ABOUT

The word “doula” is Greek for “servant” or “helper.” Just as a birth doula supports women during the labour process, an end-of-life/death doula provides non-medical support to someone who is preparing for death and to their family and loved ones.

Our goal is to help ease the suffering of those who are dying and those who care for them. We do this by discussing your needs, beliefs, and wishes, informing you about your options, and helping to facilitate the most meaningful and peaceful dying time possible. We then continue to support your loved ones as they grieve their loss and honour your life.

We are all graduates of the Contemplative End-of-Life Care program (the “death doula” program) at Toronto's Institute of Traditional Medicine. See below to learn more about each of us.

Kelly Stern

Coming from a background in literature and creative writing, I know that how a story ends is just as important as how it begins. The role of a death doula is to help make the story of each person’s life end in the best way possible. My training includes courses in

Palliative Care Volunteering (Dorothy Ley Hospice, Toronto);
Spiritual Care Volunteering (Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga);
Bereavement Education and Grief & Trauma Counselling (University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work);
Funeral Celebrancy (Certified Celebrants’ Association of Canada); and
Contemplative End-of-Life Care (Institute of Traditional Medicine, Toronto).

This last course, the “death doula” training, brought together everything before it, teaching me even more ways to help people take control of their story’s ending and make it as meaningful as possible.

Pam Borthwick

My personal journey through grief and healing after loss drives my passion to help others who may be facing death or who are grieving a death. I am a big advocate of the Death Positive movement, which encourages the idea of talking about death as a normal and natural part of life. The goal is to provide ways to help ease the suffering that surrounds death; for example, speaking openly about death and planning certain details in advance. Along with being a certified Death Doula, I am also a certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist. The Grief Recovery Method is an action-oriented program that helps grieving people deal with and recover from the pain of loss of any kind.

I have chosen the title “Death Doula” as I feel it is a title that matches my straightforward, pragmatic personality. Other people who have chosen this line of service have selected titles such as “Thanadoula,” “Death Coach,” “End-of-life Guide,” etc. While each of us may bring differences in skillsets and experiences, we all have the same goals. Our prevailing passion is to help people die well.

Jennifer Faraone

My interest in end-of-life care evolved through a remarkable series of synchronistic events, including the deaths of loved ones, the deaths of strangers, and my volunteer work in palliative care. Each played its own critical part in helping me realize how important end-of-life support is for the dying and their loved ones. With each of these moments, there was fear, pain, grief, and suffering. But with each one, there were also moments of calmness, beauty, and peace. These experiences have led me to appreciate what an honour and a privilege it is to spend time with someone in their final months, weeks, or days. My formal training includes

Reiki Practitioner (The Rock Store);
Palliative Care Volunteer (Circle of Care);
Hospice Resident Care Volunteer (Carpenter Hospice); and
Contemplative End-of-Life Care (Institute of Traditional Medicine).