What is a Doula?
From Wikipedia….

An EOL Doula is non medical person professionally trained to care for and support a terminally ill or elder person and their loved ones to and through the death journey.

To many people the word “Doula” refers to a child birth coach - a model which had its “birth” in the US in the 1970s. The first End Of Life doula approach was introduced in Continuum Hospice in New York City as recently as 2003 by Henry Fersko Weiss a cofounder of the International End Of Life Doula Association (INELDA) which is one of the 2 Doula teaching platforms through which I completed my doula training.

The reality is that doula work dates back to early civilization a time when I believe they actually got things right in this particular area. Back then every culture, society, community had very specific traditions and rituals related to care of the sick and dying as well as, after death care and care of both body and soul. In fact many cultures actually still do have such practices.

Most Western societies have “medicalized” the dying process and this, combined with the now ever-looming “silence” around all things connected with death has caused it to become a taboo topic. This often results in poor, inadequate or no planning for this inevitable stage of the human condition.

Every Doula is different in their approach and scope of their work. role of the doula is to assist in whatever ways needed.