Ask A Death Doula

Lessons of Love and Letting Go from Hospice Care What if embracing death could enrich your daily life? Join us as we navigate this profound exploration with our cherished guest, Dr. Karen Wyatt. A transformative journey awaits, as Dr. Wyatt shares her personal story of finding meaning and purpose in the wake of her father's suicide, eventually leading her to a rewarding career as a hospice physician.  Discussion takes a turn towards the deep end as we delve into the world of hospice care, unfolding the transformative power it holds over death and its spiritual growth. Dr. Wyatt enlightens us on how these experiences have shown her the importance of love while dealing with pain and forgiveness. We also touch upon the cultural shift needed in our perception of death and the support we extend to our healthcare professionals. The conversation graduates to the insights from Dr. Wyatt's inspiring book, "The Tao of Death". Drawing from this, we discuss how death can be a mindful part of our lives, and how embracing

Securing a Positive End-of-Life Experience through Planning Imagine having the power to dictate the quality and course of your end-of-life care, being able to define what 'quality of life' means for you. This episode explores just that, with expert insight from Suzanne O'Brien, a former hospice and oncology nurse with years of experience in guiding individuals through this deeply personal journey. Dive into the world of advanced directives and the surprisingly non-binding nature of these documents. Discover the power of the POLST form, a tool that can help ensure your wishes are respected when it matters most.  The conversation doesn't stop there. We navigate the significant role your healthcare proxy plays, shedding light on the importance of defining your personal benchmarks for quality of life and establishing clear communication lines with your loved ones. We'll delve into the nine choices advanced directive document, a comprehensive guide that covers everything from who should voice your desires, to th

The importance of Advance Directives: A discussion with Sylvia Cohen Can you imagine the emotional turmoil and familial discord that arises when end-of-life wishes are not clearly defined? Get ready to walk in the shoes of Sylvia Cohen as she courageously recounts her personal journey surrounding end-of-life care and the profound impact it had on her family. An enlightening chat about the cultural complexities within a multicultural family in a medical setting awaits you, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting different beliefs and customs. Sylvia also shares her mother's experience with hospice care, highlighting the significance of maintaining a certain quality of life.   As the conversation progresses, Sylvia's journey towards becoming a death doula unfolds. Discover how a death doula can provide invaluable guidance and support during the end-of-life journey, and the critical role of having an advanced directive and 'five wishes' in place. Sylvia's insights on legacy planning and advan

Exploring the Complexities and Transformational Power of End-of-Life Care, Tackling the Challenges of End-of-Life Planning and The "Hospice Gap" with Cathy Yuhas.   How do you envision the end of your life? What if you could transform that vision from a fear-filled one to a peaceful and sacred experience? Join us for a heart-to-heart conversation with our guest, Cathy Yuhas, a seasoned nurse specializing in ICU, ER, and hospice care. Cathy shares a powerful, deeply personal story about how a woman's decision to embrace hospice care completely redefined her perception of death, and illuminated the profound importance of planning for the end, free of judgment. We also explore the glaring gaps that exist in our healthcare system, with a specific focus on the realm of hospice care. Cathy recounts her difficulties navigating the system when her father was dying, emphasizing the desperate need for more education and resources in this area. She provides a detailed overview of the history of hospice care in the Uni

In this episode of Ask a Doulagiver, I have the great pleasure of interviewing Christianne Wolff about her new book THE HEALED STATE! The book shares beautiful stories, techniques and the science of how to heal. This episode is an impactful conversation between two holistic healers who are able to share their stories and importance of understanding we are energetic beings having a human experience. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Topic #1 How Christianne learned she was a healer. Topic #2 How you can heal your body through breaking bad habits ( and instilling good ones) nutrition, gut health, nature, sound healing and more. Topic #3 How nourishing and restoring your 4 bodies of energy will allow you to create the future to be anything you want it to be.- YES!!!!   Links Mentioned in This Episode: Get The Book: The Healed State Learn More About Christianne Wolff here: https://thebodyrescueplan.com Learn More: Free Universal Life Mastery Webinar here! https://my.demio.com/ref/CQloDUCmQgEoIr3H  Learn More: Do

