Receiving the diagnosis of a terminal illness can leave a person feeling a complete loss of control over their life and their choices. When that person will die, and what symptoms they will experience, are determined by the disease or illness they have. In my work as an End-of-Life Doula, I offer my clients a sense of personal empowerment in planning for their final days and hours of life that will reflect their wishes and choices when they are no longer able to choose these for themselves. I can become an advocate to assure these plans are carried out as fully as possible, serve as a compassionate companion for their final journey, and honor their personal visions for dying well. I can also support their loved ones through this time, offering assistance unique to their circumstances. I hope to inspire others to see death as a natural transition with its own innate gifts and beauty, rather than something to be feared and avoided.

My mission is to be a compassionate companion on life’s final journey. With a calm and loving presence, I advocate for the dying person and his/her personal choices about End-of-Life decisions and care, as well as providing much-needed support for the loved ones. Having more than 30 years of experience as a hospice volunteer, along with a background in counseling and gerontology, and now as a Certified End-of-Life Doula, I feel this work is my calling. I am honored to share in this sacred space with my clients. Additionally, I am an ordained interfaith minister, trained in home funerals, and can offer guidance on green burials. I am also an LGBTQIA+ ally and advocate.

My services include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Advance Care Planning Facilitator (Certified by Respecting Choices®)
• Compassionate companioning for the dying person, as well as respite and support for the caregiver(s)
• Guided meditation – help for anxiety and pain relief
• Life review – finding meaning in a life lived
• Legacy projects – leaving a creative gift, letters, or other legacy project for loved ones
• Vigil planning – assisting in the design of a personal plan for the final days and hours of life
• Sitting vigil – being at the bedside, holding space, in the final days and hours of life
• Guiding the transition process from life to death and into grief and bereavement
• Serving as a Home Funeral Guide to help those who want to return to a more traditional, sacred way of caring for our deceased loved ones
• Designing, developing and officiating ceremonies including funerals, memorials, life celebrations, weddings, commitment ceremonies and house blessings
• Providing support and guidance for both MAiD (Medical Aid in Dying) and VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking)