Ask a Death Doula

What if the future of end-of-life care isn't found inside the healthcare system—but within our communities?

In this powerful episode of Ask a Death Doula, Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN, shares why the global death doula movement has reached a pivotal moment—and why it's time for its next evolution.

Drawing from more than 20 years as a hospice and oncology nurse and over 1,000 bedside experiences, Suzanne reveals the critical gaps she sees in today's end-of-life landscape, why so many aspiring death doulas struggle to build meaningful, sustainable practices, and what it will truly take to create a cultural shift around aging, caregiving, grief, and end-of-life.

This episode also marks the exciting announcement of the very first Death Doula Bootcamp—a transformational three-day live virtual experience designed to help compassionate people become confident community educators and leaders.

This isn't about collecting another certification.

It's about becoming part of a movement.

Changing the culture around death will not happen one family at a time.

It happens when compassionate people step forward as educators, leaders, and advocates—bringing knowledge, confidence, and sacred support back into their communities.

The future of end-of-life care isn't simply about serving people who are dying.

It's about helping people live well, prepare well, care well, and love well—long before the final chapter arrives.

If you've ever felt called to this work...

If you're already a death doula but aren't sure how to build a thriving practice...

If you're a caregiver, nurse, social worker, therapist, chaplain, or simply someone who knows there has to be a better way...

This Bootcamp was created for you.

During this live three-day experience (August 27–29), you'll learn Suzanne's proven community educator model—the same framework that helped grow Doulagivers into a global movement serving hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

By the end of the Bootcamp, you'll leave with:

This is not just information.

It's implementation.

It's transformation.

And it's an invitation to become part of one of the most important cultural movements of our time.

Join us for the first-ever Death Doula Bootcamp and become part of the movement to create Compassionate Communities for Aging and End of Life.

Learn more and register at:

Please subscribe to Ask a Death Doula, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who feels called to bring more compassion, education, and sacred care into the world.

Together, we can return end-of-life care to where it has always belonged—in the hearts, hands, and communities of everyday people.

What happens when you listen to the quiet voice in your heart and trust where it leads?

In this inspiring episode, Suzanne B. O'Brien sits down with Doulagivers graduate Killy Sanchez from Guatemala to explore a remarkable journey that began with caring for her mother and grew into a calling that is now touching lives around the world.

Like so many people, Killy first entered the world of caregiving through personal experience. What she discovered along the way was something much bigger than she ever imagined—a deeper understanding of life, love, service, and the sacred nature of the human experience.

Following her heart led Killy to become a Certified Doulagiver®, but it didn't stop there.

Today, Killy is helping Spanish-speaking communities around the world access life-changing end-of-life education and support. She is a vital part of the growing Doulagivers Institute Español initiative, helping expand free resources, including the award-winning Level 1 Family Caregiver Training, to Spanish-speaking families globally.

Killy also facilitates The Good Death Book Club in Spanish, creating a beautiful space where people from many countries can come together to explore meaningful conversations about life, death, grief, caregiving, forgiveness, and what truly matters.

One of the most moving moments in this conversation is Killy's story of caring for her cousin at the end of life.

When her cousin needed support, Killy opened her home and her heart. Using the skills, compassion, and wisdom she learned through her Doulagivers training, she helped bring family members together, bridged difficult relationships, created opportunities for forgiveness, and fostered meaningful conversations that may never have happened otherwise.

What unfolded was a powerful example of what becomes possible when a family is supported through the end-of-life journey with love, understanding, and intention.

Through Killy's guidance, her cousin's final chapter became one filled with connection, acceptance, peace, storytelling, healing, and love.

This episode reminds us that ordinary people have the extraordinary ability to change lives.

When we follow our hearts, answer the call to serve, and show up for one another, we create ripple effects that extend far beyond what we can see. Families heal. Communities strengthen. Fear transforms into understanding. Love becomes the guiding force.

This is how we change the world.

One person.

