Available Services
Our members provide a diverse set of offerings to support dying persons, their families, and the community at large.
Learn more about the services below to better understand the ways in which we can be available to you.
Advance care planning is a valuable process of understanding and sharing personal values, life goals, and preferences for future medical care. Engaging in advance care planning, which can be done by any adult regardless of health stage, helps ensure you receive care that matches your values, preferences, and goals throughout a chronic or serious illness and at the end of life. We work with you to explore what is most important to you and to help you document your wishes and communicate them to your loved ones and care providers.
“Energy work” is a term that refers to a variety of different techniques that the practitioner may be trained in. Some energy modalities include: reiki, forest bathing, qi gong
Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. It is administered by placing the hands on or near various locations on the body. The word “reiki” is made of two Japanese words: “rei” which means "God's wisdom” or “the higher power"; and “ki,” which is "life force energy" — translated as "spiritually guided life force energy." During a typical reiki session, one might feel a sense of deep relaxation, tingling, warmth, or nothing at all. Studies have shown that Reiki is beneficial for stress reduction,
Energy work has been shown to reduce pain, reduce anxiety/stress, and increase a sense of well being.
Celebrants help friends and family celebrate the life of the deceased. We work with you to create a funeral or memorial service that honors your loved one and acknowledges their unique gifts.
Death doulas are here to help you and your loved ones through the dying experience. We’re often asked what we do that hospice does not. And while the answer to this is multi-faceted, one of the most important jobs a doula does involves the many profound issues that come up around death—issues that hospice agencies often don’t have the time or resources to address. Hospice may only be able to deal with the immediate medical needs.
Death doulas, like birth doulas, offer support in a variety of non-medical ways. Most people close to death are facing deep emotions—possibly regrets, fears, unfinished business, or worries about those they are leaving. Doulas can assist with processing these feelings when there may be no one else who is able. We might also help someone explore the meaning of their unique and precious life while they come to terms with their death.
Doulas encourage people to take control of the dying process and help them plan for their last days. This may mean thinking about how the space will look, feel or sound. It may be deciding who they would like to be present. It could also involve creating rituals to be performed before death, soon after, or perhaps at a memorial celebration.
We also attend to the family of the dying. Often, there are difficult decisions to be made, or there may be some kind of conflict. Doulas are able to listen, and to help with the many feelings that come up around the death of a loved one. At the end, we can be present during the vigil, to accompany the one who is dying, and to provide respite for caregivers. We can then help close friends and relatives reflect and process when their beloved is gone.
Most of us joined this collective because death has made a difference in our lives. For some, it’s been the journey with a loved one through their passing. For others, it’s been helping clients with a home funeral or a creative memorial. We’ve all seen the difference between standard procedures and a more thoughtful approach to death. We know there are many more choices available regarding every aspect of dying, and we want to share our knowledge and experience.
Whether you want to learn about advanced care planning, support services for families, green burial, or any other facet of death, we can answer your questions or guide you toward someone with more information. We also provide presentations and workshops on many different topics. We want to help you learn about end-of-life possibilities so you can make the choices that are right for you.
Coming soon!
Grief can be an all-encompassing experience. And every one of us grieves differently. What’s most important in the process of grieving is to be able to actually feel what we feel and to honor our loss. Our practitioners offer a safe space to process your grief and help you integrate your loss in a meaningful way.
We often think of legacy in terms of money or property passed from one generation to the next. Yet a legacy can also include intangibles such as knowledge, experience, philosophy, or values. Stories can also be part of our legacy. Everyone has gifts to give, and everyone has stories to tell.
Using a variety of approaches, we help people reflect on their lives and think about the stories they need to tell or the gifts they want to leave. One person may decide to write down favorite family recipes; another might want to share rare skills. Sometimes we assist people with recording their life stories. Whatever the legacy, we can help you recognize your unique gifts and find a way for these gifts to live on through future generations.
Meditation is a method for synchronizing mind and body that can bring deep and lasting peace of mind. It does not need to involve a lot of effort or concentration. When we are facing mortality, meditation can help us to manage anxiety and pain and to process difficult emotions. It can help us be present for what is happening in our lives in a deep and meaningful way. Meditation can be helpful for caregivers, those who are facing terminal illness, those who are dying, and those who are grieving.
Human beings create rituals around important moments. Rituals are a way of marking meaningful events, of really noticing that we are here, alive, even when we’re nearing death. They help bring our attention to what’s happening in the present and allow us to participate more consciously.
Rituals can be large group ceremonies, small acts done in private, or anything in between. They can be traditional, or unique to each individual. With contemplation, special rituals can be created to reflect a person’s life and values at any time: before death, during the dying process, or in celebration after passing.
When facing the end of life--our own or that of someone we love--it is important to tend to the spirit as well as the body. Most of us need to feel we are connected to the world in a way that goes beyond our individual, mortal lives. Spiritual care, whether associated with a particular religion or not, is a way of making sense of our existence in a larger context, of sensing that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Having someone to listen, and to reflect with, on spiritual matters, can often ease distress and bring feelings of peace and acceptance.
