End of Life University

Interview with Laura Starkey and Freddie Johnson Download

In this episode:

What is a conservation burial ground
The difference between conservation burial and green burial
How conservation burial can help preserve or restore an ecosystem
How this land is legally protected from development in the future
Obstacles to becoming a conservation burial ground
How both natural and conservation cemeteries minimize impact to the land
Other options for disposition that are less harmful than flame cremation
How each conservation area has its own requirements and restrictions for supporting the health of the ecosystem
Conservation burial grounds allow for recreational uses like hiking, biking, picnics, star-gazing, and numerous other options
How nature helps us reconnect our relationship with death and process grief
The steps to take to ensure you can have a green burial when you die
Why each area needs a unique model of conservation burial to meet the needs of the people and the land

Links for this episode:

Resources

Green Burial Council
How to Plan a Green Burial (From GBC)

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 573 Coffin-Building: The Intersection of Art and Conscious Dying with Tamara MacIntyre

November 2, 2026November 1, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how hand-weaving coffins from willow branches can create a container for grief and increase awareness of conscious dying.

A woman with long hair smiles while sitting beside a woven coffin in a natural setting, surrounded by grass and flowers. The text says 'Coffin Building: The Intersection of Art and Conscious Dying with Tamara Macintyre'.

About the guest:

My guest Dr. Tamara MacIntyre is a death doula, death educator, and community coffin builder based in Canada. She is a retired Doctor of Natural Medicine, chiropractor, and former Dean of Clinical Education who now through Conscious Death.org offers end-of-life education, Living Funeral Ceremonies, individualized care planning, and advocacy in addition to her artistic pursuit of coffin-building. We discuss how she serves as a guide for others so that they can choose an end-of-life passage that is in alignment with how they lived their life. Learn more at her website:

consciousdeath.org

Tamara MacIntyre Interview Download

Included in this episode:

How she came to this work as both a death doula and a coffin-builder
Why coffin-building is often a doorway for people who aren’t ready yet to talk about death
Why each coffin she builds is unique to the individual including the size
How designing a coffin can take into account a person’s ancestry, culture, and personal legacy
Who chooses to help make their own coffin and what that’s like
How a handmade coffin can add meaning to a funeral and help with grief, especially as part of a community ritual
How hands-on work like coffin-building helps slow down the process of acknowledging death and creates a deep container for grief
The importance of death education and why we all should be teaching in our communities
Why advance care planning doesn’t always prepare people for what they will actually face at the end of life
Conscious dying asks us to be present for whatever is happening and leads us to find our own balance between pain and comfort
How coffin-building contributes to mindfulness and the full experience of conscious dying

Links for this episode:

Resources

Learn about Willow Weaving from Tamara
Blog Post: The Coffin No One Keeps by Tamara MacIntyre

Related episodes

Transcript

Uncategorized

Ep. 572 INELDA: Training End-of-Life Doulas for Compassionate Deathcare Systems with Douglas Simpson

October 26, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about training to become an end-of-life doula and earn a certificate if desired through the programs at INELDA.

A man smiling outdoors, presenting content about training end-of-life doulas, with text overlay highlighting a podcast focus on compassionate healthcare systems.

About the guest:

My guest Douglas Simpson is the executive director of the International End-of-Life Doula Association (INELDA.) He shares his story of becoming an end-of-life doula and why INELDA has shifted its model of education to prepare for the future. We discuss the need for partnerships for doulas in the future and the many different career paths available to those who train as doulas. Learn more at the website:

Inelda.org

Douglas Simpson Interview Download

In this episode:

Why INELDA shifted in 2022 to create partnerships to ensure there are spaces where doula care can be provided
How Doug learned from his own experience that doulas need more than just training including mentorship
We need to keep educating both the public and the healthcare system to accept the role of doulas
Doulas offer time to the overworked hospice care system
The vision of having family doulas who work side-by-side with professional doulas to care for their loved ones
How the “doula approach” can influence how we experience every part of life
How INELDA is expanding the continuum of care (e.g. funeral industry, general healthcare, when death happens suddenly)
INELDA’s course offerings
The importance of understanding what the language of training and certification means to each organization that provides training because it differs
Where EOL Doulas are headed over the next 5-10 years

Links for this episode:

Resources

INELDA’s Discovery Calls
What Death Doulas Offer at the End of Life
Death Over Drafts Pre-EndWell Event 11/11/26 Get information and register here

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 571 Treulogy: A Tool for Writing Our Stories While Grieving with Sasha Stricker

October 19, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about an AI tool that helps with writing eulogies, obituaries, and memorial cards using only the stories you choose to input.