How Killy's caregiving journey began with her mother

What inspired her to become a Certified Doulagiver®

The profound impact end-of-life education had on her own life

How she supported her cousin and family through a sacred end-of-life journey

The role forgiveness, communication, and connection play in healing

Why following your heart can transform not only your life but the lives of others

The growth of Doulagivers Institute Español and its global impact

How Spanish-speaking communities can access free caregiving resources today

Information about joining The Good Death Book Club in Spanish

If this conversation inspired you, we invite you to take the next step.

Join The Good Death Book Club in Spanish and become part of a global community exploring what it means to live fully, care deeply, and embrace the sacredness of life, death, and grief.

You can also access free Spanish-language caregiving resources, including the award-winning Level 1 Family Caregiver Training, designed to help families feel more prepared, supported, and empowered during life's most important transitions.

Together, we are bringing compassionate care, education, and community back where it belongs—into the hearts and homes of people everywhere.

Because when one person follows their heart, the world changes.

As Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) legislation continues to expand across the United States, a deeper question is emerging:

What is really driving the conversation?

In this episode, Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN, Founder and CEO of Doulagivers Institute and author of The Good Death, explores the growing movement around Medical Aid in Dying and asks us to look beneath the headlines, politics, and debates to uncover what many people are truly seeking.

Suzanne recently appeared on the nationally acclaimed Freakonomics Radio podcast alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who discussed her decision to sign Medical Aid in Dying into law in New York State. While opinions on MAID vary widely, Suzanne believes there is one important truth that deserves more attention:

The desire for Medical Aid in Dying is often rooted in fear.

Fear of pain.

Fear of prolonged suffering.

Fear of loss of dignity.

Fear of losing autonomy.

Fear of becoming a burden to loved ones.

But what if, instead of debating only the final decision, we focused on addressing the fears that lead people there?

Drawing on more than 20 years as a hospice and oncology nurse and the bedside wisdom of over 1,000 dying patients, Suzanne shares how education, preparation, community support, and compassionate end-of-life care can transform fear into peace.

This episode opens an important conversation about what it means to die well—and ultimately, what it means to live well.

If people are choosing Medical Aid in Dying because they fear pain, suffering, loss of dignity, or becoming a burden...

Shouldn't we first make sure they have access to the education, support, resources, and care that can address those fears?

That is the conversation Suzanne believes is the invitation of this moment: Returning Death Back to Sacred Experience it was meant to be.  

Death Doula Secrets Webinar: https://event.webinarjam.com/4kv5v/register/zmyryix0?

Freakonomics: Who Gets to Choose a Good Death: 678. Who Gets to Choose a “Good Death”?

Learn the foundational skills every family should know for caregiving and end-of-life support.

Suzanne B. O'Brien's bestselling book on what the dying teach us about living fully, loving deeply, and facing death without fear.

Providing free education, resources, and professional certification programs to help return the sacredness of aging, caregiving, end-of-life, grief, and community support.

Suzanne B. O'Brien, RN is a former hospice and oncology nurse, international bestselling author, and founder of Doulagivers Institute. She has trained hundreds of thousands of people worldwide in end-of-life care and is dedicated to ensuring that every family has access to the knowledge and support needed to navigate aging, caregiving, and dying with dignity and peace.

Please subscribe, share it with someone you love, and help us continue the movement of bringing death, caregiving, and community back into the conversation.

Because when we learn how to support a good death, we learn how to create a better life.

What if success wasn't measured by titles, status, or income alone?

What if true success was measured by fulfillment, purpose, compassion, presence, and the impact we leave on others?

In this special Doulagivers Graduate Spotlight episode, we are honored to introduce Yasmeen Fatima—author, Certified Doulagiver, and a beautiful example of what becomes possible when we follow the quiet calling of the heart.

Yasmeen completed her Doulagivers training in 2020 and has since dedicated her work to one of the most tender and sacred spaces imaginable: supporting children and families facing grief, loss, and end-of-life experiences.

Suzanne recently had the opportunity to meet Yasmin in person while speaking at a conference in Guatemala, and the connection was a powerful reminder that this work transcends borders, languages, and cultures. It is a universal calling to show up for one another in our most vulnerable moments.

In this heartfelt conversation, Yasmeen shares how the Doulagivers training transformed not only her professional path, but her life itself. She speaks about the courage it takes to follow your purpose, the unexpected gifts that emerge when you do, and why supporting children through grief is some of the most meaningful work she has ever known.