The Truth About Becoming a Certified Death Doula There is a worldwide global movement going on and it is known as the Death Doula. Just like birthing doulas that care for and guide a baby into this world, there are now Death Doulas that are guiding people out of the world! In this episode of Ask a Death Doula, I will share with you the truth about becoming a Death Doula and what you need to know when deciding if this profession is the right path for you. Death is having a rebirth! We have been dying for thousands of years. However, it is only in the last century that we have completely removed the natural life experience of death from our awareness. Death is not a medical experience - it is a human one. Hospice is a beautiful model of care, but unfortunately the present model of hospice has many “gaps” and is not working well for most patients and families. There is a need for additional support from trained and knowledgeable professionals in this space of end of life care.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

80%-90% of a positive end of life ( no matter what the disease process) depends on these two things: Planning ahead and sharing your end of life wishes with those you love ahead of time and  Knowing the basics on how to care for someone at the end of life. In this episode of Ask a Death Doula, I have the great pleasure of interviewing Lisa Pahl  co-creator of The Death Deck and The E•O•L Deck; games. These card games inspire meaningful conversations on what matters most in our lives and in our deaths. Lisa is also an expert contributor for Help Texts which provides expert grief and mental health support via text messages. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over fifteen years of experience in hospice and emergency medicine, Lisa helps people cope with illness, dying, and grief. With a passionate belief that peace at the end begins with meaningful conversations over time, Lisa engages people in talking about and preparing for this important stage of life. In This Episode, You Will Learn:  Topic #1 How Li

In this episode of Ask a Doulagiver, I have the great pleasure of interviewing Nurse Hadley Vlahos about her upcoming book THE IN-BETWEEN: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments. The book shares beautiful bedside stories of that special time when people have "one foot in this world and one foot in the next". This episode is a heart to heart episode, from one hospice nurse, to another hospice nurse, as we discuss the common experiences we have had with our patients that will change your life. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Topic #1 How Hadley became a Hospice nurse and why. Topic #2 The common experiences we see with our hospice patients as they get closer to the time of death. Like seeing loved ones who have already died. Topic #3 What she hopes to see in the world regarding our view of death in the years to come. Click Here to Register and Spread the Word! Links Mentioned in This Episode: Nurse Hadley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurse.hadley/ Get The Book: https://nursehadley.co

Date: 6/7/23 How to Fill the "Hospice Gap"   Hospice is a beautiful model of care, but at the present time, due mostly to Medicare guidelines, we are seeing major "gaps" in hospice care.   When someone is dying, we only have one opportunity to have it go well- there are no do overs. This is why it is vital to understand the hospice gaps and what we can do to fill them.   In This Episode, You Will Learn:   Topic #1 What Hospice Care Is Topic #2 What Hospice Care Isn’t Topic #3 What YOU Need to Know to Fill the "Hospice Gap"     P.S. I will be giving a FREE COPY of the Doulagivers Hospice Handbook to everyone that shows up LIVE to the FREE Doulagivers 90-Minute Level 1 End of Life Doula Live Webinar Training Thursday, June 22nd at 7pm ET! Everyone who attends the 90-Minute Training will receive a free copy of this invaluable resource (a $49 value!) as a thank you for their participation. Click Here to Register and Spread the Word! Links Mentioned in This Episode

Date: 6/1/23 The Marriage of Death and Spirituality   When I was just starting my career as a hospice nurse… the things I witnessed… the things I learned… the things dying people shared with me… changed my LIFE!   At the end of life, as someone's physical body is diminishing, their spiritual body is growing and there is one point in the journey that they get all this spiritual wisdom.    This is what they say:   Trust that all the experiences in your life have been lessons to bring you closer to a higher state of being. I can honestly say that the most painful experiences I have been through turned out to be my greatest teachers. While working at the bedside, I discovered that this was the perspective shared by many of my dying patients. They were able to reflect on their own experiences from a different point of view to locate the good in them - uncovering the hidden meaning within them and finding the path towards soul growth. In This Episode, You Will Learn:   Topic #1 The way that the spiritual body

