I found myself grabbing the yellow highlighter repeatedly as I read Jane Callahan’s new gem of a guidebook. The author weaves together her own life experience and client stories while synthesizing an overview of end-of-life issues, decision points, and resources. It makes for an informative and engaging read that brings the nitty-gritty of end-of-life doula work to life.

A repeated theme throughout the book is that we don’t know what we don’t know or need to know. This idea resonates with my decades-long perception that, when it comes to navigating our choices in the face of a major life transition, it is not possible to know all the answers, but there is power in learning to ask the right questions. Doulas can help clients identify the questions they should be asking if they want to make informed decisions, prevent trauma, and have agency over their experience. This is what empowerment looks like.

Communication and advocacy are a big part of the doula’s role and a section on end-of-life conversations from the doctor’s perspective was especially helpful, highlighting the work of Dr. Matthew Tyler (HowToTrainYourDoctor.com). His model uses the following framework: helping the person understand their disease and how it will play out, explaining what their options are, asking what matters most to them, and building a plan around that. Jane then outlines a series of essential questions for the person’s care team to create the plan. I believe these questions will provide the structure needed to guide difficult conversations, for both doulas and families.

A section on legacy planning includes a wide range of legacy project ideas and related resources that doulas can use to support clients in the creative process. Legacy work is the outward manifestation of the life review process, answering the questions, Why was I put here? What am I leaving behind? What did I learn? How did I matter? What have I left unresolved?

Here are just a couple of the resources Jane shares:

• Share the Care: How to organize a group to care for someone who is seriously ill, by Cappy Capossela and Sheila Warnock
• Death Nesting, by Anne-Marie Keppel and Dr. Karen Wyatt

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Comforting Closure—Conversations with a Death Doula is a series of podcasts by end-of-life doula Traci Arieli. Recently, Traci interviewed Patty Brennan for a conversation about her book, Into the Fog: Navigating My Mother’s Journey through Dementia. The book is both a memoir and a guide for families in which the author recounts lessons learned the hard way.

Watch Podcast: Interview with author Patty Brennan: Inside the Dementia Journey. And be sure to check out Traci’s other podcasts. She brings an engaging and gracious energy to her podcasts.

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Though dementia takes many forms, its most consistent attribute is uncertainty, which can cause anxiety and be more taxing to the caregiver than the patient/client. Improvisation techniques, adjusting our own concepts around time, and practicing the art of skillful presence can help us protect our own connection to reality, enabling us to expand our patience while holding space. Applying new perspectives on dementia care can give more ease, agency, and grounding for caregivers of all kinds.

We are missing the first few minutes of this recording when introductions took place. The recording begins about one minute into the actual presentation.

Grey Leifer is a full-time end-of-life doula from the Hudson Valley, New York. Having been exposed to many family members with dementia as a child and through adulthood, Grey cultivated an ability to hold space for people in this altered state of consciousness without fear or judgment. This skill would later become central to their life’s work as an end-of-life doula and energy worker, serving families struggling with the disease. In addition, Grey is the creator of Aska Energetics, supporting the development of an energetic frequency designed to help caregivers fortify themselves for long-term caregiving.

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Are you tired of just being inside your own head and trying to figure out how to manifest your doula energy into action and income? Could you benefit from a guided discussion on how to move forward once you have completed doula training? This session is not about the nuts and bolts of setting up a small business. Rather, we will focus on your goals and discerning the next best steps. Whether you intend to specialize in end-of-life, birth, or postpartum doula services, this session is for you!

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Pediatric end-of-life care asks us to meet families at a place where hope and heartbreak coexist. Our role is not to fix what cannot be fixed, but to walk with the family through the beauty and the pain—to witness, to honor, and to love. Bridging the gap with pediatric death education allows us to deepen our understanding of how to hold space and offer support to families living with children suffering from life-limiting diseases. Resources will be provided for participants to enhance their knowledge and care of children and their families at this tender time.

Elizabeth Padilla is the Founder and Executive Director of the Conscious Dying Collective. She is an End-of-Life Doula and Conscious Dying Educator, as well as a Life and Death Coach. Elizabeth gives credit to the many teachers she has had in her life, starting with her Mother, who lovingly cared for her father and grandmothers in their family home until their deaths. Her extensive travel opportunities have extended her the privilege of witnessing and learning from diverse cultures as well as inspiring her own spiritual evolution.

Resources on Pediatric Death

Elizabeth shared some great resources in her presentation. Feel free to download these for your information.

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When Beth’s mom had a long home-hospice journey, it was natural to continue to support her and her family with the holistic approaches she had cherished throughout her life. The valuable versatility of naturopathic modalities across the entire life cycle was demonstrated as homeopathy, botanical medicine, flower remedies, meridian holds, and more eased discomforts and difficulties for all involved. In this webinar, Beth shares her personal and professional perspectives on effective options, outlines the benefits of firsthand experience with natural techniques, and prepares you to support clients who may be curious about or using these approaches.

