Most people know of doulas as being birth doulas. The word “doula” is a Greek word meaning a woman of service. The role of the birth doula is to guide and companion the pregnant woman before, during and after birth. Our souls intuitively know how to give birth and how to be born into the earthly plane, and how to take that first breath, but having the companionship and guidance of another human who cares deeply and who offers comfort, support and knowledge can be quite valuable.

End of Life Doulas also serve as guides and companions at the other transitional time in our lives…death. Our souls also know intuitively how to pass from the earthly plane, and how to take that last breath, but we humans have a hard time with it. Culturally, we hide death away in nursing homes and hospitals and funeral homes so we don’t have to think about it or talk about it or see it. We treat death as though it were taboo and yet death is as honorable a time in a person’s life as birth. Death is a part of life. It will happen to each one of us. What I know to be true is that there is as much beauty in our dying as there is in our being born. Difficult? Yes, of course. Painful? Yes, of course. Beautiful? Yes, of course. But birth is also difficult and painful and beautiful.​