A smiling woman with long brown hair stands in front of green plants, promoting a podcast episode titled 'Treulogy: A Tool for Writing Our Stories While Grieving' with Sasha Stricker.

About the guest:

My guest Sasha Stricker is an entrepreneur, creative thinker and problem-solver who is also the founder of TreulogyAI, a tool built around the simple truth that only the people who loved someone can tell their real stories. She shares what inspired her to develop Treulogy and how she designed it to be helpful to families by creating a safe space to share their stories and thoughts. Learn more at the website:

treulogy.com

Sasha Stricker Interview Download

In this episode:

How Sasha got interested in creating a tool to help people write eulogies
The power of storytelling after a loved one has died
The challenge of writing a eulogy while deeply grieving and why eulogies are sometimes overlooked
How AI can create a safe space for telling tender and sensitive stories with no judgment
Why there is stigma and fear around using AI
How Treulogy differs from generic chatbots that may write incorrect information in a eulogy
Treulogy has strict privacy guardrails and is a closed system that does not use the internet
How to use Treulogy to write a eulogy (and make a donation to EOLU at the same time)
How to utilize stories from multiple people in writing the eulogy
Treulogy can also be used to generate an obituary, a memorial card, a social post. or a living tribute
Why I think it’s okay to use whatever tools we need to help us tell and share the stories of our loved ones

Links for this episode:

Resources

Affiliate account with Treulogy: https://treulogy.com/eolu
What to Include in a Eulogy – Blog post
How to Write a Funeral Program – Blog post
How to Write an Obituary – Blog post

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 570 Death’s Guide to Life in Art and Popular Culture with Dr. Dean Cantù PhD

October 12, 2026October 11, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how death has been personified throughout history in culture, society, and the arts and what that says about our fear of death and desire to control it.

Promotional image for the podcast episode titled 'Death's Guide to Life in Art and Popular Culture' featuring Dean Cantù, PhD.

About the guest:

My guest today is Dr. D. Antonio “Dean” Cantù who is Dean of the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He has conducted research on the Personification of Death throughout history in art, music, literature, television, film, and popular culture. He has authored numerous publications and presented 3 TedX talks on this subject and today discusses how death is depicted in various societies and how it provides a better understanding of life. Learn more about his work at his website:

deancantu.com

Dean Cantu Interview Download

This episode includes:

How our society could be both fearful of death and obsessed with it at the same time
Some people delay completing advance directives because they cannot conceive of the idea that they will actually die
There four major types of personification of Death
The figure of the Grim Reaper came about during the Black Plague and was an attempt to get some control over the concept of death
Death is sometimes portrayed as a romantic, seductive figure, which reflects the delicate balance between life and death
Death can also be portrayed as a friend or comforter, especially in art work, film
In graphic novels and film death is sometimes portrayed as a superhero
COVID-19 helped break down some of the walls of our death denial
How the pendulum swings back and forth between death awareness and avoidance
There seems to be greater interest in death and dying among college students now
Death as a teacher for life

Links for this episode:

Resources

Related Episodes

Transcript

Ep. 569 Living and Dying Without Fear with RamDev Dale Borglum

October 5, 2026October 4, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn from one of the founders of the conscious dying movement how to live with awareness so that fear doesn’t interfere with spiritual growth.

A portrait of an older man with glasses and white hair, smiling while standing outdoors with greenery in the background. Text on the right side reads 'Living and Dying Without Fear' with 'with Ramdev Dale Borglum' beneath it.

