs, and they enable the care receivers to find happiness and joy as they experience an entirely new way of thinking and feeling.