Karen Bernard, MA
With a Master of Arts in Culture & Spirituality, I bring a holistic perspective to my work as a doula, as well as to weddings, funerals and other services where people mark important moments with ritual and celebration.
With a Master of Arts in Culture & Spirituality, I bring a holistic perspective to my work as a doula, as well as to weddings, funerals and other services where people mark important moments with ritual and celebration.
As an End of Life Doula, I support people and their families in facing death as consciously and as peacefully as possible. With close to 25 years of counseling and community/family mediation experience, I am comfortable with intense feelings, as well as with the kinds of issues that can arise for families around a loved one’s passing. I help people reflect on the meaning of their lives, on what’s important to them in their final days, weeks or months, and on how they want to be remembered. I also help them develop rituals, if they’d like, surrounding their passing.
As a celebrant I help families create ceremonies to honor their loved one, and then usually lead the service. I listen carefully to people’s stories and, if they want, I write a eulogy. I also offer relevant readings, as well as ideas for expressing what this individual and their passing means to family and friends. We might include music, poems, flowers, or any kind of personal touch that fits. Just as every person is unique, so is every service. I support people as they think through what feels right for them in celebrating their beloved.
I am a founding member of Pittsburgh Community Deathcare, and have helped to facilitate Death Cafes. When I’m not involved in death-related events, I’m often at the East End Food Co-op, where I serve in the board of directors and work as the book buyer, striving to offer information and stories that inspire people to live in more conscious connection. I also love mentoring homeschoolers and their parents, and I sometimes lead classes and workshops on topics like Food & Mindfulness and Mandala-Making.
You can reach me by phone at 412-482-7524 or email: kbsweethome@gmail.com
Helen Stickney, Ph.D.
[she/her]
I am a meditation instructor and death doula specializing in contemplative approaches to mortality and grief. As a doula, my role is to support individuals and their loved ones through the various phases of the end of life process. I am available to support everyone involved in the dying process with embodied approaches to integrating loss and transformation. Meditation and deep listening are present in all aspects of my work.
Helen Stickney (she/her)
I am a meditation instructor and end of life companion specializing in contemplative approaches to mortality and grief. In 2014, I left a career in academia and pursued a calling to help those at the end of life. I began my deathcare journey as a hospice volunteer offering Reiki, but it quickly evolved into path of walking alongside individuals and families as they navigated illness, death, and loss of all kinds. I currently work in development for a local hospice and I am the database manager for the local green cemetery. As a member of Pittsburgh Community Deathcare, I offer one-on-one grief support virtually and in person, and I facilitate meditation groups, educational workshops, and group ceremonies for processing our own mortality and for integrating grief of all kinds (outdoors preferred).
As a death companion, my role is to support people through the various phases of the end of life process. Death affects our loved ones as well as those who are dying. I am available to support everyone involved in the dying process. Meditation and deep listening are integrated into all aspects of my work.
I am a trained meditation instructor, who has been meditating for over four decades, focusing most recently on somatic approaches to mindfulness. In my work, I guide people through body-based practices to help them work directly with emotions and well-being, embracing our human experience as a way to heal and grow.
In addition to my work with Pittsburgh Community Deathcare, I am the former director of the Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People and have held leadership roles at a number of meditation centers. I received Death Doula Certification in 2017 and a certificate in Integrative Thanatology from the Open Center in 2021. A full list of trainings and certifications is available upon request.
I’m located in Allegheny county and am happy to drive within 15 miles of the 15209 zip code. I have office space for in person meetings in Millvale, PA. Virtual consults/session available via Zoom. $75/hr for one-on-one sessions. $100/hr for groups. Reduced rates are available if needed. For more information, please send me an email.
Email: helen.stickney@gmail.com
Media:
Nisha Bowman, MSW, LSW, APHSW-C, CGCS, NEDA Proficient
Palliative care social worker and death doula available for consultation and collaboration
Professionally, I am a hospice and palliative care social worker and a death educator who works in both inpatient and outpatient medical settings. In my heart of hearts though, I am a death doula, a death midwife, or (my favorite) a deathwalker.
Unfortunately, life circumstances have not allowed to me to work exclusively as a death doula. However, while I wait for that opportunity to arrive, I am more than content to use my specialized skills in my palliative care work while also taking every opportunity I have to speak about end-of-life, death doulas, and dying as well a death as resources allow. Examples of my recent endeavors include interviews in the media, talks/presentations, and community projects related to this work.
