Divergent
Death Work
Endings and times of transition can feel restrictive, like there is a set process and no choices. I'm here as a companion to hold the big feelings with you and to make more space for possibilities.
Similar to a birth doula, who helps to transition new life into this mortal plane, I work as a death doula to help transition life out of it.
Do Death Work Differently
Death work, for me, is quite expansive. In addition to working with the dying and the grieving, I work with people who are curious about death and their relationship to it; those who are suicidal; marginalized folks experiencing loss or grief (such as new diagnoses); and communities experiencing grief or collapse.
Endings and times of transition are incredibly hard, made harder because we have largely lost the collective ability to show up well for the dying and the grieving. As with my approach to planning,I take a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, creative problem-solving, and narrative approach to death work, and I emphasize doing things differently.
Scope of Work
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Planning for end of life (including for youth and young(er) people)
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Facilitating end-of-life discussions
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Narrative approaches to death and grieving
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Support in advocating for end-of-life care and wellbeing
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Ritual and ceremony
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Odd and unusual after-death gatherings
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Companioning:
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the dying
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the grieving
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folks who are suicidal
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marginalized folks in the full spectrum of grief, whether related to death or not
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communities experiencing grief or collapse
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I primarily work with trans, queer, neurodivergent, disabled, fat/plus size, and other marginalized folks, but if you are looking to do something different and I feel like the right fit, connect with me for a free 30-minute consultation.
Cultural Relationship with Death
When I visited my family in Austria in 2016, I went with my mom and brother to visit some of our departed family members buried in Gloggnitz. My little brother watered the plants around their grave while my mom shared memories she has of them and Austria as a whole. My relationship to death and death work is rooted in my Scottish, Irish, and Austrian cultures while also inviting my clients to bring their cultures on their own terms.
