Why free? What's the catch?
There is no catch – I promise!
I have been feeling the call to offer my services as a volunteer for hospice in my community. But the problem is, the type of care that hospices want from their volunteer is all in-person, which is not an option I am exploring at this time.
So instead, I decided to offer my own death doula work on a volunteer basis for anyone who has a need for it.
If you or someone you know could benefit from a death doula’s work but cannot afford to hire a doula, feel free to reach out to me to see if we could work together at no cost or obligation to you. Fellow death workers, if you have potential clients who you know need the support of a doula, but they are experiencing financial hardship, please send them my way and/or reach out and we can discuss if they would be a good fit for my work.
How I can help you
You don’t have to be dying (or anywhere close!) to participate in pre-planning. Think of this as “getting your ducks in a row.” Pre-planning is not only incredibly practical, but some aspects can also serve as a cathartic way to process your experience.
- Legacy planning: creating written biographies, a book of treasured family recipes, memory boxes, or other heirlooms to leave behind for your loved ones as a testimony to your life
- Exploring your values, finding your meaning: what’s important to you both in death and life? What does a life well-lived look like, FOR YOU, regardless of how much time remains? Your answers will shape our plan moving forward. EVERYONE can benefit from a session or two of this deep exploration!
- Discussing death anxiety or simply discussing death and mortality: let’s unpack your death anxieties, questions, phobias – I’m here for it all!
- Researching and connecting with local resources: there are more options for support than you might think
- Choosing your location for care and death, including whether or not this will occur at home or in a care facility
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Grief support: I am a sympathetic and loving presence as you navigate loss.
- After-death planning: advance funeral arrangements and coordination, including choices surrounding a home funeral, alternative burial options, coordination, and more
- Advance care directives: developing a plan with you so your wishes are known to all relevant parties during treatments and hospitalization
- Obituary/eulogy writing: developed together according to your wishes
- Pre-arranging any other logistics that you would like
Hi, I'm Niki, death doula, life mentor, and asker of big questions.
It can be confusing and frightening to face your own mortality and/or the loss of a loved one. I’m here to make that process a little bit easier.
I completed my death doula training at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Death Doula program back in 2019. As a death doula, my work is strongly informed by the idea that engaging with the concept of our own finite nature (death and dying) help us live better lives that are more authentically aligned with our truest values.
My virtual services encompass practical aspects of pre-planning and logistics, to the more esoteric, philosopher-y dialogues surrounding spirituality, death fears, and what a good life means to you.
Regardless of where you live in the country (or the globe!) I specialize in providing deeply personal support tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Why Only Virtual?
There are a few reasons why I made the decision to offer my services virtually.
On a personal note, in-person care does not work for me for multiple reasons, some due to my full-time job in advertising, which prevents me from visiting clients during normal working hours. Additionally, I am enrolled in a Master’s program in hospice chaplaincy (remotely!) through Loyola University Chicago. So on top of my day job, being a graduate student, and trying to navigate a semblance of work-life-balance in my personal life, attempting to squeeze in the travel time (and expenses) that would be required for in-person care is not feasible at this phase in my life and career.
I deeply believe in the sustainability of death work. Thus, I have no interest in pushing too hard in this sacred field, only to burn out because I failed to navigate this care in a way that was supportive to me at every stage of my development: as a doula and as a human.
On a more positive and less personal note, offering my death doula support virtually means I can serve clients anywhere. I am not tethered to a small, physical radius within my community. I can accept referrals from death doulas nation (and possibly world) -wide!
I'm interested. But how does virtual care work?
Zoom video calls. Phone calls. Emails. Telegram (text) support. Closed-captioning Zoom support for the hearing impaired.
Death doula care….right in the palm of your hand! Or computer screen!
Our work together will begin with a 20 minute consultation call. This call is to discern whether we are a good fit, or if you might instead benefit from a referral to a local doula who can provide you with in-person care. This initial chat can be through Zoom or through a phone call.
From there, we will agree upon a meeting frequency and the way you would prefer to communicate with me. You can select phone calls, Zoom calls, Telegram (text), or email support. Or you can choose a combination of those mediums – that’s the beauty of virtual care. I tailor my approach to suit your preferences.