End-of-Life
Doula Support
End-of-life care can be overwhelming, unfamiliar, and deeply personal. There is often a lot happening at once — fear, love, exhaustion, uncertainty, grief, and the practical realities of daily life continuing alongside dying.
As an end-of-life doula, I offer steady, present care during this time. My role is not to direct or fix the experience, but to be with individuals and families as they navigate illness, active dying, and the period surrounding death in ways that are grounded.
There is no single way this time should look. Care unfolds differently for each person and each family, and I approach this work with respect for individual rhythms, needs, and boundaries.
How I approach this work
My approach is rooted in presence, consent, and unconditional positive regard. I work non-judgmentally and without pressure, trusting that people are the best experts on their own lives, even when things feel uncertain or overwhelming.
I aim to stay steady in emotionally and practically difficult moments, responding to what is needed without imposing a particular model of how dying “should” look. This includes making room for fear, silence, humor, grief, connection, and everything in between.
End-of-life care often happens in small, ordinary moments as much as in significant ones, and I hold those moments with care.
Experience & Training
My work as an end-of-life doula is informed by both long-term caregiving experience and formal training.
I began volunteering with older adults in my teens through the Adopt-A-Grandparent Program, which shaped my comfort with aging, illness, and long-term companionship. This early experience later led me into volunteer hospice work and ongoing caregiving roles involving sustained presence, listening, and practical support over time.
My experience includes working with individuals across the lifespan, from adolescents through older adults, with care shaped to each person’s developmental stage, family context, and needs.
I am a Certified End-of-Life Doula and Certified Pediatric End-of-Life Specialist through the University of Vermont, with additional training in hospice and homecare. I am also trained in advance care planning, including Respecting Choices® and Five Wishes®, and bring this knowledge into conversations about values, wishes, and decision-making when helpful.
Alongside this, my background includes training in yoga, energy-based practices, and nervous-system–informed care. These experiences support my ability to remain grounded, attentive, and steady in complex or emotionally charged situations.
What support can look like in practice
A core part of my role is filling in gaps as they arise. End-of-life care rarely follows a neat plan, and needs often shift from day to day or hour to hour. I pay attention to where support is needed, practically or emotionally, and step in where it is helpful.
Support may look like being present at the bedside, helping caregivers take a break, or spending time together in ways that feel familiar and human: through conversation, shared laughter, watching a movie, playing a game, or simply being together.
At other times, support may involve staying awake during the night when fear or disorientation arises, holding a hand, listening without trying to fix anything, or being present when sleep is difficult.
Filling in gaps also means tending to the everyday tasks that make care sustainable — preparing food, changing the bed, doing laundry, picking up groceries, or supporting caregivers so they can rest. These acts of care are often what make it possible for families to connect and be present with one another.
I offer practical help and steady presence so caregivers don’t have to carry everything alone.
Forms of support
End-of-life doula support is shaped by the needs, preferences, and circumstances of each person and family. There is no fixed checklist, and support may change over time as situations evolve.
Support may include:
Steady bedside presence and companionship
Emotional support for individuals and family members
Respite care so caregivers can rest or step away
Assistance with personal care, such as bathing or toileting, as appropriate
Comfort-focused touch or gentle body-based support when desired
Help with meals, laundry, light cleaning, and household tasks
Overnight presence when nights feel particularly difficult
Coordination, advocacy, or communication support
Advance care planning conversations and guidance
Legacy or memory work, such as storytelling, recordings, or meaningful projects
All support is guided by consent, comfort, and capacity, and offered with respect for dignity and privacy.
How other practices are included
End-of-life doula care is the primary focus of my work. Practices such as Reiki, Yoga Nidra, and grounding or energy-based support are available within doula care when they feel appropriate, wanted, and supportive.
When desired, care may also include gentle body-based support such as Reiki-informed touch or Thai bodywork, offered with close attention to comfort, consent, and capacity.
These practices are used to support rest, regulation, and presence when helpful, and are never imposed.
Advance care planning & legacy work
As part of end-of-life doula support, conversations around advance care planning may be included when appropriate. This can involve identifying a healthcare agent, discussing life-sustaining care preferences, or talking through decisions that can feel overwhelming during times of grief.
This work may also involve personal details, such as choosing music, photographs, clothing, and rituals, which can be especially difficult for families to navigate while they are grieving.
Legacy work may take many forms depending on interest, energy, and timing. This might include recorded or written reflections, photo projects, recipe collections, letters, or other meaningful ways of preserving memory and connection. All of this work is paced gently and guided by consent and capacity.
Living until the end
While death can feel frightening and unfamiliar, it remains a universal part of being human, and people continue living, relating, and finding meaning right up until the end.
Alongside grief and uncertainty, this time is often made up of ordinary moments: laughter, shared meals, familiar routines, quiet conversation, music, or sitting together with photographs. These moments don’t erase what is difficult, but they matter.
Some days are heavy. Others are tender, awkward, calm, or unexpectedly light. I hold space for all of it without altering the experience.
Care during this time is not only about preparing for death, but about tending to life as it is still being lived. Small acts like cooking familiar food, sharing a favorite song, and creating space for connection offer continuity when everything else feels uncertain.
Part of my role is knowing when to work quietly in the background and when to step in — filling gaps as they arise while respecting the natural rhythms of the people and space around me.
“During one of the hardest times in our lives, she became the glue that held us together. Her knowledge, understanding, and patience in caring not only for my father, but for my brother and me as well, has made an everlasting positive impact.”
How to begin
If you’re considering end-of-life doula support, you’re welcome to reach out with questions or to talk through what’s happening. You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking for, and there’s no expectation to move forward before it feels right.
Details about how I work, including pricing and availability, are shared transparently and can be explored at your own pace.