What is a Death Doula?
A death or end-of-life doula is someone who provides companionship, comfort, and guidance to those planning for death, diagnosed with a terminal illness, or facing imminent death. Doulas offer nonmedical holistic support encompassing emotional, spiritual, and practical care. Doulas offer resources to help the dying person and their circle of care to make informed decisions in a supportive environment.
A Good Death, LLC, is a full-service death doula business. Services include helping you and your loved ones with:
- Advanced planning, including living wills, do not resuscitate orders (DNRs), and other health care documents to help ensure that your end-of-life wishes are honored. Planning our own good death frees up psychic energy, allowing us to live more fully here and now!
- The bedside vigil, supporting the individual in transition as well as loved ones, including bereavement support.
- Personal caregiving, including medical advocacy and accompanying people to health care appointments, running errands, companionship and socialization, nutritional guidance and lending a compassionate, listening ear.
We are all just walking each other home
“If we are aware that death can happen at any moment, we start to work on ourselves more constantly, paying attention to the moment-to-moment content of our minds. If you practice being here now, being fully in the moment during your life, if you are living in that space, then the moment of death is just another moment.”
— Ram Dass
How I became a death doula
Becoming a death doula sprang forth naturally from my Shamanic Path.
On the first day of my three-year program with the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, the class was told to go find a large, flat rock to sit on, then find a smaller rock to grind against the larger one with a question in mind. Still a bit of a skeptic at the time, my question was, “Okay, what am I doing here? What is that you want me to do with this training?” After a half-day of this ancient, rock-grinding meditation, the answer I received was two-fold. I was told that I am to help others heal from trauma, and to help people at the time of their transition from this earthly plane.
So, in 2022 I became a certified death doula, and specialize in the end-of-life, bedside vigil, advanced planning, and caregiving for our elders. I also facilitate a monthly death cafe, in which my only goal is to help people prepare for their own good death, whatever that looks like to them. My services are available in person or remotely.