I talk about death for a living. I’ve had conversations with clients, colleagues, and guests on over a hundred podcast episodes. But my own parents? They won’t touch the topic. They’re in their 80s. They don’t have an advance directive. My mom once told me, “It’s too depressing,” and shut the conversation down. She’s even apologized for not listening to my podcast because it feels too close to home. And I get it. I really do. But I also know how important it is to talk about

Picture this:  You’re in a hospital room. A loved one is in bed. Machines are beeping. Staff are moving quickly. A doctor turns to the family and asks, “Do you want us to do everything possible?” Everyone looks at each other. No one speaks. No one really knows what everything possible  means or what your loved one would want. This situation happens more than people think. Doctors are trained to act. When there’s no clear directive, their default is to do all they can to keep

What you can do now to help your loved ones avoid probate later* Many people believe they have their affairs in order. They may have a will, or they may assume accounts will be transferred to the right people without any trouble. It seems straightforward. Then the family discovers that a few details were missed. In my work as an end-of-life doula, I see how quickly things can get complicated. Families arrive with a binder of papers. As we go through it, small gaps show up. Ma

How to Plan a Funeral That Feels Like You At 21, Ruby Love Cohen walked into a secondhand shop in Copenhagen and found a mint green silk coat with tiny yellow flowers. It was delicate and bright, with a Western cut and an antique charm. She took it back to her room, hung it under a light, and stared at it. “This coat will outlive me,” she told her friend. Then a thought came to her: What if my funeral looked like this? What if it were a fashion exhibition, not a traditional s

You open the letter, read the words, and your heart sinks: your claim has been denied. Whether it’s a procedure you expected to be covered or a medication you’ve relied on, you’re left wondering what to do next.  As an end-of-life doula, I support clients through this stress. Advocacy is a part of my work, and helping with insurance denials is a part of that. I’ve seen how confusing, exhausting, and even scary this process can be, especially when someone is already managing a

We don’t like to talk about death.  Most people avoid the subject entirely until life forces them to face it. But here’s the truth:...

Choosing a senior living community- assisted living, memory care, or a continuing care retirement community- is a significant...

Starting Your End-of-Life Plan When my dad sat down with a yellow legal pad and his unmistakable chicken scratch to write passwords,...

When Sandy Chen Stokes visited her father in Taiwan, he was already in the ICU—hooked up to machines, unresponsive, and unable to speak...

Medicare can feel like a maze—full of choices, deadlines, and fine print that can make anyone’s head spin. Whether you’re approaching 65,...

What Does a Financial Planner Do?  When you think of financial planning, you might picture spreadsheets, investment strategies, and a lot of overwhelming numbers. But as Elliott Appel, founder of Kindness Financial Planning, explains, it’s so much more than that. Financial planning is about aligning your money with your life and values. It’s about creating peace of mind, especially during life’s most challenging moments, like caregiving, aging, or coping with grief.  In this

Creating an advance directive is one of the most powerful steps to ensure your healthcare wishes are honored. In this post, we’ll discuss...

I'm an end-of-life doula specializing in helping people plan for the inevitable, including creating an advance directive. When working...

Planning your own funeral might seem uncomfortable at first, but it could be one of the most compassionate things you do for your loved ones. In the latest episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula , Traci Arieli talks with Ryan Kolstad, founder of Preplanning.me , about why funeral preplanning is more than just an end-of-life task—it’s a way to offer peace and clarity to your family during a time of grief.    Is it a good idea to preplan a funeral?   W

Facing the reality of end-of-life decisions can be overwhelming, but it's critical to ensure your wishes are honored when the time comes....

Did you know that the average funeral in the United States can cost between $15,000 and $25,000? This staggering amount often leaves...

Have you ever wondered who would make medical decisions for you if you couldn’t? It’s a hard topic to think about, but it’s incredibly...

Did you know that home funerals are a legal in the United States? Many people are unaware that they can take a more personal approach to...

Trigger Warning:  This page discusses end-of-life choices and self-deliverance, which might be sensitive or triggering for some...

In this episode of "Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula," host Traci Arieli is joined by Brian Gordon of Gordon...