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About
Navigating dying is a scary and overwhelming experience
I'm here to help.
Throughout my life, I have had a multitude of personal and professional experiences that provided me the knowledge and skills necessary to guide others through the end of life.
Living in a compromised body has given me deep insight and empathy into suffering and ways to think more expansively about what quality of life can mean. Having an invisible disability meant I was often not believed by doctors and I had to learn to navigate medical systems and understand and synthesize medical terminology and information myself.
As someone who spent 20 years as a post-secondary educator, I often had to help students navigate complicated family dynamics, teach them to advocate for themselves and act as a sounding board for them.
When my stepmother was given a three-year prognosis, I witnessed up close the experience of someone diagnosed with a terminal illness and navigating their end-of-life.
She was an extraordinary woman who chose to face her cancer head-on and was intentional about how much treatment she was willing to tolerate and calibrated that with the pleasures that were possible during the time she had left.
Hers was my first experience of what a “good death” could be...
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Later, I had the privilege of being present at the end of a close friend's father's life and became my father's primary caretaker at the end of his life.
Both were profound experiences - I learned to advocate and be present for both of their medical and emotional needs. I was moved by their struggles and fears. I was especially grateful to be able to hold my father at his last breath.
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These experiences were the beginning of my interest in working with people at the end of their life.
My goal with creating Navigating Dying is to use the skills acquired over the years to work with people diagnosed with a terminal illness and examine their values, wishes, and choices to help them be intentional about how to spend their remaining time and determine what a “good death” means to them.
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How I can help
As a progressive Jewish woman, social justice is essential to me in all its forms.
My practice is based on the premise that every human being—irrespective of, but not limited to, their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other cultural attributes—has a right to die with dignity, surrounded by love, compassion, and grace.
I find working with clients especially rewarding including:
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Ensuring their advanced care documents are up to date and reflect their current wishes.
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Collaborating with clients to co-create a legacy project that showcases their uniqueness and personality.
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Addressing end-of-life issues that are unique to solo agers
I also offer:
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Trainings and workshops for hospices, home care companies, senior living facilities, and community organizations
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A robust resource database for clients
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Individual mentoring
More About Me
I am a certified End-of-Life Doula and Advanced Care Planner from the International Doula Life Movement (IDLM). My formal training includes doula courses from INELDA and IDLM and passing the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) proficiency exam.
I’ve participated in various workshops and seminars, including those from the Shomer Collective, Reimagine, and Kavod v'Nichum.
I helped create the new legacy module for the end-of-life doula training program and offered a class on Active Listening and Effective Communication for IDLM.
I am a member of NEDA, INELDA, and IDLM. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.