Beth Barbeau, CPM, LM, is a homebirth midwife and educator with 40+ years of experience in holistic maternity care and naturopathic family health. She and her sister Laura (a doula) extensively used holistic modalities through their mother’s nine-month home hospice journey, followed by after-death home care. Beth also pioneered the Holistic Doula Program at The Naturopathic Institute and taught Death and Dying within their Certified Naturopath curriculum. In 2007 she founded Indigo Forest: Health Births, Healthy Lives where she focuses on practical, evidence-informed courses, and resources to empower families and professionals.

Handout Download

Naturopathic Comfort Care at the End of Life (PDF)

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With Jacki Mann, EOLD

In a society wrought with dehumanized, medicalized death care, Jacki has created a comprehensive, therapeutic approach known as Sacred Comfort Care designed to restore humanity, natural methods, and the sacred to modern death care. In this webinar, Jacki offers insight into the philosophy, core tenets, and essential components of Sacred Comfort Care as well as her experiences using this process with the dying and their loved ones.

Jacki Mann, a former Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse, witnessed the catastrophic effects of medicalized dying in her work. With a desire to be a catalyst for change, she became an end-of-life doula eight years ago, serving as an educator, Home Funeral Guide, Green Burial Consultant, and most recently, as a Sacred Comfort Care practitioner. She is in the process of creating a training program for Sacred Comfort Care Practitioners that will be ready Fall 2025.Jacki Mann, a former Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse, witnessed the catastrophic effects of medicalized dying in her work. With a desire to be a catalyst for change, she became an end-of-life doula eight years ago, serving as an educator, Home Funeral Guide, Green Burial Consultant, and most recently, as a Sacred Comfort Care practitioner. She is in the process of creating a training program for Sacred Comfort Care Practitioners that will be ready January 2026.

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Your homepage is often the first (and sometimes only) page a potential client will visit before deciding whether to reach out. In the world of end-of-life care, your site isn’t just selling a service — it’s offering comfort, clarity, and trust at an emotional and vulnerable moment.

So, what exactly should you make sure to include on your homepage to be sure it is both inviting and effective? Here are my top five must-haves.

1. A clear, compassionate introduction of who you are, what you do, and who you help as an end of life doula.

When someone lands on your site, they should immediately understand who you are, where you are, what you do, and who you help. This isn’t the place for vague statements or industry jargon. Instead, speak directly to your visitors in a warm, human tone.

Example: “As an end-of-life doula in Chattanooga, TN, I support individuals and families through the final stages of life with compassion, practical guidance, and presence.”

Within the first few seconds, your site visitor should feel like they’ve found someone who understands what they’re going through. Avoid burying this in a long narrative paragraph all about your calling to the work, your background and training and every one of your services….  Including where you are goes a long way to showing up in search.

Keep it short, heartfelt, and easy to read.

2. Share an overview of your end of life doula services (NOT ALL THE DETAILS!)

A homepage isn’t where you list all the details about every single service or package you offer end of life care — that belongs on your Services page. 

Here, your goal is to give visitors a quick snapshot of how you can help. You want them to be able to scan and get an instant sense of how you can make a difference in their lives.

On your home page, you can include 3–5 short blurbs that cover your main offerings, like:

• Vigil Support – Presence and comfort during the final days and hours.
• Advance Care Planning – Help with paperwork, wishes, and conversations.
• Family Support – Guidance for loved ones during illness, death, and after.

Each blurb should link to the full Services page for more details. This way, someone scanning your homepage gets a sense of the scope of your work without feeling overwhelmed.

NOTE: At the start of your end of life business, it’s fine to just have a single services page. Down the road as you grow, however, I do recommend expanding your site to include individual pages for each of your core services. This will help you to show up in searches for specialized terms such as legacy projects and vigil support.

3. A warm, inviting photo (yes, of you!)

In end-of-life work, trust is everything — and trust starts with connection. People want to see the human being they’ll be inviting into such a personal and emotional space. That means at least one authentic, friendly photo of you belongs on your homepage.

This doesn’t have to be a stiff “professional” headshot. In fact, photos that show you in a natural, approachable setting often work better. Think soft lighting and eye contact. 

Do NOT take a family photo and crop everyone else out of it, or reuse your professional photo from back when you were a lawyer, or take a quick selfie sitting on the couch.

A good quality image here makes a HUGE difference in terms of relationship and trust building. Grab a friend with a good phone camera or DSLR camera and take 50 photos of you until you get one that feels good! And yes — smile. You can be both professional and compassionate at the same time.