How to Care for Dying Veterans Veterans experience extraordinary emotional and mental challenges as they near the end of life due to the experiences and trauma they endured serving their country,” O’Brien explained. “Recognizing their specific needs and providing them with proven techniques to help them on their life journey is a tremendous gift we are delighted to share with military families.   642,000 Veterans die each year in the US   In This Episode, You Will Learn:   Topic #1 Why we need specific end of life care for veterans Topic #2 How the complex trauma that veterans experience prevents them from having a positive end of life. Topic #3 How the new studies of psychedelic therapies may help veterans at the end of life and life Links Mentioned in This Episode: Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula Training Veterans Edition Click here   Free Family Caregiver Resource Center Click here   In Their Honor Click Here Learn More: Doulagivers Institute Click here     Please make sure to share this podc

Date: 5/3/23   How The Death Positive Movement is Giving us Life Death is having a rebirth!   People today are going back to their roots with the re-adoption of home wakes and funerals. Centuries ago, this was the common way to handle death. People would die at home and remain there for the viewing and the ceremony to honor their life. In fact, the “living room” was given its name because that’s where those who were still alive congregated before they went into the parlor to pay their respects to the deceased person.   We just forgot- death is not a medical experience- it's a human one.    80%-90% of a positive end of life experience depends on two things:   1) Knowing the truth about end of life. 2) Planning ahead!!!   I learned that no matter who you are and where you live in the world, death is our common unifier in our humanity- and we can change the world with presence, compassion and education.  In This Episode, You Will Learn:   Topic #1 What is the Death Positive Movement Topic #2 How by doing th

Date: 4/18/23   Zimbabwe: The start of the Death Doula Movement I have been a hospice nurse since 2008, but it was on a volunteer trip to Zimbabwe, Africa, that I was taught the true power of our presence as the best medicine there is.   I was reminded that death is not a medical experience- it's a human one.    And I was taught the effectiveness of having someone present and "holding the space" for someone who is dying- and for their loved ones- like a birthing doula.    I learned that no matter who you are and where you live in the world, death is our common unifier in our humanity- and we can change the world with presence, compassion and education.  In This Episode, You Will Learn:   Topic #1 How a Volunteer Trip to Zimbabwe, Sparked a Global Death Doula Movement Topic #2 The Great Teachings From Those at Island Hospice Topic #3 How We are a Global Community Links Mentioned in This Episode: End of Life "World Training Day" for Family Caregivers Click here   Island Hospice Zimbabwe Click Here Free

Date: 4/13/23 Caregiver Syndrome and How to Avoid It Brief summary of episode: Family caregivers are often faced with a unique set of challenges as they juggle the demands of work, family and caregiving. From managing complex medical tasks to navigating legal and financial issues, it can be difficult for caregivers to find balance in their lives while providing the best possible care for their loved ones. At the end of life, it is common for a family member (usually an adult daughter) to be suddenly thrown into a position where they are fully responsible for the care of their dying loved one. Although hospice services help tremendously with structuring a care plan and receiving the necessary equipment and medications to provide this care, the family is still responsible for the majority of hands-on care. Because the current system leaves most of the work to unpaid family members, it takes a toll on already stressed and grieving individuals and leads to Caregiver Syndrome - a silent epidemic that is taking