While I am not currently available to sit at the bedside, I am available for consultation and collaboration. Please feel free to email me for pricing and further discussion at tanishacbowman at gmail.com.
Media links
There's A 'Pattern' Of Politically Connected People Getting Appointed To State Gaming Control Board
Jaime Hahn
I grew up in Shaler Township and graduated from Shaler Area High School. I attended Duquesne University, thinking I would become a French teacher, but soon realized I wanted to join the funeral service industry. As the daughter of a funeral director, I was very comfortable with death. (My brothers and I played hide and seek among caskets!)
I grew up in Shaler Township and graduated from Shaler Area High School. I attended Duquesne University, thinking I would become a French teacher, but soon realized I wanted to join the funeral service industry. As the daughter of a funeral director, I was very comfortable with death. (My brothers and I played hide and seek among caskets!)
After I graduated from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, I went on to do my internship at McDonald-Linn Funeral Home in Avalon, where I stayed as a licensee until joining my dad, James, at Healy-Hahn Funeral Properties. I worked with my father until 2012, when I started my own business, Hahn Funeral Home & Cremation Services. I am a core member of Pittsburgh Community Deathcare, and president of Green Burial Pittsburgh, a non-profit that promotes environmentally friendly burial options. I like to help people find alternative ways to celebrate their loved ones’ passing.
Currently, I live in Shaler with my husband, Justin Renda, our twin boys, Colin and Jacob, and my stepdaughter, Emalee. I am very active in the Millvale community, where I serve as president of the Millvale Community Development Corporation. I also belong to Christ Lutheran Church in Millvale and am very involved with our monthly free Community Table dinners.
Jody Adams, M.A., CPO
I’m fascinated by the way conversations about death tend to be postponed or avoided, even though death is inevitable for every living being. I am honored to help people explore the question of what a “good death” means to them, and I encourage them to live a “good life” as they define it. I also assist clients in making sense of their things and their space to support their lifestyle and life purpose. That work very often leads to conversations about legacy, how they want to experience the dying process, and the sometimes daunting but practical details of ensuring that their “final affairs are in order.”
I’ve been a professional organizer for more than 20 years, but my love of creating comfortable and functional spaces goes back to my childhood. I was very sentimental and liked to save everything, so I became very good at sorting, consolidating, rearranging, and organizing my “stuff” so it would all fit in my room. As I got older, I was able to hone these skills and found myself using them in various ways throughout my school years and in the jobs I held as a young adult. In my early twenties, the death of my grandmother changed my approach to life and my relationship with the things around me.
I helped care for my grandma in her home from the time she had a mastectomy until she died not long after. Spending this time with her was a continuation of the closeness we shared when I was growing up. After she died, we discovered boxes of memorabilia and pictures she’d kept in her attic but that, despite the countless stories she’d told when my siblings and I were kids, she’d never talked about. So, while the time I spent with her during the last few months of her life was profound and rewarding for me, it was also bittersweet because I realized that we’d never know her stories associated with these belongings. I understood then the importance of legacy, and that the inherent value of our possessions lies not in their monetary worth but rather in the life experiences and stories connected with them.
Because of my own experience of lost family history, I want to help others avoid the same fate. I work with individuals and families to identify needs, goals, and priorities in organizing their homes. Engaging with clients in this way also enables me to help them:
• Share the stories of their lives, prompted by the meaning of their possessions
• Determine how closely they are living in alignment with their dreams, passions, and goals, and whether they’re creating the legacy they want to leave behind
• Get their homes and belongings in order before they die (Swedish Death Cleaning)
• Gather and organize critical documents and other information in order to prepare wills and establish powers of attorney
• Make meaningful and appropriate decisions about what to do with a deceased loved one’s belongings
I welcome the opportunity to connect with you. I can be reached at 724.850.7282 or via www.in-its-place.biz.
Lynne Ireland-Knight
I am a Death Doula committed to making death education a part of our community conversation. Having had the honor of holding space at the bedside of three family members as they took their last breaths, I was awestruck to the core by the experience of death.
I am a death doula committed to making death education part of our community conversation. Having had the honor of holding space at the bedside of three family members as they took their last breaths, I was awestruck to my core by the experience of death. The intensity was palpable, and the time-outside-of-time surrounding each passing was one of quiet reverence. The most recent case was the death of my oldest son from colorectal cancer on March 8th of 2021. The path to his final days was not a peaceful one. But even though he was filled with anger and frustration, I had to honor these feelings and meet him where he was. I spent the final night with him not only as his mother, but as his death doula.
