Death & Grief Care
End-of-Life Doula
The International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA) gives this definition: “End-of-life doulas provide companionship, comfort, and guidance to those facing a terminal illness or death. Our non-medical holistic support encompasses emotional, spiritual, and practical care.”
Further description and discussion of what a death doula does can be found on INELDA’s “What Is A Doula?” page. I have completed INELDA’s training and am currently offering services on a volunteer basis as I work toward certification.
I have sat at the bedside of more dying people than I can easily count. My comfort with death and the dying process was taught to me by my mother, who nursed two siblings and both parents through their own dying processes.
You or your loved one may be considering questions like:
- What does “a good death” mean for me?
- How can I prepare myself?
- How can I help my family through this time?
- How can I respond to those who say “stay positive” when I want to talk about dying?
Please contact me to see if and how I can support you as you navigate this. Available support ranges from a single conversation to a close involvement throughout weeks or months of a dying process.
Some supports I can provide include:
- Exploring together the meaning of the person’s life and the legacy they want to leave for their loved ones and/or the world.
- Practical information about the physical and emotional processes around death
- Support in plans and choices that help the person be as comfortable as possible in their final days.
- Support around pragmatic tasks like advance directives and funeral arrangements
- Ritual and ceremony (religious or not) as appropriate to the wishes of the dying person and their loved ones.
Please contact me for more information and to see if this type of support is right for you.
Grief Support
Whether or not I am supporting your dying loved one as an End-of-Life Doula, I am here to support you in your grief process, before, during, and/or after a loved one’s death. I have extensive experience with grief (including losing my son, my parents, other relatives, and several of my closest friends).
From all this I have gathered many tools for helping you work with your grief in a loving, embodied way. I can also just provide an open, loving, listening space where you will not be judged or told to “think positively.”
Please contact me for more information about Grief Support. Hourly and weekly pricing available. As always, sliding scale and barter are available.
Testimonial
I honestly couldn’t have gotten through my sister’s hospitalization and eventual death without Virginia. My mind and heart felt so empty during the period of uncertainty around my sister; Virginia was the perfect person to lean on for support.
She helped me navigate through my feelings of guilt. She encouraged me to rest, held my hand and my heart during the hardest moments, advocated for me when I was too too tired and or devastated to think. She validated my confusion and helped me to understand this process that was so new to me.
Losing my sister was the hardest experience of my life, but Virginia’s support and guidance during this time enabled me to get through it. There couldn’t have been a better person there for me. She brought her whole heart with her and showed up for me. I am forever grateful for Virginia and her support.
~ Anaya M.