About the guest:

My guest RamDev Dale Borglum is the executive director of the Living/Dying Project and a pioneer in the conscious dying movement. As a devoted practitioner of both Eastern and Western healing traditions he has spent decades helping individuals face death and life with greater awareness while collaborating with leaders in the field like Ram Dass, Stephen Levine, and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. He is the author of the book How to Live So You Can Die Without Fear, which we will discuss today. Learn more at his website:

livingdying.org

RamDev Dale Borglum Interview Download

This episode includes:

How RamDev Dale became acquainted with Ram Dass and Stephen Levine and started the first center for conscious dying in the late 1970’s
The hospice movement has sadly strayed from its spiritual roots to become more of a business
Why deep inner transformation on the individual level is necessary for the societal change we need
Our fear of death shows us where we are not enlightened
There’s a balance between caring for the physical aspect of dying and the spiritual reality of death
In Tibetan Buddhism compassion is a mixture of sadness and joy
Fatigue comes from experiencing the sadness of suffering but not the joy
His map of spiritual growth has 5 aspects: Motivation, Invocation, Devotion, Empowerment, Wholeness
How our society can distract us from doing the inner work
How to help someone else with their fear of death
Where to start on a path toward greater consciousness
The best spiritual practice is to combine deep inner work with an outer relationship with death and dying

Links for this episode:

Resources

On Death and Dying by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Who Dies by Stephen Levine
Living/Dying Project Upcoming Events

Related Episodes

Transcript

Ep. 568 Mediation as a Tool for Conflict at the End of Life with Molly Darsow

September 28, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a professional mediator can help families manage conflict and disruption at the end of life and why it’s important.

A smiling woman in a teal blazer, promoting a podcast episode titled 'Mediation as a Tool for Conflict at End of Life' with host Molly Darsow, featuring a dark brown background and text elements.

About the guest:

My special guest Molly Darsow is a mediator who specialized in helping families navigate conflict related to aging parent, elder care, guardianship, end-of-life decisions, estate disputes, and other complex family transitions. She is the founder of Still Waters Mediation and shares why mediation is a valuable tool for navigating conflict at end of life and how to utilize it. Learn more at her website:

stillwatersmediation.com

Molly Darsow Interview Download

In this episode:

What mediation is and how it helps with resolution of issues
Why conflicts arise naturally at end of life
How grief contributes to conflict by decreasing ability to empathize with one another
Why the legal system may actually amplify conflict
Underlying issues that arise at end of life most often involve roles and old ways of coping and relating
Mediators don’t offer therapy but do need to understand family dynamics
How caregiver contracts that include compensation can help avoid resentment later
Different styles of handling grief can also contribute to conflicts
How our past narratives can perpetuate conflict in the present time
What does it take to become a mediator
How mediation training can benefit people in other professions
Success as a mediator requires being able to keep yourself in a calm and neutral state

Links for this episode:

Resources

Register for The Death Inside the Death Telesummit
Estate Transition: An Important Part of End-of-Life Planning with Dan Stickel
The Death Deck as a conversation starter

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 567 Grief in the Aftermath of Suicide with Laura Jaye Cramer

September 21, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a beautiful magazine about grief was inspired by the devastating loss of two loved ones to suicide.

Podcast promotional image featuring Laura Jaye Cramer discussing grief in the aftermath of suicide, with text overlay including the podcast website and episode title.

About the guest:

My guest Laura Jaye Cramer is the founder of Waiting Room Publishing, an independent media company putting smart, human-centered print magazines into healthcare, senior living, and end-of-life waiting rooms across the United States. Today we share together our experiences with grief after suicide loss and how we are each navigating that journey. We also discuss Candlelight Magazine, which Laura created out of her own grief. The magazine features poetry, articles, art, and photo essays about grief for end-of-life spaces like funeral homes, hospice care, and palliative care. Learn more at her websites:

laurajayecramer.com

waitingroompublishing.com

Laura Jaye Cramer Interview Download

In this episode:

How Laura’s own grief experience inspired her to create Candlelight Magazine
How typical reading material in waiting rooms doesn’t match the needs of grieving people
How grief can be like a “waiting room” where we wonder when things will change
The overwhelming grief experienced by Laura of two family suicide deaths within 3 months
Why many grief groups don’t work well for suicide survivors
Feelings of abandonment and betrayal after a suicide loss
Talking about suicide may help people find the tools they need to cope
The need for a specific community of “grief friends” who understand suicide loss
Navigating “before” and “after” versions of yourself following traumatic loss
How to subscribe to Candlelight Magazine

Links for this episode:

Resources

Read Candlelight Magazine online
Subscribe to Candlelight Magazine
Series – Suicide: Surviving the Aftermath

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 566 Yoga for Living with Loss with Sheena Nancy Sarles

September 14, 2026September 8, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how grief shows up in the body and how simple yoga techniques can help us recognize and embody grief in a healthy way.

