Agency for the Dying Person & Rediscovering Identity After Loss: Insight from Two Death Doulas

In this episode of Compass Stories, Veronica talks to Jen Blalock and Shelby Mundy, exploring their personal journeys into this unique profession. The conversation explores grief, identity, and discovering purpose after loss.By sharing a personal story and professional insight, the women reflect on multifaceted role of death doulas, emphasize the importance of emotional and spiritual support in the dying process, societal perceptions of death, and the significance of agency for the dying.KeywordsDeath Doula, End-of-Life Care, Shamanism, Spiritual Guidance, Personal Agency, Emotional Support, Legacy Projects, Empowerment, Grief, Compassionate Care grief, identity, purpose, death doula, community, festival, mental health, end-of-life planning, healing, spiritualitySound Bites00:00 "We are not there to heal their bodies."11:09 "We bring in the spirit and the emotions."16:27 "It's a very new demographic."17:25 "We honor and respect all points of view."20:56 "Death was never on his radar."27:01 "We can be genuinely who we are."30:01 "He was living in his full power."32:37 "He was no longer afraid to die."35:20 "This was always a part of the plan."52:38 "Embrace the passage."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Death Doulas01:29 Personal Journeys to Becoming Death Doulas06:04 Understanding the Role of a Death Doula13:02 Agency and Empowerment in the Dying Process22:07 Shamanism and Spiritual Guidance in Death Doula Work30:43 Legacy Projects and Lasting Impact31:14 Navigating Grief and Identity Loss36:24 Finding Purpose After Loss38:29 The Before I Die Festival: A Community Conversation51:02 Embracing Death as a TeacherResourcesBefore I Die Festival:https://www.beforeidiecincinnati.comJen and Shelby's Death Doula Work:https://www.deathdoulacincinnati.comInternational End of Life Doula Association:https://inelda.org/Connect with Veronica:https://www.veronicasterling.com