Holistic, Non-Medical Support Through End of Life's Most Tender Moments
Navigating serious illness, end-of-life transitions, or the loss of a loved one can feel overwhelming. My grief support and doula services offer a gentle, guiding presence to help you and your family find comfort, clarity, and peace. You don’t have to walk this path alone. Doulagiver support starts months to years, weeks to months, in final days or hours, or during the active dying phase. I am similar to birth doula, but for the final stages of life.
Hospice = medical care (nurses, pain management, equipment) Doulagiver = emotional, practical, and spiritual support (Mind, Body, Spirit)
They complement each other-not replace each other. I work alongside Hospice, filling in gaps that medical teams don't have time to cover.
How Can I Support You?
My grief support and doula services are designed to provide a steady, comforting presence during end-of-life journeys and beyond. I offer non-medical, supportive care focused on dignity and peace. This care includes:
- Emotional support before, during, and after a loss.
- A calm, grounded presence during end-of-life transitions.
- Guidance and reassurance for families navigating the dying process.
- Support in creating meaningful moments and memories.
- Help understanding what to expect physically and emotionally.
- Doula Vigil helping you to plan end-of-life wishes (environment, atmosphere, light, people present, rituals, creating a calm/sacred environment). The Vigil is designed to shift the focus from a medicalized, sterile death to a more personal, meaningful experience that emphasizes comfort, dignity, and calm. Vigil is pre-set and completed when the pain is under control and the patient is stable. It is at this time, conversations can be had, goodbyes can be said, and unresolved issue can be addressed.
- Caregiver Respite allowing caregivers to eat, rest, or simply take a break from the bedside, knowing your loved one is in trusted care.
- Support during the Actively Dying Stage, providing comfort through touch, music, or quiet companionship.
- After Death Support with a vigil assisting the family in the immediate hours after death, such as bathing the body, dressing their loved one, helping them say goodbye.
- Eulogy writing assistance and guidance creating lasting Legacy Projects.
- Planning a 'FUN-real', or living wake. A celebration of life held before a person passes away, allowing them to be present, share memories, and find closure. Focus shifts from grief to joy, often featuring themes, live music, photo slideshows, and shared stories. It offers a chance for the dying person to feel in control and hear attributes directly.
- Helping individuals create comprehensive Advanced Directives, the Doulagivers 9 Choice Advance Directive, ensuring personal values regarding end-of-life care are documented to avoid family conflict and guide medical professionals. Facilitating tough conversations, offer non-judgemental support, and help translate the patient's wishes into legal documents like living wills and health care proxies.
I am here to walk alongside you, offering a beacon of calm in moments of uncertainty.
Grief Support Services
Grief is a personalized response to loss, taking many forms beyond just sadness, including anticipatory, complicated, disenfranchised, and cumulative grief. While common grief involves a natural process of healing, other types can be delayed, hidden, or intensely prolonged, affecting mental and physical health. Recognizing the type of grief helps in finding appropriate support and coping mechanisms.
There are many types of grief. Normal (Uncomplicated) Grief experiencing a typical, natural reaction to loss, where emotions (sadness, anger, confusion) gradually subside over time, allowing the person to move forward. Anticipatory Grief experiencing of loss, fear, or mourning that occur before a major loss actually happens, common with terminal illness or impending divorce. Complicated Grief experiencing a long-lasting, intense grief that does not improve over time (often lasting beyond 6–12 months), making it hard to function or adapt. Disenfranchised Grief experiencing that is not openly acknowledged, socially validated, or publicly mourned, such as the loss of a pet, a secret relationship. Delayed/Absent Grief experiencing temporary suppression of grief where the person feels numb, shocked, or "fine" initially, with the pain surfacing much later. Chronic Grief experiencing a type of complicated grief where reactions are long-lasting and never seem to reach a conclusion, sometimes evolving into depression or PTSD. Cumulative/Compound Grief experiencing multiple losses in quick succession, not allowing time to heal from one before another occurs. Masked/Inhibited Grief experienced when a person acts as if they are not grieving, but the pain manifests in other ways, such as physical symptoms, reckless behavior, or substance use. Ambiguous Loss experiencing a type of grief that lacks closure, such as a loved one being missing, or having Alzheimer’s disease (physically present but mentally absent). Collective Grief experiencing a shared loss experienced by a community or group, often stemming from natural disasters or violent acts. *Talkspace for further information
Grief is rarely just emotional; it can be physical and cognitive. Physically, you may feel nauseated, exhausted, experience insomnia. Cognitively, you may experience numbness, anger, guilt, or difficulty concentrating. Secondary loss is an ongoing, ripple-effect that follows a primary death or change, such as loss of financial security, loss of companionship, or having to move home or to another place.
A grief support group provides a safe, structured space for people to share their experiences, validate complex emotions, and process loss together. Grief groups offer coping strategies, normalize the grief experience, and offer support for topics like loneliness, guilt, and grief-related anxiety. You are not alone.
As a Residential Hospice employee, I am the facilitator for our Residential Hospice Grief Support Groups NEPA region. We meet at The Carbondale Public Library in Carbondale, Pa. You can register on their website to attend and they are free to the community. All are welcome. Our Grief Support Group offers themed discussions, open-ended questioning, educational discussion, art therapy and musical exploration activities, memory crafting, and journaling and letter writing.
As the owner of Quality of Life Massage Therapy, LLC, my Grief Group Support Services offer grounding exercises, movement therapy, nature-based activities, book clubs, Death Cafes, Life Cafes, candle lighting ceremonies, and much more. To ensure accessibility, we provide a range of free grief support options, alongside professional, in-depth services offered at a nominal fee. Pre-registration is required for all events to ensure a safe and supportive environment. Events will be listed on my Facebook page and on my website.
*If you are struggling with overwhelming grief, reaching out to a mental health professional can provide essential support. What is outside my scope of practice; I CANNOT provide therapy/counseling(I CAN refer to a professional), fix grief( I CAN "hold space"for pain, not cure it), give advice(I CAN if explicitly requested focus on sharing personal experience), or handle crises(I CAN refer to a professional).
Doula Services
$40/hour
*Services are offered with a 2-hour minimum.
*Package pricing available for Legacy Projects, Vigils, and Post-Death Support.
Donna