How I Work

It is both an honor and a privilege to work with you and your loved ones during this profoundly sacred time. Below are my primary offerings, though I also provide unique and personalized services that we can discuss in more detail. I firmly believe that every individual is whole, sovereign, and unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all plan.

During our initial session, we will collaborate to create a plan that aligns with your needs and highest intentions.

ENVISION

In this in-depth, collaborative, envisioning process, individuals travel through a comprehensive mapping process of each sphere of life—physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and practical—to craft a personalized vision for their end-of-life journey. It's a time to connect deeply with one's essential truths and desires, ensuring that all aspects are thoughtfully considered and planned. The service covers a range of elements from after-death care and celebrations of life to legacy building and addressing the need for emotional resolutions, addressing everything necessary to complete a life, consciously.

Participants will work with me to document their final wishes, designate individuals responsible for carrying out these plans, and outline how the remaining months or weeks will unfold. This structured approach helps in processing and 'composting' emotional needs, setting a clear path forward for the individual and their loved ones.

While ideally beginning 3-6 months before the anticipated time of death, this planning process is flexible and can be adapted to accommodate families and loved ones within a shorter timeline, ensuring that it meets their unique needs and time constraints.

Build a Plan

Don’t know where to begin? Book a complimentary 30-minute resource call to receive clarity on next steps and receive your end-of-life planning guide.

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VIGILS

What is a vigil?

A vigil is a sacred time when family members, friends, and loved ones gather to be present with someone who is nearing the end of their life. This time is devoted to providing emotional, spiritual, and sometimes physical support, ensuring the person feels surrounded by love and care. It is a ceremony in it of itself, comprised of multiple rituals.

During a vigil, we might sit by the bedside, share comforting words, offer prayers or meditations, play soothing music, and create a peaceful environment. The aim is to ensure that the person does not feel alone in their final moments, allowing them to pass with dignity and peace. It is also a precious opportunity for loved ones to express their goodbyes, share cherished memories, and find a sense of closure. A vigil is a profoundly intimate and meaningful experience, honoring the life and journey of the person we accompany.

Vigil planning is designed to provide a personalized and curated plan for the final days, ensuring comfort and dignity throughout the active dying process. This plan nests within the wider plan found in the end-of-life envisioning map. Recognizing that medical professionals will likely be focused on clinical tasks and unable to create a unique and sacred space. This service includes comprehensive planning for the ambiance of the room, such as bed positioning, lighting, scents, and music, and considers personal touches like family mementos, photos, and readings that bring comfort. It also includes sitting vigil by the bedside, offering continuous support, and ensuring that the individual and their family have the necessary rest and peace.

Vigils may last 3-5 days, and support is offered 24-hours per day. They can take place within the home, hospice, or hospital.

Co-Create a Vigil

CEREMONIES & RITUALS

Honoring the divine presence in every being.

In the sacred journey of life, honoring death becomes a deeply profound act, a moment where we touch the infinite and acknowledge the divine dance of a unique and beautiful soul. Ceremonies and rituals can serve as vessels for this sacred transition - a way to clearly memorialize the transition between different states of being. In our current situation, a ceremony can act as the demarcation between life and death - death and grieving. Humanity has engaged in rituals to honor the pivotal moments of existence, weaving them into the fabric of our spiritual journey for eons. In the heart of our Western culture, we are rediscovering these sacred practices as essential rites that allow us to love more deeply, honor our grief, and understand the mysteries of life and death.

As a friend in spirit, a guide on this path, I invite you to embrace these rituals that can draw from the rich tapestries of cultural and religious traditions or arise from the personal and intimate visions of what you and your loved ones find meaningful. Ceremonies and rituals can be made your own in any way you wish. Ceremonies and rituals can be created for the circle of friends and family and can also be individual. Whether through celebrations of life, burial, cremation, or funeral services, we walk with you, offering a heart-centered space to celebrate the eternal soul’s journey beyond this earthly plane. Let us hold hands and remember, even in the sorrow of parting, the beauty of the soul’s eternal journey.

Envision a Ceremony

“WHEN WE EMBODY THE LIGHT - WE ARE MOST SEEN WITHIN THE DARKNESS.”

— Maria Sophia

Why I Do This Work

Many people ask me why I do this work and how I began. The essence of this work has always been a part of me. Throughout my life, I have been deeply connected to the realities of death, even as a child.

At age 10, I attended my first funeral. My father, a resilient Greek man, had me late in his life, which made him constantly fearful of his own mortality. At age 64, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that led to paranoia, violence, and suicidality. Every day, on the way to school, he would give me instructions regarding his inevitable death. I was just 16. Unbeknownst to me, my father was my first teacher in the art of being a death doula. When his time came to transition at the age of 92, I was able to draw upon my experience and knowledge to honor his sacred journey.

Being a doula is a journey of love and service, a sacred path we walk together in the great mystery of life. It is about restoring the sacred to the death process, bringing wholeness to the person dying, and returning humanity to its divine place. As a doula, being fully present with those who are transitioning is a blessing and a profound honor.

Death is the greatest initiation in life after one’s birth. At this profound juncture, we come together to restore what it means to be human—to be seen, to connect deeply, and to be enveloped in love. We honor these essential human needs as souls journey toward the great unknown.

Ceremonies and rituals memorialize and demarcate the holy moment of death, recognizing the profound spiritual transition that is taking place. Using ceremonies and rituals in the liminal space of death helps to honor and celebrate the life that is transitioning, bringing a sense of closure and acceptance to all who are part of this experience.

Supporting those who are leaving their bodies is not just about the individual; it's about holding space for their loved ones too. Grief is a unique and personal journey, and as a doula, I offer a loving presence for those navigating their own emotions and memories. It's about creating a circle of support and love during a time when it's needed the most. We gather together in this sacred space, honoring the interconnectedness of all beings, and embracing the journey with open hearts.

We all die.

It is our birth rite to die consciously.

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