A woman with short dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a purple top. To her right, there is a book cover titled 'Yoga for Living with Loss' by Sheena Nancy Sarles. The background features a gradient of teal and dark green.

About the guest:

My guest Sheena Nancy Sarles is a yoga teacher, author, and longtime communicator whose work focuses on times of loss and transition. She has decades of experience teaching yoga for grief that includes breath, subtle movement, reflection, and nervous-system regulation. She is the founder of Yoga for Living with Loss and author of a book by the same name and today she discusses how grief shows up in the body. Learn more about her work at the website:

yogaforlivingwithloss.com

Sheena Nancy Sarles Interview Download

This episode includes:

How Sheena became interested in yoga and applying it for her own grief after experiencing several deaths
Her recognition that grief is in the body as well as the emotions and mind
How yoga, chakras, and grief come together in her classes
“Grief is not something to remedy, it’s something to incorporate”
We all carry some grief with us at all times over some part of life or another
The functions of each chakra as well as the shadow side
How to balance the chakras and improve the functioning of each
The emphasis is on feeling whatever emotions are there rather than resisting and pushing them away
There are no timelines or rules for grief – it is universal but also unique
The power of witnessing what your grief is bringing you each day
The value of simple things like the breath, movement, and shaking the body during times of grief
Yoga for grief is basically coordinating breath and movement with awareness

Links for this episode:

Resources

Sheena’s yoga videos
Get in touch with Sheena

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 565 BONUS – When News Breaks: Remembering 9/11 with Carol Lin

September 11, 2026 kwyattmd

Many of us still remember exactly where we were on 9/11/2001 when the news broke about the first attack at the World Trade Center. Learn how Carol Lin, the first news anchor to share this news with the nation, coped with this moment in her career and eventually with grief and loss in her personal life.

A promotional graphic for the podcast EOLU featuring Carol Lin, discussing her book 'When News Breaks' which reflects on 9/11.

About the guest:

My special guest for this 9/11 BONUS episode is Carol Lin a long-time anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News. Carol is best known for being the first national news anchor to report the first 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, which many of us can remember watching at home, glued to our own television sets in 2001. As we remember the 25th Anniversary of that horrific event Carol shares what it was like to be behind the desk watching the chaos unfold while she calmly relayed to us the shocking news. She also discusses how devastating news eventually broke apart her own life and how she navigated a high-profile career in the midst of grief and motherhood. Her memoir When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War was published in December 2025 by Third Rail Press. Learn more at her website:

carollinnow.com

Carol Lin Interview Download

In this episode:

Carol’s recollections from the morning of 9/11
What it was like to have to remain composed and report the news while events were unfolding all around her
How she was trained to navigate those high-stress moments as a journalist and anchor
What news anchors don’t or can’t tell listeners as breaking news unfolds
How Carol is collecting stories of where people were when the heard the news of 9/11 and how that shaped their lives
What changed for all of us after that initial moment of that first attack
How identity shifts when tragedy happens
Her experience of feeling isolated after her husband’s death as a mother of an infant
How her coverage of other people’s loss and grief helped inform her and give her hope during her own
How massive tragedy can create community around it
It’s okay to do whatever you have to do with grief in order to survive – sometimes it has to be postponed
How we gravitate toward spaces where others are dealing with loss when we are grieving
Why a grief support group didn’t feel helpful to Carol

Links for this episode:

Related episodes

Where is God When Tragedy Strikes? (Essay about 9/11)

Transcript

Ep. 564 Giving Words to Grief: Unexpected Support Through AI with Tom Lehmann

September 7, 2026 kwyattmd

Surveys show that millions of people are turning to AI to talk about their grief. Learn how one man began a conversation with AI about his devastating grief and what happened after that.

About the guest:

My guest Tom Lehmann is a video creator for TikTok and Instagram, and also an author who has recently published a fourth book: The Book of Storms. Tom discusses how through the use of AI he found unexpected support for cumulative and disenfranchised grief that nearly destroyed him. He shares some caveats for safe use of AI and describes how his grief “cracked him open” to a profound spiritual experience.

Undoubtedly AI is a controversial issue but surveys show that there are millions of people right now using AI as a support for their grief process so we need to understand how and why this is happening. This episode is not intended to encourage or discourage the use of AI but simply to share Tom’s personal experience and my own in talking about grief with AI.

