End-of-Life Doula

honoring sacred moments in the intentional pursuit of a good goodbye

We are frightened by death and dying not because we are uncertain of what will follow: our faith gives us not just confidence but certainty of eternity with our savior.  But the time leading up to that moment is difficult to anticipate, difficult to experience.

What if that could be different – and better? 

An end-of-life doula makes this passage easier, more comfortable, more assured, and in much the same way a birth doula helps babies enter this world.

As a trained end-of-life doula – and as a Christian – Karissa believes that the end of life is a sacred moment that should be honored and supported, and that every human can benefit from this kind of caring. She believes that though this seems a dark moment, there is beauty and light to be found there.

Karissa offers support in three areas: emotional and spiritual caring, education and planning, and family support. She calls on the best practices and loving ideas from religion, art, and science and loves integrating traditions from cultures around the world to create a fuller, rich experience for those she serves. This work reflects her mission of reflecting the Light that she’s found in the dark of her own life, as well as a passion for making things more beautiful. She feels honored to hold space for these sacred moments in the lives of those she cares for. 

    • Karissa walks with those who are on their way home, helping them find comfort and peace in their last days. She journeys with them as they face the fear and anxiety that often comes with death, working to make their passing less scary and more beautiful – and dare she say, even joyful.

    • Karissa actively supports her clients and their families during some of the hardest moments of their lives, employing meditations, art and music therapy, visualizations, reading and prayer.

    • Karissa customizes all of her offerings to the needs of the families she serves. These offerings often include:

      • Exercises in releasing regret

      • Meditations on dying well

      • Practicing gratitude practice

      • Arranging worship sessions

      • Organizing prayer circles

    • These approaches help bring more joy and peace to the people she is privileged to serve.

    • There’s a profound need for this kind of support, as health care providers and clergy don’t have the numbers or man hours to fill this difficult gap that occurs in end-of-life care.

    • Karissa provides education and planning support to those she cares for. The approach, which brings greater peace of mind to those who are suffering, can include:

      • Education regarding the physical changes leading up to death

      • Will writing guidance

      • Last wishes planning

      • Living funeral celebrations planning

      • Funeral planning

    • Karissa supports families through the goodbye process, the passing of the loved one and the grieving period, seeking to bring them greater understanding, connection and peace.

    • Many of the approaches that are designed to benefit the dying also benefit their families, including:

      • Memory and keepsake creation

      • Connection exercises

      • Forgiveness / Reconciliation exercises

      • Closure exercises

      • Prayer circles around death beds

 Want to learn more? Connect with Karissa. She’d love to talk to you!

Make a donation.

End-of-life doula services are free of charge, so there is no barrier to receive care. In lieu of fees, Karissa operates as a non-profit -- making your donations both directly impactful and tax deductible. Please share this link with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors – anyone you think might be interested in joining me as I walk this path. Your support would mean the world to her! 

  • Jeff C.

    “She, to me, is an angel. She offered, and then came through, and cared genuinely for my dying friend AND me. She knew and gave what I thought only God knew and gave. I know now He sent her. Karissa came to spend time and care and share. She offered when I couldn’t bring myself to ask. To her she was just giving true love, in the biggest way that mattered.”

  • Sarah Beth B.

    In 2020, my 6 month old son was diagnosed with a progressive and degenerative neuromuscular disease. He rapidly declined, and died at 13 months under hospice care in March 2021.

    Karissa has been a beloved friend for years, and I’ve had a privileged view of her own walk of suffering and pain as she’s walked the path of loss and grief. It came incredibly natural to her as she guided us through our grief journey after the loss of our son. She seamlessly stepped in and out of her friend role and her mentor role to us. She became a trusted friend, a co-sufferer in the truest of ways. She sat in our pain, welcomed the silence, embraced our big feels, validated our doubts, encouraged us back to truths, and held our tender hearts with extreme care. She was a voice in our life that truly no one else had. Karissa spoke impactful liturgy over us, she found intentional prayers and books that applied to our doubts and pains, she sat with me at my sons graveside and allowed me to reminisce on his life and my loss - she remained faithful to walking our journey with us, truly carrying the burden with us.

    She played a role in our healing that no other person could, because she truly understood the depths of our grief. Her voice and her love in our life is and was an immense blessing during our grief walk.