Let’s Talk About It

When it comes to working with people as an end of life doula, the first and most important thing to do issimply to start the conversation. Once people feel like they are safe to talk about death and dying, theyoften open up quickly to share stories about their loved ones who have died or their […]
Death Book Roundup 1

One of the things we all figure out pretty early on in our end of life care journey is that there is always more to know! At IDLM we make continuing education a priority for exactly that reason, to help our students and graduates add to their knowledge and keep track of new developments in […]
That’s the Question, Isn’t It?

I have a question for you. You are more than welcome to answer it, for yourself—in fact, you probably should. But really, I’m giving you this question as a gift to use as a tool with your clients, because this is one of the most important questions you can ask when it comes to advance […]
A Time For Anger

People who are hearing about end of life doula work for the first time often ask what a doula actually does, or what sets a doula’s work apart from standard hospice care. It’s a reasonable question. As we know, the answer to that question can be long and complicated. But I think we can all […]
Whatever You Do… Don’t Panic!

There is a classic science fiction novel you may have heard of, called The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The book itself is not a guide to the galaxy. Instead, it is about the guide, which is an electronic device, a bit like a smart phone except the idea was thirty years before smart phones, […]
Spotlight – Barbara MacNair

For this week’s Student/Grad Spotlight, we are hearing from Barbara MacNair, located in Middletown, New Jersey. Barbara’s story is wonderful because her journey to end of life work has been unique but also contains many elements that nearly all of our IDLM community will relate to. We are so grateful to Barbara for sharing with […]
Continuing the Journey… Together!

When it comes to helping people on their journeys through end of life and/or grief, no matter howmuch you already know there will always be more to learn. Every person you work with will havesomething to teach you. But it is also your responsibility to show up prepared, with as much knowledgeas possible—your clients will […]
New In Person Training with Alison Nail Malone

It’s a new year and here at the International Doula Life Movement we are hitting the ground running! We have so many big plans and new opportunities lined up, both for IDLM as a community and for individual students and grads looking for something new. One of the things we are most excited about is […]
Lisa Pahl and Death Deck

When it comes to helping clients and families through the end of life process, whether you’re just planning or assisting someone who is in active transition, the most difficult part of the process can often be just opening the conversation. Getting people to talk about death and dying isn’t always easy, especially when it’s a […]
Birthday Bash 2025

The beginning of a new year is always a great time for personal assessment. Even though we know it’s possible to evaluate, plan, and make changes in our lives at any time, there’s just something about that new number on the calendar that makes New Year’s feel like the right time to quit that bad […]