Let’s talk about deathDeathwork is an act of love, a reclamation of what has always belonged to us.
What is a death doula?
A death doula is a companion, guide, and witness for those at the end of life and those grieving a loss. Unlike hospice or medical providers, death doulas offer non-medical, holistic support for the dying and their families. They hold space for the emotional, spiritual, and practical needs of the dying and their loved ones. This may include sitting vigil, helping families navigate the dying process, offering legacy and remembrance rituals, or simply providing a steady, compassionate presence in a time that often feels overwhelming. Death doulas remind us that dying is a profound, sacred transition deserving of care, dignity, and attention.
Why is this work important?
For most of human history, death was tended in the home, by the hands of loved ones and trusted community members. Across cultures, wise women, midwives, and spiritual caretakers held space for both birth and death, understanding them as two halves of the same threshold. From ancient death rites to the mourning practices of our ancestors, this work was deeply woven into the rhythms of life. Caring for the dying and the dead has always been an act of love and community, not a task performed by an institution. But as death became medicalized and moved behind closed doors, much of this wisdom was lost. Today, death doulas are reclaiming these traditions, carrying on our collective wisdom, restoring the role of community care and sacred tending to the dying process.
How is this helping to create a revolutionary, care-based society?
Modern deathcare is undergoing a transformation fueled by compassion, accessibility, and a return to human-centered care. The rise of death doulas is part of a larger societal and global movement right now that is challenging the fear, avoidance, and clinical detachment that have long defined our relationship with death. People are seeking new ways to care for their loved ones and meet their own mortality with presence and ritual, and death doulas are leading this movement by educating and advocating for alternative end-of-life options, eco-conscious burials and disposition options, and holistic, human-centered emotional support for grief and loss. Death doulas stand at the forefront of this revolution, offering a more connected, intentional way to walk with death that honors both the individual and our collective need for healing.
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By facing death,
we come fully alive.
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I’m Paola, and I’ve been grieving for as long as I can remember.
For over a decade, I have worked intimately with grief, witnessing its many layers and the worlds within it, sitting beside the dying, shaping rituals that bring beauty and ceremony to our endings, and helping families remember how to grieve together and care for their dead.
Grief was woven into my bones early. When I was eight, I lost my twin brother, Matteo, to leukemia, and it was then that I began to walk alongside death - learning her language and ways. That path led me deep into the underworld, and when I emerged, I carried gifts to offer…