Around the world, the circle is an often-used metaphor that represents birth, life, and death. The word doula, Greek for “woman who serves,” is usually associated with those who assist in childbirth. But increasingly, doulas are helping people navigate the end of their lives as well. Whether you are close to death, have a recent terminal diagnosis, or are young and healthy—contemplating death creates an opportunity to live life more fully today. Find out more about The Circle.

It’s never too early to contact The Circle. We are all going to die. Research shows contemplating our mortality can be a profoundly transformative experience that helps us live more authentically in the present moment. By having end-of-life conversations sooner, rather than later or never at all, we can normalize the process, make our wishes clear, ease the future burden on loved ones, write our own legacies, and work with natural feelings of grief, loss, and fear—to live our remaining days, weeks, months, or even years to their fullest. Get in touch—I look forward to speaking with you.

You can talk to The Circle about anything—end-of-life doulas are trained to listen deeply, work with complex emotions, educate on the dying process, explore questions of meaning and purpose, create legacy projects, plan rituals, or even utilize guided imagery. Every client is different but these are the kinds of things clients often want to talk about: What might I expect in my final days? How can I talk to my loved ones about my end-of-life care choices? How can I plan a vigil? What can I do with practical worries like whether or not my partner can access my accounts after I’m gone? Can you help me manage the overwhelming feelings I’m facing? What impact have I had? Am I living the time I have left to the fullest? Read more about how an end-of-life doula can help.

Every person—and their needs—is unique, so the number of sessions can range from just a couple to many hours. Young and healthy clients may want to put together a Life File, complete an Advance Directive, or even write an obituary as a way to conduct a life review and ensure they are living their lives with the greatest possible meaning. Those with a serious diagnosis or nearing the end of life may want to plan a forgiveness circle, create a legacy project like Legacy Letters, or draft a Vigil Plan. When you are in the process of figuring out what you need most, you can book sessions to have those conversations. Packages are a great place to start with time added hourly on an as-needed basis. Explore my services to learn more.

Definitely not. End-of-life decisions often feel overwhelming, but making choices when we’re young and healthy, before a serious illness has progressed, or while we’re still capable of making our wishes known to our loved ones can increase peace of mind. Having honest conversations about death and dying can be surprisingly powerful in ways that bring greater meaning, fulfillment, and joy to life now. Contact me to learn more.

While services among these care providers can occasionally overlap, in simplest terms, hospice offers medical care while end-of-life doulas offer non-medical care. The Circle can provide compassionate practical, emotional, and existential support—using things like legacy projects, rituals, guided visualization, obituary writing, vigil planning, life review, and anticipatory grief work—to improve quality of life. Another key difference is that you do not have to be dying, or even have a serious diagnosis, to benefit from working with an end-of-life doula. Contemplating our mortality when we’re young and healthy has been shown to improve the quality of our lives today. Learn more about end-of-life doulas.

The 20-minute initial consultation is an opportunity for you to learn how end-of-life doula services can bring greater joy and peace to your life today. This confidential conversation about your unique needs will explore ways to best support the individual and those who care about them during the dying process—or as you plan for a death that could be many years in the future. Get in touch to book a free consultation.

The Circle strives to make end-of-life doula services accessible to as many people as possible across the country, so much of our work is done by phone or video chat. Support services are typically offered in-person in the Princeton, New Jersey area—however, in light of the current pandemic, The Circle will evaluate the safest way to offer services on a case-by-case basis in real time based on the latest health guidelines. Reach out to discuss.

End-of-life doula services are not covered by health insurance. Since every human deserves the opportunity to plan for the best possible death, please do not let financial concerns keep you from getting in touch. Learn more about fees.

The Circle currently accepts payment for services via PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. You can also purchase tools online.

I have trained as an end-of-life doula through the International End of Life Doula Association (www.INELDA.com) and am currently pursuing my full INELDA certification. I also trained and served as a NODA (No One Dies Alone) compassionate companion and have been a professional healthcare writer for decades. Learn more about me.

I invite you to contact me using the contact page, by email at hello@thecircledoula.com, or by phone at 609-297-7579. I make every effort to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours.