Compassionate end-of-life care takes many forms and can include: a legacy project; last will and testament (and choosing an executor); enduring power of attorney; documentation of wishes (for pre-death care and postmortem); notifications of expected death in the home (EDITH) process; application for medical assistance in dying (MAiD); forms for body or organ donation programs; navigation of family dynamics; help with funeral planning and burial arrangements; facilitation of vigils, ceremonies,  cultural rituals, and memorials, and much more.

An advanced care plan  (ACP), or advanced heathcare directive (AHCD), can ensure that your wishes are documented, and that a decision maker on your behalf is identified. An advanced care plan will help reduce the stress of decision making (for others), and miscommunication of your wishes, while protecting your dignity and memory.

I can act as a respite provider for caregivers. I offer emotional and practical support including non-medical bedside care and companionship for the dying (we can play cards, chat, or take walks); running short-errands; and helping with household management. This includes being present in the final days or hours of a person’s life.

I offer alternative solutions for palliative care symptom management, including support with anxiety or fear around death, or pain management, sleep support, and much more, using a variety of non-medical interventions. These may include herbal plant medicine, art therapy, nature-based or spiritual practices such as breathwork or mindful meditation.

Honour the sacredness of dying through ceremony, ritual or vigils. Vigils allow a time for slowing down and appreciating a dying or deceased loved one. They help with transitions, bring about grieving, and signify a sacred moment. Death doulas hold sacred space and help create a serene, comforting environment that reflect your beliefs, customs, and preferences. They can aid with designing, planning and implementing bedside vigils during the active phase of dying, post-death vigils, funerals, ceremonies, rituals, and memorials, in a culturally-informed and sensitive way.

Medical assistance in dying is legal in Canada. I can offer resources and guidance for individuals and families exploring or preparing for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). I can help you navigate the application process, or consider possible alternative forms of palliative care.

Grief has no timeline, it may resurface months to years after the loss of a loved one. If you are processing grief and pain following the loss of a loved one (no matter how long ago), I offer a heart-centred, grounded, and safe space to talk, feel, or sit and just be. I can help you develop a grief crisis plan or plan for self-care.

Not all deaths are physical in nature. The living may also experience psycho-spiritual crises resulting in major life changes. I can support you by facilitating a psychedelic plant (psilocybin) medicine journey. Such journeys may help address lifelong struggles with anxiety, depression, addiction, body image, destructive behaviours, or anxiety/fear around death and dying, and underlying traumas. As a (TheraPsil) trained practitioner, I provide support through a three-fold protocol of preparation, journey facilitation, and integration. Currently, legal psilocybin assisted therapy is available for some through Health Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP). This may also be an alternative option for those considering MAiD.