Guidance through Transition
Certified End-of-Life Doula Support for Adults Experiencing Parent Loss
Companionship When You Need It Most
Death is a part of life, but few people talk about it. Having a companion makes this important life transition easier.
This service is an educational support program for people whose parents are at the end stage of their lives.
The death of a loved one doesn’t have to be scary or mysterious. It can be a catalyst for growth.
Just like birth doulas, death doulas are trained professionals who help you prepare for a major life transition.
We don’t tend to talk a lot about death in our society, so the moment of your parent’s passing can feel disorienting and confusing. Sharing information about caregiving during the process of dying, exploring stories and beliefs about dying, and having a caring companion will change your entire experience for the better.
That’s why I do what I do.
This service is for you if…
You are looking for educational, non-medical support to make this moment in your life smoother and more manageable.
You want to transform this incredibly challenging moment into an experience that can be a catalyst for growth and healing.
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I am a certified end-of-life doula through the University of Vermont. I’m also a trained academic with a doctorate in the history and literature of intergenerational trauma. I’ve taught for over two decades, designed leadership programs for high-level executives, and coached educators working with traumatized students. I’m really good at being with people when times are hard.
I began understanding my gift of working at the intersection of life and death when I lost my mother at the age of 22. Her transition was made so much more beautiful thanks to hospice workers who knew how to educate, guide, and support us. Their support made other deaths and losses in my life less difficult, too. This experience eventually led me to become a guide supporting adults through parent loss.
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Death is individual and opaque. It asks us to journey to a strange and unfamiliar place. For as much as we might love science and all its concrete facts, death defies our desire to know for sure. It makes us focus on our own experience, dive into the unknown, and trust that the meaning we make of it is enough.
There is no one right way to experience the loss of a parent. We can feel very close to them or not have spoken to them in years. We can be with them 24/7 in their final days or plan to touch base only occasionally.
The moment in our lives when we lose a parent can be a catalyst for growth rather than devastation. In as much as it is an end, it can also be a beginning. This is why I combine my literary and historical training with my knowledge of death and dying to support you. Your perspective, your narrative, and your feelings of hope all make the integration process easier.
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My companionship during this time is first and foremost educational. It is not medical and it is not therapy. I will share with you factual details that make the process of death less of a mystery. This normalizing changes your experience by helping you feel more confident and in control. You’ll also benefit from my years of teaching experience: Grief, in all its forms, is a learning process. You are simply learning how to adapt to change.
Death is experienced differently across cultures, but common themes of beauty and connection remain. I am here to provide you the experience of being heard, to listen to your beliefs about the transition between life and death. I will invite you to create your own narrative of this experience, focusing on what gives you joy and hope.
My services range from one-time conversations to ongoing meetings and support. We can meet virtually no matter where you are in the world. If you are in Philadelphia, I provide in-person services. Please see the options below to schedule.
“Pain is not wrong. … The moment we believe something is wrong, our world shrinks and we lose ourselves in the effort to combat the pain.”
— Dr. Tara Brach, Meditation Teacher and Psychologist
“In our culture, the richest and most thoughtful discussions [about death] have always come from the humanities and never medicine—from poets, playwrights, and philosophers.”
— Dr. Christopher Kerr, Hospice Doctor and Researcher
Options
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Doula work is personalized and supportive. Let’s chat and see if this is the right fit for you.
Click here to find a time for a free, no obligation 30-minute call
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In this 60-minute virtual call, we’ll discuss goals, options, strategies, and ideas for managing this moment as well as possible.
Note: I work with people whose parents have a terminal illness or people whose parents have recently died suddenly. This transition can be made easier through deliberate attention, whether you have or had time to prepare or not.
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Schedule 4 60-minute sessions that you can use either weekly or monthly, depending on your needs. We will cover strategies and options, diving deeper into what will support you most.
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This service includes 4 1-hour sessions per month plus direct questions answered within 24 hours. Most people use this service when challenges feel intense or urgent, or their situation is changing rapidly and they need quick responses.
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Hourly doula rate: $200.
Discounts available for package deals.
Monthly Support Packages start at $700.
Let’s chat.
Click below to schedule a free chat. Email connect@sagelycreative.com to schedule packages and sessions.
What is it like to work with me?
“It has been a gift to work with Lesley during an unexpectedly prolonged stretch of uncertainty and difficulty. In our various conversations, she’s shared much more than just helpful resources and expertise. She’s brought compassion, calm, and a friendly curiosity to our exchanges, helping me triage conflicting emotions and let go of unnecessary concerns. I appreciate having a safe space to be heard, understood, and supported. Lesley’s presence has made my fraught familial circumstances feel a little less overwhelming and a lot less lonely. I’m profoundly grateful for her guidance and care.”
— Mary P., Professor“I needed my feelings reinforced to know they were valid, especially because losing my father was a complicated loss. Lesley gives that easily. She didn't rush me or steer me or assume what I would feel. She was simply there, and she listened. She draws on many spiritual traditions and shares from them freely, staying open rather than closed to new ideas. Being near her felt steady, safe, and unhurried. She meets people where they are, with love and an open mind, and makes space for whatever someone is feeling, however tangled. At this time in my life, she was a useful and soothing voice, and a steadying presence.”
— Dianne R., Senior Manager