As an author, Yasmeen has also created beautiful resources to support families navigating loss, including her book Heaven Starts Here: A Children's Guide to Grief—a compassionate and much-needed guide that helps children understand, process, and move through grief with love and support.

This episode is part of our ongoing Doulagivers Graduate Spotlight Series, where we celebrate graduates who are bringing the teachings of compassion, community care, sacred dying, sacred grieving, and sacred living into the world in unique and powerful ways.

Because success today is being redefined.

Success is living in alignment with your values.

Success is sharing your gifts.

Success is answering the call to serve.

Success is leaving the world a little better than you found it.

And Yasmeen Fatima is doing exactly that.

Yasmeen Fatima is a Certified Doulagiver, author, and compassionate advocate for children and families navigating grief and loss. Her work focuses on supporting young people through some of life's most challenging transitions with honesty, love, understanding, and hope. Through her books, education, and service, she is helping create a world where children and families have the support they need to navigate grief with greater understanding and connection.

Explore Yasmeen's work and discover her children's grief resources, including Heaven Starts Here: A Children's Guide to Grief.

Yasmeen’s website: https://yasmeenfatimah.com/

Thank you for joining us as we continue to celebrate the extraordinary graduates of Doulagivers Institute who are helping return the sacred to dying, grieving, and living—one family, one community, and one heart at a time.

The award-winning training that has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world feel more prepared for caregiving, end-of-life, and grief.

Save your seat here: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-free-class-register

Join us for this transformational 12-month journey into death literacy, end-of-life planning, and sacred living.

https://thegooddeathbook.com/the-good-death-seminar-series/

Website: https://www.suzannebobrien.com

Doulagivers Institute: https://www.doulagivers.com

Get the Book: The Good Death Here

"Bringing back the sacredness of death brings back the sacredness of life."- and THIS is how we change the world! Xo Suzanne 

In this special birthday episode, Suzanne reflects on turning 59 and shares some of the greatest lessons she has learned from caring for more than 1,000 people at the end of life and training over 400,000 people to care for the dying.

What do those nearing the end of life teach us about how to live?

Again and again, they remind us that time is our most precious resource. They remind us not to wait to become who we came here to be. They remind us that purpose matters. Love matters. Presence matters.

Suzanne shares why she has come to view each day as its own lifetime—an opportunity to show up fully, love deeply, serve meaningfully, and not miss the gift of being alive.

She also shares her birthday wish for the coming year: to help train another 100,000 people through the free Doulagivers Level 1 Family Caregiver Training so that more families around the world feel prepared, empowered, and supported through caregiving, end-of-life, and grief.

This episode also celebrates the return of the Good Death Seminar Series—a transformational 12-month educational series designed to bring death literacy, empowerment, and sacred understanding back into our communities.

Because when we bring back the sacredness of death, we bring back the sacredness of life.

How Did We Get Here?

What Is Hospice Care and How Does It Work?

Advance Directives and POLST Forms

Choosing a Healthcare Proxy

Quality of Life

The 9 Essential End-of-Life Questions

Having the Family Conversation

When Families Don't Agree

The Three Most Common End-of-Life Phenomena

Home Wakes, Home Funerals, and FUNerals

Green End-of-Life Options

Grief and Bereavement

All seminars are held live on Zoom. Space is limited and registration is required for each individual session.

If this message resonates with you, please help make Suzanne's birthday wish come true.

Share the free Doulagivers Level 1 Family Caregiver Training with your family, friends, healthcare professionals, faith communities, and social networks.

Education changes fear into understanding.

Together, we can create a world where no family faces end-of-life alone.

The award-winning training that has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world feel more prepared for caregiving, end-of-life, and grief.

Save your seat here: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-free-class-register

Join us for this transformational 12-month journey into death literacy, end-of-life planning, and sacred living.

https://thegooddeathbook.com/the-good-death-seminar-series/

Website: https://www.suzannebobrien.com

Doulagivers Institute: https://www.doulagivers.com

Get the Book: The Good Death Here

"Bringing back the sacredness of death brings back the sacredness of life."- and THIS is how we change the world! Xo Suzanne 

In this deeply important and heartfelt episode, hospice and oncology nurse, death doula educator, and founder of the Doulagivers Institute https://doulagivers.com, Suzanne B. O’Brien RN, shares the truth about why so many end-of-life experiences today are filled with fear, overwhelm, and unnecessary suffering.