At the time my son died, I was not even aware that death doulas existed. But soon after this, I saw a post on social media advertising an end of life doula training through the University of Vermont, and I knew I needed to pursue this path. I have spent the past 37 years working with individuals with disabilities. I’ve worked in group homes, managed an employment program for individuals with disabilities, and advocated for people with brain injuries. (I was a facilitator in a peer study on brain injury that is published in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.)
Currently I work with students in special education, helping them reach their post-high school goals. I’m also exploring how I might become more involved with end-of-life support services. I recognize that the subject of death is historically taboo, and I want to play my part in bringing the conversation into the mainstream. I believe that the ability to face death consciously can greatly enhance our everyday lives. And planning ahead, if and when we know the end is near, can lay the groundwork for an easier, more meaningful transition. I am available for consultations, presentations and workshops.
I can be contacted at lynne_knight@msn.com or 412-498-1288.
You can also contact me via Promise Me Momma.
Lorraine Laster
I am a death doula and yoga teacher. As part of my deathcare service, I hold grief support groups, as well as workshops that look at African American grief and death rituals. I also offer private yoga classes to support people working through challenging emotions.
I am a Pittsburgh-proud, Cheyney University graduate (BA, Social Sciences), with a Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Pittsburgh. And I am a trained death doula through the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). Also, after years of personal practice, I am now certified as a yoga teacher through the Himalayan Institute and I offer private yoga classes.
As part of my deathcare service, I hold grief support groups, as well as workshops that look at African American grief and death rituals. I’m also available to hold bedside vigil when one is near the end of life and be a support to family as they navigate the loss of a loved one.
Through my work, I have laughed and cried with folks of different ages, race, religion, socio-economic status, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and I’ve found my true calling in the heart-to-heart connections I’ve felt holding space for those in their time of need.
With my education and experience, I aim to bring greater cultural competence into the deathcare field, and in my personal work, I want to support those with limited resources, as well as those who don’t have access to grief support and doula services.
All of my services are available both in-person and virtually. For doula assistance, workshop information, yoga classes, or any other inquiries, I can be contacted at 412-478-6333 or Lorraine.laster@gmail.com.
Gianna Bottone
My path to deathcare has been shaped by lived experiences as well as educational and professional training. During my own grief journey, I’ve followed my bodily awareness through movement/ dance and art-making to address and process my emotions. In my educational and professional life, I use Art Therapy to explore people’s needs and emotions. My goal with clients is to aid in processing their grief and to help them reconnect emotions, sensations, thoughts, and experiences to achieve overall congruence.
My path to deathcare has been shaped by lived experiences as well as educational and professional training. During my own grief journey, I’ve followed my bodily awareness through movement/ dance and art-making to address and process my emotions. In my educational and professional life, I use Art Therapy to explore people’s needs and emotions. My goal with clients is to aid in processing their grief and to help them reconnect emotions, sensations, thoughts, and experiences to achieve overall congruence.
I had the opportunity to bear witness to the end-of-life journeys and deaths of my paternal grandfather and grandmother as well as my maternal grandmother. Each of these losses brought up different needs and considerations. I noticed that the loss of a friend due to mental health issues and that of a beloved pet both brought up new aspects of grief that enabled me to reassess and learn more about myself. Through reflection, expression of emotions, disconnections and reconnections, storytelling, and creativity , I was able to access different facets of myself and grow within my own understanding of life, death, and grief. This, in turn, aided me in helping others.
I have a Bachelor's degree from Eckerd College with an Art Therapy Concentration, combining psychology, human development, and fine arts, as well as a Masters in Art Therapy with a Specialization in Counseling from Seton Hill University. I also have an End-of-Life Doula certification from the University of Vermont. I take an eclectic, integrative, and holistic approach to therapy, utilizing Art Therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and mindfulness practices to better understand the needs, concerns, and wants of all I work with. I strive to offer a collaborative environment built on transparency and authenticity for those I work with as well as their families.
My aim for any and all deathcare work is to create a safe, trusting space grounded in collaboration, presence, and healing. Incorporation of the micro, mezzo, and macros needs of clients provides a holistic and communal healing opportunity. I offer art therapy to everyone I work with because it provides a container to hold tough feelings and vulnerability I have witnessed the power of rituals through art therapy exploration in helping individuals and their families to move through the end of life toward finding healing and peace.