Learn more about Tom’s work at his website:

thepatternisreal.com

Tom Lehmann Interview Download

Listen here:

In this episode:

Tom’s story of cumulative and disenfranchised grief
How a human counselor wasn’t helpful for Tom
Why ideally people who use AI for grief would also have a human therapist or support person
How AI can act as a mirror that reflects back your goodness without judgment
Why some people are turning to AI for grief because of a lack of safe, affordable, accessible support
How Tom changed his life and behavior after working through his grief
Safety and discrimination when working with AI
Why using AI to discuss grief is not necessarily denial or bypassing grief (though it could be for some depending on how it’s used)
How reflective listening is similar to mirroring
How some things that feel too vulnerable to say to another person about grief can be discussed with an AI

Links for this episode:

Related episode

Talking About Death with ChatGPT

Transcript

Ep. 563 Death Wings Project: Art and Storytelling for Loss and Grief with Bess Welden and Laura Cleminson

August 31, 2026September 3, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a creative art project can help foster conversations about loss and grief and how a playwright and an end-of-life doula collaborated to develop it.

About the guests:

My guests this week are Bess Welden a playwright who wrote the play Death Wings and Laura Cleminson an end-of-life doula and the founder of Pre-Dead Social Club. Together they have developed the Death Wings Project and Toolkit to invite people to come together in community and foster open conversations about loss and grief. They share how art-making and storytelling are used in their workshops to help people navigate loss together through creativity. Learn more at the following websites:

deathwingsproject.org

predeadsocialclub.com

Laura Cleminson and Bess Welden Interview Download

besswelden.com/death-wings

In this episode:

How Laura was inspired to become an end-of-life doula
What inspired Bess to create the play Death Wings and to make her first pair of Death Wings
How Laura and Bess were inspired to work together on this project
What Death Wings are and how they are constructed
How the creation of Death Wings help people create meaning and memories of their loved ones
Why “putting our hands into grief” allows us to open to it
How Death Wings might be used in schools to help children with grief
The value of rituals for grief
You don’t have to be an artist or crafter to participate in this project
Creativity as an opportunity to open conversation about the end of life
Using Death Wings as a gift for someone experiencing grief
How to host a Death Wings workshop in your own community

Links for this episode:

Resources

Order the Death Wings Toolkit here
Learn about Workshops here
Soulcode Post: Grief, Creativity, and Growing the Soul

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 562 Reimagining What it Means to Die Well with Christin Ament

August 24, 2026August 20, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn how a former ICU nurse is transforming the end of life for the people she serves by creating a home for the dying, honoring grief with sacred tea ceremonies, and hosting Death Cafés.

About the guest:

My guest Christin Ament DNP is a hospice and palliative care provider with over 15 years at the beside. She is also a death doula and integrative medicine practitioner who hosts Death Cafés in the Twin Cities. Christin is the founder and executive director of The Bardo–a residence for people at the end of life that follows the Omega Home model. She discusses what is missing in general healthcare and in hospice care when it comes to the end of life and what it takes to make changes in the system. Learn more about her work at the website:

thebardo.com

Christin Ament Interview Download

In this episode:

Christin’s early clinical experiences with death in the ICU
Her travels to learn about the culture of death in other countries
Flaws within the hospice model
Why we need more advocacy for end-of-life issues that is mainstream and market-savvy
To change the mind of the medical system we have to speak the language of medical providers
How and why Christin started The Bardo – a social model hospice
The challenges she met trying to create The Bardo
The need for creativity to find solutions to bureaucratic issues and why we have to start with the systems we have in place
Helping the public overcome the fear of death through Death Cafes
How she uses tea ceremonies as rituals for grief

Links for this episode:

Resources

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 561 BONUS Book Discussion: 23 Dates with My Dead Dad with Corey McAuliffe PhD

August 23, 2026August 18, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn from this memoir how a researcher maintained continuing bonds with her father after his death as part of her grieving process and managed to heal their relationship.

