Doula Karen Hendrickson Shares Her Powerful Story of Grief as a Teen

*Trigger warning - this episode contains a description of an intense death event. Please make space for your self care if you find the topic overwhelming.  Death doula Karen Hendrickson’s brother died suddenly when she was sixteen years old. That event became a lifelong lesson in death and dying, grief, and how to support teens during a loss.  As co-founder of Death Doula Network International, Karen Hendrickson specializes in end of life planning and education. As a death doula, she provides grief support and guidance for those who are dying and their caregivers. In her personal life, Karen experienced the death of her older brother Ernie when she was only sixteen years old. He was only 22 years old. That life event changed forever the culture of her family. As Karen describes it, it was “the beginning of us tucking our grief into the shadows”.   Karen learned for herself what it’s like to experience a traumatic loss as a teenager. Now she teaches about caring for teens as they grieve - making them feel seen, understanding they’re not responsible for taking care of the adults in the family.   Connect with the Death Doula Network International at ddint.com. Join DDNI as a corporate or individual member here. Find Death Doula and DDNI partners working in your area here. Find all the services and products Odonata Care offers at thecareplan.net. Order your copies of The Care Plan here. Check out the free video tutorials from Nancy Heyerman and Brenda Kizzire here.   If you have questions about hospice care or need to troubleshoot the care you’re already receiving, book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.   Book podcast host Helen Bauer to speak at your event or conference by sending an email to [email protected]. Find more podcast episodes from The Heart of Hospice at The Heart of Hospice Podcast (theheartofhospice.com)  Follow The Heart of Hospice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  Connect with The Heart of Hospice podcast on The Whole Care Network, along with a host of other caregiving podcasts by clicking here.