Death & Transition Doula

Do you remember how to grieve in community?

In November 2021, I completed a training to become a Death Doula.
A death doula is defined as non-medical, holistic support for those navigating death. Designed to fill in the gaps left by our medical system and culture when it comes to death.

As I wrote in my opening post for this newsletter, I was drawn to this concept through exploring my grandmother’s story. In addition to the lived experiences of witnessing many sudden and tragic deaths as a young girl.

As I continued to pull on this thread, all signs kept pointing me to this work.
I spent a year researching and feeling into it, and when I felt a full-body yes to training, I signed up.
I found that once I signed up for structured training with teachers and a cohort, etc., life also had plans for me to go through “training” in my own life, alongside this experience.

For months now, I’ve been in the process of integrating the wisdom that comes from lived experiences alongside the knowledge gained from studying while traveling to connect to ancestral lands. Through this time I have discovered that there is an entire world of people who lean into death without fear, ready to show up and support and I feel like I’ve found my people.

There are ancient practices of honoring death and the cycles of life, present in all cultures. These practices are indigenous to us all.

Death isn’t always the death of a physical body, it can manifest in many ways, but regardless of the presentation, being supported through it by a community is an innate need for humans.

As I reflect on my life, I realize I have been doing “doula” type service my entire life, just under different names and titles. What I love most about the doula model is that it is community care, meaning it is about returning to a community model, one where we don’t have to navigate life’s transitions alone, where we can be connected to resources and supported in a nourishing way.

In this work, I seek to empower those experiencing transition by following their lead, knowing they already have the answers. I know that anyone I support is already whole, healed, and complete. I am merely just a witness to their process and offer support as they seek it out.

I believe, and have come to experience myself, that we go through many deaths in our life - not just the physical loss of loved ones, but also loss and death as we are beginning something new. Any transitional event or phase in life requires us to let something die, whether we are conscious of it or not.

Can we lean into that beautiful truth of life instead of fighting it?

This question fuels my intention to support people in these times of death and transition, so they can be reborn.

I have had the privilege of supporting people through transitions by combining the supportive practices of movement, plant medicine, and ritual, & more that have brought profound healing in my life. I am a walking testimonial for these tools and it is an honor to share them with others.

Up until now, I have been connecting to people primarily through word of mouth, but now I feel it is time to share this work publicly, as our collective transition continues to unfold.

So what can leaning on support through transition look like?

A 1:1 container to honor and integrate death of all kinds, to bring about rebirth. Support offered for:

• Physical death of a loved one

• Pregnancy release: Abortion/Miscarriage

• Loss & transition of job/career

• Loss of relationships

• Diagnoses of dis-ease

• Collective death/trauma

~These situations can be past or present - healing is cyclical~

Holistic Tools Offered:

• Story processing/witnessing > space held for your journey

• Nervous system support > movement, meditation, breath work, EFT Tapping, etc.

• Supportive nourishment for physical vessel > food & plant medicine

• Ritual creation > to be in sacred space with self while navigating transformation

• Legacy creation > to create a legacy moving forward from wisdom and love gained

These services are offered at a sliding scale. You can reach out at belovedgateway@gmail.com and we can chat more. You can also check out my Calendly for a full list of offerings.

I am in service to supporting someone’s innate healing wisdom and innate power. I am in service to honoring transitions as transformative rites of passage. I am in service to providing unconditional love and support while ensuring those who find themselves in times of change, can move through it well-resourced. 

Thank you for witnessing this journey.

Sending you lots of love,

Lisa Marie xx

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