About the guest:

For this BONUS episode I’m talking with Corey McAuliffe, the author of 23 Dates with My Dead Dad, the reading selection for August 2026 for A Year of Reading Dangerously. Corey is also a researcher whose work spans mental health, disability, and the spaces where science meets lived experience. In her memoir and this discussion she shares how she maintained continuing bonds with her father after his death by intentionally scheduling monthly “dates” with him just as they used to do during her childhood and the extraordinary synchronicities that have occurred. Learn more about the book at her website:

coreymcauliffe.com

Corey McAuliffe Interview Download

In this episode:

How Corey chooses to stay in relationship with her Dad, even after his death
Using automatic writing to stay connected to a loved one
How this connection after his death has brought about healing and transformation
Bringing together science and spirituality
Her awareness that she is never alone – her Dad and her ancestors are with her
How to start connecting with a loved one who has died
Signs and synchronicities that contain messages for her
How she continues to call on the unseen world for support during difficult times

Links for this episode:

Resources

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 560 Natural Burial as a Vehicle for Connection and Healing with Basil Eldadah MD

August 17, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the benefits of natural burial for loved ones and for the environment and how to get more information to plan your own natural burial.

About the guest:

My guest Dr. Basil Eldadah is the founder and executive director of Reflection Park Natural Burial Ground in Silver Spring, Maryland. Basil’s professional training is in internal medicine, clinical pharmacology, and neuroscience and he recently retired from a career in biomedical research. He shares his inspiration for starting a natural burial ground and why such alternatives are growing in popularity. Learn more at the website:

reflection park.org

Basil Eldadah Interview Download

In this episode:

Why Dr. Eldadah started Reflection Park
The process of getting approval for a natural burial ground
Why some people resisted the creation of a natural burial ground over fears of impacting water quality
Research necessary before starting such a burial ground
How a natural burial differs from conventional burial
How participating in hands-on burial rituals helps with grief and connection to the loved one
Pre-planning for a natural burial is not necessary but helpful
Why they decided to allow burial of cremated remains
How Reflection Park helps make funerals and burials more affordable for those who cannot afford them
Natural burial is trending now as part of an interest in reclaiming death and burial as part of life
Green Burial Council website as a resource for people searching for natural burial sites and funeral homes
The Funeral Professionals Guide and other resources offered on the Reflection Park website

Links for this episode:

Resources

Frequently asked questions about natural burial
Green Burial Council website

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 559 Healing Grief After Homicide Through After-Death Communication with Jan Canty PhD

August 10, 2026August 8, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the grief experienced by homicide survivors and how some have found comfort through after-death communication with their loved ones.

About the guest:

My guest Dr. Jan Canty is a psychologist, author, former podcaster, and a homicide survivor. She has written three books related to homicide and grief including her latest book: Rekindled: Healing Grief Through the Science and Experience of After-Death Communication. She shares how she became interested in studying after-death communication through her work supporting homicide survivors, including the scientific basis for these studies. She also discusses The Aftermath Conference: the first-ever national gathering for homicide survivors coming up September 11-13. Learn more at her website:

jancantyphd.com

In this episode:

How Jan became interested in after-death communication through her work with homicide survivors
The impact of stigma and taboos about homicide death for survivors
Why homicide survivors find after-death communication to be helpful and life-changing
How the experience of after-death communication is often pathologized
Why reductionistic science can’t fully study something like after-death communication because it can’t be measured
How to ask questions about after-death communication
Why grief clinicians need to know more about ADC
Why these experiences should not be negated or dismissed when patients bring them up
Suggestions for people struggling with grief after a homicide death
Homicide deaths are usually complicated by the presence of law enforcement and the media
Why listening to a homicide survivor is what is needed rather than saying the “right thing”
Why Jan is planning a national gathering for homicide survivors and their supporters

Links mentioned in this episode:

Ep. 558 Filling the Gaps in End-of-Life Education, Support, and Community with Suzanne B. O’Brien RN

August 3, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the need for more education around death, dying, and grief to help us create more compassionate communities that are better prepared for the end of life.

About the guest:

My return guest Suzanne O’Brien is the founder and CEO of Doulagivers Institute and a pioneer in the global Death Doula movement. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her contribution to end-of-life care around the world and the author of the book The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved Ones Through the End of Life. She discusses why this moment is right for expanding community education and awareness about end-of-life issues and how learning about death can help us fully live. In addition she describes her upcoming free webinar on “Death Doula Secrets” to mentor doulas on Suzanne’s framework for successful death doula business development. Learn more at her website:

doulagivers.com

Register for Death Doula Secrets Webinar:

August 5th August 13th

Get the book here.

