Katey Houston from Return Home in Auburn, Washington, joins us as we dig into the topic of human composting. This relatively new form of disposition offers a unique option for people who want to return their bodies to the earth after they die and offers meaningful opportunities for family and friends to say goodbye to a loved one.
Katey Houston is director of family care for Return Home in Auburn, Washington. Katey’s responsibilities include meeting with families at their time of need to create an experience as unique as the loved one lost. She physically cares for the decedents in our care ensuring their terramation journey is completed with love and care. She also leads Return Home’s educational outreach within the funeral industry. Katey is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the state of Washington and also her home country of England. She is a certified celebrant and serves on the board of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association. After 10 years in traditional funeral service Katey desired to align her personal life with her career and Return Home offered her the opportunity to be a good steward of the earth while serving families in a new and unique way. Being able to simply offer a service and space for families to create rituals that are meaningful to them allows Katey to guide families through the toughest times without the pressures of sales or outside schedules. Over the 60-day process the true relationships Katey is able to build with her families give her the love and light to continue to meet people at their darkest points. Since joining the Return Home team Katey has found confidence in reconnecting people with their death experience and encouraging family participation.
Appreciate this episode w/Kathy and have visited the Return Home site and requested the guide for more info. Terramation is something I completely believe in as an option and so appreciate all the personal rituals that can be part of the process. Would like to learn/support this movement and also an industry I could consider working in but not sure in what capacity.
I live in Florida and self employed 25 years+ recently considering options to be more mobile and work remotely out of the area I am in but, education is *first and foremost. Any suggestions or options for getting more immersed :) and are there certifications required?
Subjects not discussed -Is organ donation recognized and if a body is diseased how is that addressed within compost when then used in our Mother Earth etc?
