death doula services

Death doula (also known as an end-of-life doula, end-of-life coach, or death coach), assists a dying person and their loved ones before, during and after death.  A Death Doula provides emotional and physical support, education about the dying process, preparation for what is to come and guidance while you are grieving. 

Death Doulas use a holistic approach to non-medical, nonjudgmental, person-centered, quality end-of-life care, where dying is understood to be a natural, organic process.  In addition to emotional and spiritual support, Death Doulas provide individualized community resources and practical information to clients, primary caregivers, and those involved with the dying or recently deceased person, such as family and friends.  

Death Doulas are specifically trained in inclusive care and are committed to supporting clients of all faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities, and are aware of the importance of honouring a client's traditions throughout their journey. 

A Death Doula helps create a plan for the dying and ensures the plan is implemented, and is focused on and adapted to the unique needs and requirements of each family served.  Death Doulas operate within four domains of care, which are death planning, legacy work, death planning, vigils, and grief & bereavement.  

Legacy: People facing death often find themselves looking back at their lives and doing a life review.  Many feel the need to make meaning of the life they have lived and review what they have accomplished in their time here on earth.  Legacy work is a meaningful activity to attend to spiritual distress. Often spiritual awareness is increased or heightened at the time of referral and / or when the disease trajectory is changing.

Death Planning: Creating a death plan is a way for the dying person to have a say in how they want their dying to look, to be the conductor of the orchestra, so to speak, and we as Death Doulas facilitate it.  Within this plan, people choose where they would like to die, who is present during the active death process, and how the space is set up.

Vigil: Death Doulas will meet with the individual and their family weeks prior to death to create a vigil plan.  This process helps to determine how the patient and family would like the death process to evolve. 

Grief & Bereavement: Grief is a natural response to any type of loss, though we most commonly associate it to what we experience when someone we love dies. Grief is the process that allows us to say goodbye to what was and to prepare for that which is yet to come.  A Death Doula offers grief & bereavement coaching to the individual who is dying, and to the people who care for them before, during and after death.

Death Doula sessions can be conducted either in-person or virtually.   Fees are dependent on the needs of each individual and can range between $70/hour to $100/hour.  To book a FREE 30-minute consultation, click here, call, or email Revival Wellness.