SomaEnergetics is a series of Sound Therapy Techniques developed by David Hulse at the turn of the century using the power of the ancient frequencies of the solfeggio. We use the highest quality Solfeggio Tuning forks, which are custom-made for SomaEnergetics by a manufacturer who has over 4 decades of experience developing quality, custom tuning forks. We offer training in live workshops and via Self-Study Online Courses. Our Color Solfeggio Energy Tuners and Body Tuners are available exclusively from SomaEnergetics. This wonderful quote from Dr. Horowitz and Dr. Puleo’s, book – Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse sums up the importance of this work: "Nature and Grace"—the physical and the spiritual—reflect each other and reveal "the great fact" that there is a secret tone scale—or set of sounds—that vibrates at the exact frequencies required to transform spirit to matter, or matter to spirit" FREE UNIVERSAL LIFE MASTERY MASTERCLASS- Three Steps to Conscious Awakening Register Here: https://my.dem

FORGIVENESS IS THE SECRET KEY TO UNLOCKING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE! Join the Free Forgiveness Workshop Here: https://my.demio.com/ref/SF9qKjumP2eHsSx0   Forgiveness is a continued, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment, anger, or shame toward a person, group - or even yourself. Whether it’s a simple spat with your spouse or long-held resentment toward a family member or friend, unresolved conflict can go deeper than you may realize—it may be affecting your physical health and holding you back from the life you truly want.  Forgiveness will set you free and allow you to create the future exactly the way you want it to be. In this webinar, you will learn: 1. What forgiveness is & why we must learn to forgive.  2. The two main types of forgiveness.   3. What end of life patients say about forgiveness and its transformative power. Working with those at the end of life has taught me EVERYTHING about life and about how to live fully. Sharing this information with you is my life’s purpose, a

Join the FREE Hospice of Green Country event with Suzanne B. O'Brien RN on October 26th at 6pm EST Below!   Register Here: https://forms.hospiceofgreencountry.org/october-26th-suzanne-obrien-rn/   If your loved one got a terminal diagnosis today, would you know how to care for them?   Unfortunately most people would answer no.   Most end of life experiences are NOT going well today, and it is the lack of understanding about the natural process of end of life and the lack of skills on how to care for someone who is dying that is the main missing piece.   Doulagivers International has created a global platform to change that and it is offered for FREE!!!!   We have been dying for thousands of years, it is only in the last 100 that we have become so far removed from the awareness of death being a natural, sacred part of life's journey. In this episode, you’ll hear about how Doulagivers is “filling the gap” between families and hospice care to provide the answer to a fragmented medical system and allow patients a

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to get a terminal diagnosis? What would you do? How would you cope? What would you say to people? What would your everyday life look like? If you answered “I don't know”, then read on, because I’m here to share with you an incredible woman that will change your mind– and here’s why: Number one: Jody has been given a terminal stage 4 ovarian cancer diagnosis and may be doing more with her busy days than I am. Number two: Her sharing the power of presence and how every single day is a gift of gratitude and awareness that has brought new meaning to her life. Believe me, I know what it’s like to feel scared and uncertain. Death is the number one fear in our world. That fear is paralyzing and is preventing us from accessing one of the greatest teachers about how to live. In this episode, you’ll hear from Jody Stokhamer, an amazing woman who shares how she feels more healthy and alive today with a stage 4 hospice diagnosis than ever before in her life. And for those

In This episode of Ask a Death Doula, I will share what V.S.E.D. ( Voluntarily Stop Eating and Drinking ) is, why it's a viable option, and the checklist of things you need to go over before deciding if V.S.E.D. is right for you! What is V.S.E.D.? [2:00] – V.S.E.D. stands for voluntarily stopping, eating, and drinking, and it is an intentional decision to stop drinking liquids and eating food for the specific purpose of causing death. It does not refer to stopping food or fluids provided by means of a feeding tube or to situations in which a patient has no appetite or is unable to eat or drink due to illness or disease. Time until death depends on a patient's underlying physical condition and disease state, but typically takes place within about 5 to 21 days with the median time of death occurring in 7 to 14 days after implementation - the cause of death is dehydration. The exact process of dying from V.S.E.D. will not be the same for every individual. Despite being intentionally used to cause death, the dyin