“We can't do much about the length of our lives, but we can do plenty about its width and depth."

— Evan Esar

End-of-life Doula

Humans need and deserve much support in life. Our culture acknowledges this truth and acts upon it at the beginning and during the “middle” of people’s lives, but less so at the end. End-of-life doulas fill this gap. They are essential partly because their role is often too difficult to be carried out by loved ones. 

As a trained non-medical professional, an end-of-life doula provides mental, emotional, spiritual, and sometimes physical support to individuals nearing and/or contemplating death, and often to their family members as well. 

Since this work at its core is about one’s “final act of living” as Barbara Karnes describes dying, I prefer to call myself a “LIFE and death doula.” This isn’t semantics; it’s significant and pertinent verbiage because helping someone with end-of-life matters is absolutely life-affirming. 

Some of the ways I support clients and their families include: 

  • Providing companionship, comfort, and guidance

  • Explaining what to expect in the dying process

  • Assisting with documenting final wishes/plans for a “good death”, as well as burial and memorial plans

  • Designing and carrying out legacy projects and living funerals

  • Facilitating practices that help reduce anxiety 

  • Being a confidante, particularly around discussing fears and conducting life reviews 

  • Educating about grief

  • Connecting them with professionals who specialize in estate planning

  • Sitting bedside with a dying person

While most people associate end-of-life doulas with the latter point, I am a big proponent of working with people well before they are near death. Indeed, talking about end-of-life matters is something that should ideally happen in mid-life or even earlier. This is a cornerstone of the Death Positive Movement.

Death is part of the whole array of phases that we experience in life, and especially because we tend to avoid the topic, it warrants ample attention.

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"Working with Julie was a true godsend. Her skillful art of listening coupled with her gentle way of articulating insightful feedback was extremely valuable. Truly grateful for this transformative experience."

— R.B., former client