I’m finally at peace and love me, but it took many years to get here. 

From a very young age I’ve felt compelled to help people, but I wasn’t really sure how I would.

I’ve always had this sense that I didn’t fit in and I was different from everyone else. I struggled with it deeply growing up. Being highly sensitive also made me very emotional, so I was constantly wishing I wasn’t this way. I also started to notice that my feelings would change when I was around certain people, it was very confusing and made me feel like I was crazy.

One day I typed in “can you feel other people’s feelings?” online and discovered the amazing world of empaths.  An empath is someone that can feel others’ feelings. When I read this, it brought me endless comfort knowing countless others had the same ability. It was like home. I have since learned to embrace being an empath and see it as a valuable gift.

Trauma has followed me throughout my life. After finally grieving and healing in a good way, my empathic abilities strengthened. I experienced a deeper connection to something much bigger than me - a higher power. I started reading spiritual books, meditating, and going to a psychic. Soon, everything in my life made more sense, life brought more peace. I felt the need to help others with energy healing, so I became a Reiki Practitioner, and have been practicing for eight years now.

I love nature and have always felt a strong pull to spend more time in the forest. A voice inside kept telling me to walk deep into the woods. One day I decided to do an 8km walk in a wilderness trail - by myself. I was very nervous. What if I meet up with a bear, or a coyote? I finally convinced myself to walk for ten minutes, and if I was too scared, I would turn around and walk back out. The most amazing thing happened mere moments after I started walking the trail. I felt wrapped in a warm blanket of love, I felt truly protected. I kept right on walking, all 8km, and to this day, hiking is my meditation. I can’t live without it. There’s an energy in nature we are all connected to, a connection essential for our body, mind and soul health.

The most pivotal moment in my life hit me hard - when my boyfriend ended his life, suddenly and unexpectedly. I was devastated. After I took the time to heal, instead of closing up my heart, I opened it up even more. It has brought me limitless compassion and endless love for others.

I believe that when our physical body dies, our consciousness, or soul, lives on. In our death-phobic culture many don’t believe in an afterlife, which can create fear. As a Death Doula my goal is to provide emotional support and companionship, which alleviates anxieties and fears associated with dying.

Certifications:

Anyone interested in becoming a death doula can register for HHA’s Death Doula certificate program here.