What you get
It is my privilege to create and provide a safe space for you, your loved ones – including friends, family and caregivers – to talk about death and dying and to explore how this might look for you.
From the point of life-limiting diagnosis or advanced aging through to bereavement and any step in between, I help you approach end of life in a heart-centred, you-focused way.
What’s Important
You. You are important.
Your end-of-life journey and your right to choose what is best for you is important.
Creating a safe place for you to explore what end-of-life looks like, what “dying well” means, is important.
You being able to openly talk about Medical Assistance in Dying if you choose, with or without a faith context, is important.
Having space to explore how love, trust, faith, doubt and fear impacts how you live day to day is important.
You being you is important.
Working with me means your needs and desires are the heart and focus of all we do. With me, you can ask, share, wonder, lament anything and everything – it won’t change how I care for you.
About Death Care
As an End of Life Doula, I work with individuals and their caregivers and family face death with eyes and hearts open. Together, we look at any or all of these areas of care:
End of Life Planning: Setting a plan in place to make caring for you easier for your family and decision makers. Documenting what you want your final weeks, days, hours and minutes to be like – what does dying well look like for you? Designing the legacy you would like in place after your death – what would you like to say, do, influence through your words, memories and gifts?
Grief Care: Recognizing, navigating and grieving the losses that come throughout the death journey and ensuring supports are in place for family and loved ones after death has occurred
Vigil/Respite Care: Even with the best intentions, you cannot be present 100% of the time. When provided with vigil or respite care, loved ones can step away for needed tasks (like a shower, errands, appointment or the ever elusive nap) knowing their dying person has a caring, peace filled caregiver present.
Spiritual Care: Each of us has our unique journey and relationship with the Divine. Sometimes approaching death makes this richer. Sometimes faith becomes more challenging both for the dying and their loved ones. It can be really hard to feel safe addressing intense feelings about God and maybe the ways we feel let down, angry, discouraged or even abandoned when facing death, pain or the unknown. There can also be added layers of complexity for those considering, pursuing or approved for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Whatever your faith tradition, you are welcome here.
Qualifications
Death Doula Certification, Home Hospice Association, Ontario
Compassionate Caregiving, Home Hospice Association, Ontario
Psychosocial Aspects of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada, Bridge C-14
Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Emmaus Formation Centre
Certified Grief Educator, David Kessler and Grief.com
BA, Psychology – Wilfrid Laurier University
Fees
Talking about money can be really awkward so it is something we’ll discuss in your free introductory session.
We’ll talk about industry standards for rates and how often we might meet. If cost is part of the challenge of taking this step in your life, let’s talk about that too.
Let’s Connect
I’d love to hear from you! Our first meeting or visit is a place for you to ask questions about end of life, grief and loss or about spiritual direction and for us to determine whether working together is a good fit. There is no fee and no obligation.
e: robyn@robynferrier.com
c/t: 519.993.9307