After supporting over a thousand people at the end of life, Suzanne explains that the problem is not a lack of love — it is a lack of education, understanding, and support.

The good news? A peaceful and meaningful end of life is absolutely possible.

In this episode, Suzanne breaks down the top three reasons end of life is not going well for most families today — and what we can do to change it.

Suzanne shares how compassionate education, preparation, and support can transform the end-of-life experience for both the dying person and their loved ones.

For the past 16 years, the Doulagivers Institute https://doulagivers.com has been offering free family caregiver education to help empower people with the skills, understanding, and confidence needed to care for loved ones at the end of life.

The free Level 1 Family Caregiver Training is now available in 15 languages and includes:

This training is offered live and interactively — there are no replays.

Suzanne invites everyone to take this training before they need it, because one day, someone we love will need us.

“A peaceful end of life should not be a privilege. It is a human right.”

Learn more and register here: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-free-class-register

“Most end-of-life experiences are not going well today — not because families don’t care, but because they were never taught how to care.”

“Hospice is incredibly valuable, but most people misunderstand what hospice actually is.”

“Families are doing approximately 98% of the hands-on end-of-life care, even with hospice services involved.”

“Death is not a medical experience. It is a human one.”

“When we teach people how to care for one another at the end of life, we don’t just change death — we change humanity.”

If this episode touched your heart, please share it with caregivers, healthcare professionals, and loved ones who may benefit from this important conversation.

Together, we can help bring compassion, education, and dignity back to end-of-life care.

In this deeply emotional Mother’s Day episode, Suzanne B. O’Brien RN shares one of the most sacred callings many of us will ever experience: walking our mothers home at the end of life.

As daughters, mothers, caregivers, nurses, and women in community, we are so often the ones called forward to care for those we love through aging, illness, and the final transition. Yet most families today are trying to navigate end-of-life care without the knowledge, preparation, or support that once was naturally handed down from grandmother to grandchild.

And the result is heartbreaking.

Families are overwhelmed. Terrified. Exhausted. Grieving while caregiving. Trying to do the most important work of their lives without the skills or understanding to feel grounded and empowered.

In this episode, Suzanne speaks openly about:

Suzanne also shares a heartfelt call for women everywhere to rise into a new era of compassionate caregiving and conscious community support — bringing back the sacred human wisdom that once guided families through life, death, grief, and love.

Because this moment is asking us to remember:

And when we learn how to show up for one another with presence, compassion, and practical skills, everything changes.

This is the heart of Doulagivers Institute:

The free Doulagivers Level 1 End-of-Life Doula Family Caregiver Training is now available globally in 15 languages and has helped transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

This free 90-minute live training includes:

And the impact has been profound.

“My sweet sister passed away last night after fighting Multiple Myeloma for almost five years. Because of your EOLD training I was able to be fully present with no fear. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“I am a retired nurse with an extensive background in oncology, critical and palliative care. That was the BEST 90 minutes of clear comprehensive education on end-of-life care I have ever heard. Excellent!”

“The Doulagivers Level 1 Training was life changing for me! Had the BEST night of sleep in over 30 years!”

“I was drawn to the Doulagivers Level 1 Training in search of help with grief. I had tried grief counseling, therapists, and workshops, but nothing helped. This training changed everything for me. I can now see how deeply connected end-of-life education is to healing grief and loss. I feel very connected here.”

“When my son died, I felt broken when he kept saying he wanted to go home. I replied that he was home. I get it now. He was telling his momma he was ready to go. Thank you.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I feel healed from my parents’ death issues that I have carried for over 40 years. Your compassion comes through every word.”

This training is more than education.

One training can truly change your life.

