WISE WORDS
End-of-Life Doula
Emotional and Spiritual Support for Peaceful Passing by Gina Marie Saka
Just as a doula helps welcome new life to the world, an end-of-life doula assists in peaceful passing at the end of one’s life journey. The time of death can be scary for individuals and their loved ones, but these practitioners help transform fear into comfort, healing and clarity. An end-of-life doula is a trained, non-medical professional that provides
emotional, spiritual and physical support to people that are dying or terminally ill. Also known as a death doula or soul midwife, they assist individuals and their loved ones in navigating anxiety and finding a sense of direction, lightness and acceptance during this difficult phase of life. Their services complement those of doctors, hospice professionals and funeral
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workers, and fill the spiritual and emotional gaps that inevitably arise when navigating end of life. A soul midwife is a holistic, intuitive companion that often has healing modalities in their repertoire to deepen the sanctity and therapeutic quality of his or her visits. End-of-life doula services may differ slightly, but generally consist of regular visits, deep active listening, text and call access, medical directive planning, evaluation timing for hospice, caregiver support and check-ins, life work review, legacy project creation and vigil plan development. Depending on the practitioner, visits may be complemented with services like reiki, mediumship, art therapy, sound healing and more if the patient desires. “In the Western world, death tends to become very transactional—where a person sets up a will, buys a burial plot, plans the funeral, says goodbyes and waits,’’ says Andi Daniels, End of Life Doula of Innerlight Healing. “But what people don’t realize is that death can be as beautiful as birth—a celebration of life where an individual can express themselves, share their last wishes, process what they’re going through, and die with dignity and grace.” It’s during these precious, tender times that a person can take agency in deciding where and how they want to die. “People don’t always realize that they have a choice to die at home rather than in a clinical setting, to have loved ones and pets by their side, to plan a beautiful vigil with an atmosphere that helps them pass in the deepest state of peace,” Daniels says. Andi Daniels is an end-of-life doula at Innerlight Healing. For more information, visit Innerlight-Healing.com. Gina Marie Saka is a professional health and wellness copywriter. She has been a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings magazine since 2012 and currently resides in San Diego. To connect, email GinaMarieSaka@gmail.com.
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