The goal is to have a good death.

For most, death is something to be reckoned with.

It can be fraught with sadness, overhwelm, pain, regrets, humor, life reviews, celebrations.

It’s filled with potent emotions and hopefully, a little planning.

The more someone can reckon with the reality of their death, the better the experience.

The doula services are wrapped around a holistic offering that, if engaged early enough, can be a healing journey with tremendous insights and self-awareness.

The services can be engaged individually or most likely, combined in an individualized package offering.  See below for the fee structure.

List of Doula Services:

Planning, Meaning, and Legacy Services

Planning

  • Facilitating the completion of a medical directive, last will, last wishes and disposition of physical items.
  • Encouraging what is practical, helpful and ethical for the loved one’s who remain after death.
  • Inspiring what will serve during the dying process, after death and beyond with a post-death presence.

Contemplate Your Life's Unique Meaning

  • The third eye is the eye of wisdom between the brows where meaning can be elucidated.
  • Each person who walks this Earth has a meaning story to cultivate and share.
  • We can help unearth the meaning of your life to help you feel complete and whole as death approaches.

Create Your Legacy

  • Your legacy primarily serves future generations. Your life, who you are and how you have lived, matters.
  • Legacy projects include:  a memoir, scrapbook, an art project, audio recording of stories, or a video recording edited together with photos.
  • We can help you to manifest the legacy project of your dreams.

Respite, Vigil and Ritual Services

Respite Care

  • Non-clinical respite care helps the caregiver by giving them a break to replenish or to allow time for completion of essential household or life tasks.
  • Respite care is available in two hour, three hour or four hour timeframes and is most productive if utilized on a weekly basis.
  • Non-clinical means that no medical or health aid tasks are included.

Vigil Support

  • The active dying period is different for each individual. It can last hours, days, a week or more. Vigil assures there is a bedside presence for the dying person during this period, if they choose.
  • A doula can support the family by taking shifts during the vigil time.
  • A Vigil Plan, if completed, outlines in detail what the dying person wants to happen during active dying.

Ritual

  • Rituals can provide a sense of comfort and purpose at the end of life.
  • Rituals can be facilitated at vigil based on the dying persons wishes of what they want to happen while they’re actively dying and making the transition.
  • Customized rituals can be incorporated into the vigil, after death, funeral, celebration of life and post-death presence plans.

After Death Services

Body Care and Cleansing

  • Upon death, the body can stay in place and be lovingly tended to before being transported to it’s next place.
  • We can provide support to cleanse, dress and care for the dying person’s body according to their wishes.
  • This is an inclusive and loving ritual that can thoughtfully include loved ones, friends and family, as desired by the dying person.

Fulfilling the Funeral & Celebration of Life Plans

  • Funeral and Celebration of Life plans can match what the dying person wants and wishes.
  • We can assist by helping to create a plan that articulates the wants and wishes and coordinates and facilitates resources appropriately.
  • We are guided by what is wanted by the last wishes of the dying person.

Arranging Green Burial in Cincinnati

  • Green burial requires that the body is NOT processed with chemicals like formaldehyde.
  • We work with Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary and can coordinate with an approriate funeral home.
  • Green burial options can either be for a body (shrouded or encased in a biodegradable material) or cremains.

Grief, Bereavement and Processing Services

Grief

  • Grief forms an emotional reaction to loss.
  • A doula holds space for all that arises while a loved one is dying, including the grief. There is no sidestepping the strong emotions and the doula can be a steady presence in service to all.

Bereavement

  • Bereavement is the time period after the loss where a person grieves and mourns the loss.
  • We provide resources to help with the bereavement process which is unique for each individual.

Grief Processing Session

  • Two to three weeks after the death of the loved one, a Grief Processing Session brings key people together to discuss the shared experience.
  • The purpose of processing is to help provide persepctive to the natural grief that arises.

Cultivating a Post-Death Presence, Gifts, Letters and/or Pre-Arranged Gathering Services

Cultivating a Post-Death Presence

  • A doula works with the dying person to create a potent experience for the loved one’s who remain.
  • A “post-death presence” is achieved because the essence of the person vibrates in the space.
  • Each experience is unique and individually crafted and infused with care, love and the spirit of healing.

Post-Death Gifts, Letters, Gestures

  • A doula can help facilitate the writing of letters, sourcing of gifts, and brings creativity to the process of divining meaningful gestures for the loved ones who remain.
  • Part of the service is to securely hold onto the items and distribute them to loved ones based on a pre-determined plan.
  • A post-death presence can deeply impact the recipients and help them with their grieving and healing.

Pre-Arranged Gathering for Loved One's

  • The ultimate post-death experience is the pre-planned gathering using “mystery boxes.”
  • The mystery boxes are uniquely designed and customized for each loved one using images, personalized messages, small gifts and more.
  • To fully understand this option, it requires a one-on-one conversation.

“We’re all just walking each other home.”

~ Ram Dass

Fees for Doula Services:

Fees are determined by using an hourly rate based on a sliding scale from $75-$125 per hour.

You can choose what hourly rate you are comfortable and/or able to pay from $75 to $125 per hour.

The goal of the sliding scale pricing structure is to offer services to as many people as possible at all income levels. A client who is able and/or willing to pay $125/hour, helps to create a margin so services can be available to more people at the lower rate.

We understand that $75/hour may be prohibitive for some seeking doula services. Please call us to discuss individual situations. 

How to Engage Doula Services:

FIRST

30 minute FREE CONSULTATION to assess your situation and determine what doula services will help. The session can take place in person if local, on the phone or using zoom.

 

SECOND

Determine the best combination of services to meet your needs, create a written agreement clearly stating the services, the estimate of hours needed and the hourly rate chosen by client. The doula and client sign the agreement.

THIRD

The doula services are paid for up front before beginning. Should there be hours not used from the agreement, the money will be refunded. The agreement can be cancelled at any time and any unused hours will be refunded.