Grab your seat for the next free Doulagivers Level 1 End-of-Life Doula Family Caregiver Training and share it with those you love. https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-free-class-register

Because this is how we change the world:

Suzanne B. O’Brien RN is an oncology and hospice nurse, founder of Doulagivers Institute, international bestselling author of The Good Death, and a global leader in end-of-life education and conscious living. She has trained over 400,000 people worldwide in compassionate end-of-life care and believes that death is not a medical experience — it is a human one.

#EndOfLifeCare #MothersDay #Caregiving #Hospice #DeathDoula #Doulagivers #TheGoodDeath #FamilyCaregiver #ConsciousLiving #GriefSupport #AgingWell #CommunityCare #LifeAndDeath #SacredCaregiving

This is a moment in time that marks a profound shift in how we care for one another.

In this powerful episode, Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN—founder of the Doulagivers Institute—announces a historic expansion of the Doulagivers Death Doula World Training, now available in 15 different languages.

For the first time in modern history, people around the world can access free, life-changing education that teaches them how to care for a loved one at the end of life—bringing these essential human skills back into the hands of families and communities.

This is more than a training.

Every single one of us will face end-of-life—either personally or with someone we love.

And yet, most people enter this sacred time feeling:

The Doulagivers mission is simple and profound:

“Death is not a medical experience—it’s a human one.

With this training now available in 15 languages, Doulagivers is:

You can join the Doulagivers Level 1 End-of-Life Doula Family Caregiver Training for free and learn how to:

👉 Register for the NEXT LIVE DEATH DOULA TRAINING here: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-f... 

This is about more than education.

If you’ve ever felt called to:

This is your invitation.

If this episode touched you, please:

Because together…

In this powerful and necessary episode of Ask a Death Doula, Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN, shares the essential questions every aspiring death doula must ask before choosing a training program.

With the rapid growth of the death doula profession, not all trainings are created equal. This episode is a call to discernment, integrity, and responsibility—because the work of supporting individuals and families at the end of life is sacred, deeply human, and requires the highest level of preparation.

Suzanne breaks down the three non-negotiables that define a legitimate, ethical, and high-quality death doula training—so you can confidently choose a path that truly prepares you to serve.

A true training goes far beyond theory. It must include:

👉 If it doesn’t prepare you for real-life situations, it’s not enough.

This work cannot be learned in isolation.

A high-quality program includes:

👉 This ensures you don’t just learn—you become confident and capable.

A legitimate training doesn’t just certify you—it prepares you to serve.

Look for:

👉 Because this is not just education—it’s a calling into service.

End-of-life care is not just another profession—it is a sacred human experience.

Families deserve:

And doulas deserve:

When we raise the standard of training, we raise the standard of care.

“This work is of the highest service. We must hold the highest standards—not only for ourselves, but for the families who will trust us during the most vulnerable time of life.”

Register for the LIVE Death Doula Discovery Webinar on Wednesday, April 29th at 7pm EST HERE: https://event.webinarjam.com/4kv5v/re...

In this deeply moving and expansive episode, Suzanne shares her personal experience traveling to Thailand to train Buddhist monks in end-of-life care through the Doulagivers program. What unfolds is a powerful reminder that while cultures, traditions, and languages may differ, the heart of caring for someone at the end of life is universal.

Through moments of connection, humility, and shared wisdom, Suzanne reflects on what it was like to teach those who have long held sacred space for the dying—and what they, in turn, taught her. The experience revealed a profound truth: this global death doula movement is not about creating something new, but remembering something ancient—compassionate, present, human care at the end of life.

This episode is a beautiful bridge between East and West, science and spirituality, and tradition and modern practice—showing us that no matter who we are or where we live, we are all connected through this sacred human experience.

No matter where you are in the world, the essence of a “good death” is the same: presence, compassion, dignity, and love. This episode reminds us that what we are building through the death doula movement is not new—it is a return to what humanity has always known.

“This experience showed me that we are not teaching something different—we are remembering something together. Across the world, across cultures, there is one shared truth: how we care for each other at the end of life matters deeply. And it always has.”

If this episode resonates with you, you are being called into this work—whether for your own life, your family, or your community.

Join the global movement and learn how to care for someone at the end of life with presence, confidence, and love through the Doulagivers Level 1 Family Caregiver Training.