Living and Dying Awake with Julie Wright Halbert

Natalie Tealdi from The Best Podcast Guest team welcomes death doula, end-of-life educator, transformational soul coach, author and national advocate for grief literacy, Julie Wright Halbert to the podcast.

They talk about:

1. The role of a death doula
2. What it means to live and die awake
3. What grieving people truly need from others

About Julie Wright Halbert

Julie Wright Halbert, Esq. is a death doula, end-of-life educator, transformational soul coach, author and national advocate for grief literacy whose work bridges legal rigor, lived experience, and soul-centered presence.

A former Legislative Counsel for the Council of the Great City Schools, Julie spent decades shaping education policy and advancing civil rights, earning multiple honors including the Education Law Association’s Best Brief Award for impactful work before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Julie’s professional path pivoted following the sudden death of her husband, an experience that transformed her relationship to grief, identity, and meaning. What emerged was a calling to accompany individuals and families through the complex terrain of dying, death, and bereavement work that emphasizes presence over fixing, honesty over platitudes, and dignity at every stage of life.

Today, Julie speaks and writes about death literacy, widowhood, emotional integration, and the cultural consequences of avoiding mortality. Her work invites individuals, professionals, and institutions to engage death not as a failure, but as a profound human threshold that shapes how we live, love, and lead.

Julie is the founder of Rising Phoenix LIFE, where she integrates end-of-life education, grief support, and advocacy to support people navigating life’s most significant transitions. She is the author of the forthcoming book Divine Ashes Ascending, which explores grief, presence, and the possibility of meaning after profound loss.

Julie’s work has been featured in: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, Education Week, and The 74.

She lives a life grounded in nature and connection, finding restoration through water activities, hiking, snow skiing, and time with her two sons and life partner.

Key Takeaways

1. Loss reshapes our identity and the way we move through the world. While grief never truly disappears, we can learn to carry it with meaning and compassion.
2. Living 'awake' means being fully present in each moment, approaching life with intention, gratitude, and connection.
3. Grieving can feel isolating, but healing often begins when we allow others to support us and accept help from our community.
4. Many cultures avoid conversations about death, yet openness around the end of life can help reduce fear and create more meaningful experiences for individuals and families.
5. Death doulas support people emotionally, spiritually, and practically at the end of life, helping individuals plan how they wish to experience their final stage of life.

Quote

Grief doesn’t just end. It’s something that we carry and we learn to move into presence.

Connect with Julie Wright Halbert

Website: www.RisingPhoenix.life

Instagram: instagram.com/transformational_soul_coaching

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julie-wright-halbert

Julie's free gift to you is a meditation which is designed to support growth, clarity, and emotional alignment. It can be accessed here: https://risingphoenix.life/?scroll_to=meditations

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