As more families turn to end-of-life doulas for support during the final stages of life, opportunities for collaboration with funeral directors to better serve families continue to grow. End-of-Life Doula Ashley Johnson and Funeral Director Joél Simone explore how these partnerships can create a seamless, meaningful transition after a death, ensuring continuity of care as a loved one moves from the support of a doula to the care of a funeral professional. Together, they highlight how this collaborative approach helps families navigate loss with greater confidence, dignity, and compassion.
End-of-Life Doulas and Funeral Directors: Transforming Deathcare and Meaningful End-of-Life Planning
End-of-Life Doulas and Funeral Directors: Transforming Deathcare and Meaningful End-of-Life Planning
About Our Guest
Ashley Johnson
Ashley Johnson is an end-of-life doula, licensed direct disposer, celebrant, and founder of Loyal Hands, an end-of-life doula consulting agency focused on education, advocacy, and compassionate support. With more than a decade of experience spanning forensic anthropology to whole-body donation, Ashley is a recognized leader in the death care industry and a passionate advocate for equitable end-of-life care.
A University of Florida alumna with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida, Ashley currently serves as president of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA). She is actively involved with organizations including CANA, Compassion & Choices, and the Florida Palliative Care Coalition.
Ashley is also a TEDx speaker, NIH-published contributor, PsychArmor working group advisor, and event director for the Colon Cancer Coalition. Through her work and community involvement, she continues to champion compassionate, inclusive, and informed end-of-life care for all.
About Our Guest
Joél Simone
Joél Simone, affectionately known as The Grave Woman, brings over a decade of groundbreaking expertise and innovation to the fields of end-of-life, death and grief care. As a sacred grief care practitioner, licensed funeral director and embalmer, award-winning educator and speaker, Joél is dedicated to empowering professionals, organizations and governmental agencies to create and implement culturally sensitive protocols and inclusive practices that honor diverse cultures and traditions.
She is the founder of The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy where she offers expert insights into cultural competency and dignified end of life, death and grief care for communities of color empowering organizations to navigate the complexities of serving diverse families, staff and communities with authenticity and respect.
Leave a comment
AD