When I take my therapist/ doula hat off, I can be found reading, watching movies, hiking, and making art- painting, drawing, mixed media, jewelry and dance. I love to spend time with animals, especially my two cats. I also have a love and affinity for rocks of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
Please feel free to contact me for doula assistance, collaboration, or other inquiries at:
gigibottone0@gmail.com
Zuleikha Erbeldinger-Bjork
My first husband, Richard, prepared me for his death. After he died, I looked for ways to process his absence and keep him present. Attending Death Cafes, joining Pittsburgh Community Deathcare and writing memoir are ways I’ve kept him present. With my writing expertise and over 25 years of graphic design experience, I’ve also begun creating digital stories. I’ve come to love this format and I’m excited to help others record their own or their loved ones’ stories in this way.
My first husband, Richard, prepared me for his death. After he died, I looked for ways to process his absence and keep him present. Attending Death Cafes, joining Pittsburgh Community Deathcare and writing memoir are ways I’ve kept him present. With my writing expertise and over 25 years of graphic design experience, I’ve also begun creating digital stories. I’ve come to love this format and I’m excited to help others record their own or their loved ones’ stories in this way. A digital story is a 2–5-minute video comprised of three elements:
a visual story (images and/or video)
a spoken story (voice-over)
a sound story (music or other audio)
The application options for digital stories are myriad. Looking for an addition to slide shows and framed photos at memorials, funerals, or celebrations of life? Wanting to introduce the deceased to those who never had the chance to meet them? Trying to create a time capsule to be shared with those who were young children when the death occurred? Consider adding a digital story to your memorabilia. I collaborate with clients over the phone or internet to create unique electronic legacies that can be saved, shared, and viewed from a smartphone, tablet, or computer and passed onto future generations.
When not engaged in professional pursuits, I enjoy: actively participating in the second-hand economy; practicing gentle and restorative yoga; talking with my young adult daughters over a meal; gluten-free baking with my husband, Markus; learning German, Markus’s mother tongue; reading memoirs in the company of my indoor companions—two dogs; and gardening with my outdoor companions—four chickens.
You can reach me via phone at 412.266.4656 or email at zuleikha@alumni.cmu.edu.
Rev. Marguerite Aebi
Reverend Marguerite Renee Aëbi (Maggi) An Ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister educated through One Spirit Seminary, I am a committed member of the clergy professionally affiliated with THE THREAD Seminary. This prepares me to minister as support counsel and spiritual care to those individuals seeking peace from life trauma, grief and religious confusion. I personally received Initiation into the Sri Vidya tradition of the Himalayas December 2006, Vows in the Buddhist way of life Nov. 13, 2022 and Ministerial Ordination June 5, 2025.
Reverend Marguerite Renee Aëbi (Maggi)
An Ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister educated through One Spirit Seminary, I am a committed member of the clergy professionally affiliated with THE THREAD Seminary. This prepares me to minister as support counsel and spiritual care to those individuals seeking peace from life trauma, grief and religious confusion. I personally received Initiation into the Sri Vidya tradition of the Himalayas December 2006, Vows in the Buddhist way of life Nov. 13, 2022 and Ministerial Ordination June 5, 2025.
Formerly a Physical Therapy Assistant, I opened an Alternative Therapies office in the mid 90’s and after almost 28 years as a Massage Therapist she was trained and began practicing as an E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) These careers overlapped and truly supported one another. Well versed in anatomy I went on to teach the 200hr and 300hr training for Yoga teachers with the Himalayan Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. My own studio (Yoga On Mars) was opened in 2016 to serve Veterans and those trying to manage their PTSD whether as a result of combat trauma or life trauma. Combining the 12 steps of Recovery and the philosophies of the Yoga Sutra as well as training and Certification through the Warriors At Ease program out of Walter Reed Military Hospital I am a trauma informed teacher with deep compassion for those seeking to manage their symptoms. Personally, I am a Gold Star Mom since losing my son SSgt Ed Greiner Jr 82nd Army Airborne March 6, 2012 and subsequently losing my youngest son Kristopher to a heroin overdose that same day, March 6, in 2015. Experience in teaching workshops combining the 12 step recovery and the practice of yoga (trauma informed) has been a passion for over 15 years. I have presented and taught at the WVDAAC conference, at Case Western Reserve University, with the Wounded Warriors Retreats and for the Semper Fi Odyssey Program for Veterans (Marine Corp & Army) in Boswell, PA. Most recently I had been doing volunteer classes in yoga for the VA in Butler, PA.
Contact: 3RoadsIn.org
Email: maggiaebi@gmail.com