If you have any images of you in conversation with a client, or even a friend or family member posing as a client (with consent, of course), that is even better.

4. A clear call to action (CTA)

The biggest mistake I see on doula homepages? No clear next step. If someone connects with your words and feels ready to learn more, you need to make it very obvious what they should do next.

You should have at least one if not several call to action buttons on your home page – and the first one needs to be visible at the very top of your site before people have to scroll. Make it a button, not just a link, so it stands out visually.

Examples of strong CTAs:

• “Schedule a Consultation”
• “Book a Free 20-Minute Call”
• “Send Me a Message”

5. Build trust & connection with site visitors

Your homepage isn’t just about services — it’s about connection. End-of-life care is deeply personal, and families want to know the person they’ll be working with. A short About Me section on the homepage builds that bridge.

Keep it brief here — just a few sentences about why you do this work, your approach, your training and experience, and maybe a personal detail or two that humanizes you.

This personal touch can be the deciding factor for someone choosing between you and another doula.

Including a few short testimonials from past clients will instantly build trust with your site visitors.

Bonus Tips for an Effective Homepage

While the five items above are non-negotiables, a few extra touches can make your homepage even more effective:

Soft, Calming Visuals: Use colors, fonts, and images that match the tone of your work — avoid anything too harsh or clinical.

Simple Navigation: Don’t make people hunt for your Services, About, or Contact pages.

Readable Design: Keep paragraphs short, use headings, and make sure your text is easy to read on both desktop and mobile.

Final Thoughts

Your homepage is your way to meet clients where they are — at 2am, wondering how on earth they will manage with all the stress and overwhelm of their situation, searching online for a solution. 

It’s the place where first impressions are made and where someone decides if they feel safe enough to take the next step with you. 

By focusing on a clear introduction, a snapshot of your services, a warm photo, a clear call to action, and a brief about section with testimonials, you’re giving visitors exactly what they need to feel confident reaching out.

If you’re wondering whether your current end of life doula website’s homepage checks all these boxes, take a few minutes to review it with fresh eyes — or ask a trusted friend to give honest feedback. Sometimes a few small changes are all it takes to make your site not just beautiful, but truly effective.

Interested in learning more about your options for an effective website? My end of life doula website templates are designed especially for your needs. Clear, easy to navigate, and warm, you can be assured you have an affordable website that can instantly build trust and connection with the people who need your care. You can explore website templates and pricing packages here. Save $50 with your LifeSpan coupon: LIFESPAN!

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With Lauren Richwine & Patty Brennan

For the past four years the State of Indiana has unsuccessfully been trying to shut down Lauren Richwine’s work as a death doula with Death Done Differently. Thanks to a combination of preparedness, grass roots connections, and incredible support from the Institute for Justice, Lauren filed a federal lawsuit in 2023 against the state on the grounds that her first amendment rights to free speech were being violated. The case continues to be litigated. Join us to learn what prepared Lauren to face the state’s cease and desist order when it came, steps that death doulas practicing anywhere can take to protect themselves, and why fear should never stand between a death doula and their work.

The following questions were discussed in the webinar:

• Describe the legal situation you’ve found yourself in and how that’s played out.
• Are there specific steps or actions that doulas can take to proactively protect themselves or to prevent finding themselves in a similar situation? 
• What legal protections or documentation do you recommend every death doula have in place before taking on clients?
• What has your relationship with fear looked like as you press deeper into this work? Have those fears changed over the years? 
• Is there a fear related to the work that you’re wrestling with currently? How are you engaging with that? 

Lauren Richwine was one of the first death doulas to serve in the Midwest. A published writer and photographer, she received her initial mentorship with the Earth Traditions Death Midwifery program in 2018 after keeping vigil at deathbeds with a local hospice. She launched her practice, Death Done Differently, LLC in 2019. Lauren is also a trained Advance Care Planning facilitator through Respecting Choices and continues to be passionately committed to defending community led death care.

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Join us for a conversation on sustainable after-death care, where Tamara shares her journey into weaving willow coffins and the role of handcrafted, biodegradable vessels in green burials. We’ll explore how these practices honor both the deceased and the environment, offering families meaningful, eco-conscious choices. This session will provide insights into natural burial options and how doulas can support clients in making informed, sustainable end-of-life decisions.

Tamara MacIntyre, a retired chiropractor and doctor of natural medicine, is an end-of-life doula with over 20 years of experience in holistic care. She is the inaugural Program Director of MAiDHouse Victoria, a death educator, and an artisan of woven willow coffins, dedicated to increasing death literacy and supporting individuals through aging, illness, and end-of-life planning. Learn more at www.consciousdeath.org or connect @EndofLife_Architect.
 

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