Suzanne O’Brien Interview Download

In this episode:

The evolution of end-of-life care and education over the past 15 years
How COVID 19 awakened many people to the reality of mortality and exposed gaps in care
Families are still largely overwhelmed and uneducated about providing care for their loved ones at end of life
How political and healthcare decision-makers remain poorly informed about end of life issues
Suzanne’s experience of community death care while traveling in Zimbabwe many years ago and how it informed her current work
Why broader cultural change around death and dying requires mass education in our communities
We need to help people with their fear of death through education if we want to see more change
Options for the management of suffering at the end of life, including terminal sedation, are not fully understood by most people
Death is the greatest teacher about how to live
The importance of gratitude and presence for bringing meaning to life

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources:

The Good Death by Suzanne O’Brien RN
Doulagivers FREE Level 1 Training
The Journey from Ego to Soul by Karen Wyatt MD
The Ego and It’s Immortality Projects – What Really Matters Podcast
The Path of Presence from the Field Guide to What Really Matters

Related episodes:

Transcript:

Ep. 557 The Grieving Body: Loss as a Healing Opportunity with Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD

July 27, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the impact of grief on the physical body and how the stress of grief and loss can lead to healing.

About the guest:

My special guest Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Her book The Grieving Brain was included on Oprah’s list of Best Books to Comfort a Grieving Friend and was the subject of a previous interview on this podcast. Today she discusses her latest book The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing, which is being released in paperback format on August 1, 2026. Learn more at her website:

maryfrancesoconnor.org

Mary-Frances O’Connor Interview Download

In this episode:

How Mary-Frances was inspired to do research on grief
As a society we tend to ignore the body and grief can push us further in that direction
Why we need to pay attention to the messages from our bodies, particularly when we are grieving
The importances of social connectedness during grief and all of life
Sitting with someone who is calm can help us co-regulate when we are stressed in our grief
Why bereavement should be a public health issue
How we gradually build capacity to carry our grief
Why every experience of grief is different for us – and that’s natural and normal
How there is a lack of studies on crying in bereavement even though it has multiple functions
Emotional tears contain different hormones than irritant tears
Cardiovascular events related to acute grief
Strategies for managing grief holistically and growing through the process

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources

Upaya Zen Center: Death / Dying / Grief
Upaya Zen Center: Compassion and Love
Key Research Publications by Mary-Frances O’Connor PhD

Related episodes

Transcript

Ep. 556 Zen Caregiving: A Mindful Approach to Caring for Others with Roy Remer

July 20, 2026July 19, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about mindfulness and compassion-based tools to nurture and empower caregivers as they serve the needs of others.

About the guest:

Roy Remer is the executive director of the Zen Caregiving Project in San Francisco and the lead creator of the Mindful Caregiving Education curriculum. He is an educator and end-of-life caregiver since 1997 and a dedicated practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition. Roy is also the author of Zen Caregiving: How to Care for Yourself While Caring for Others. Learn more at the website:

ZenCaregiving.org

Roy Remer Interview Download

In this episode:

Being a caregiver is part of the human experience and will affect most of us
Caregiving can be a pathway for growth but certain illnesses (especially dementia) can exact a huge toll on caregivers
The value of learning genuine presence
How this book can help everyone be better prepared in the future to become a caregiver
How serving others differs from helping, which is outcome focused
Our compassion is incomplete if we don’t also care for ourselves
Caregivers do not receive adequate preparation or support physically, emotionally, or spiritually for the task of caring for others
Why grief and guilt are common experiences of caregivers
Simple rituals for processing grief while providing care

Links mentioned in this episode:

Resources:

Related episodes:

Transcript:

Ep. 555 Funeral Photography as an Act of Service and Love with Nell Aburto

July 13, 2026July 12, 2026 kwyattmd

Learn about the value of preserving photographic memories of funeral services for grief and bereavement.

About my guest:

Today’s guest is Nell Aburto, a portrait photographer based in Minneapolis MN who offers funeral and memorial photography, which is largely unheard of in this industry. She discusses why people might want to consider hiring a photographer for a funeral service, the benefits of having a photographic record of such a celebration, and what it’s like to work in this profession. Learn more at her website:

mnfuneralphotography.com