Ask a Death Doula

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. In This Episode: Yasmeen's journey into the Doulagivers training in 2020 How following her heart changed the direction of her life The sacred work of supporting children and families through grief Why pediatric grief support is so deeply needed today The impact of compassionate end-of-life and grief education Yasmeen's books and resources for children experiencing loss What true success means in a world hungry for purpose and connection How one person's calling can create a ripple effect of healing for countless others About Yasmeen Fatima 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. Connect and Learn More 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. Resources Free Doulagivers Level 1 Family Caregiver Training 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 The Good Death Seminar Series Join us for this transformational 12-month journey into death literacy, end-of-life planning, and sacred living. https://thegooddeathbook.com/the-good-de

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. In This Episode Why time is our most valuable commodity The powerful lessons learned from those at the end of life How living with purpose changes everything Suzanne's birthday wish for the coming year Why every family deserves end-of-life education The return of the Good Death Seminar Series How restoring death literacy helps restore humanity The movement to return to Sacred Dying, Sacred Grieving, and Sacred Living The Good Death Seminar Series 2026–2027 June 11, 2026 How Did We Get Here?How did death become the number one fear in our world? Exploring what we've forgotten and how we can remember. July 9, 2026 What Is Hospice Care and How Does It Work?Understanding hospice, the Hospice Gap, and how families can bridge it. August 13, 2026 Advance Directives and POLST FormsWhat they are, how they work, and what you need to know to make your wishes legally actionable. September 10, 2026 Choosing a Healthcare ProxyThe language we often get wrong and how to select the right person. October 8, 2026 Quality of LifeDefining what quality of life means to you and why it should guide your healthcare decisions. November 12, 2026 The 9 Essential End-of-Life QuestionsThe conversations and decisions that create peace of mind. December 10, 2026 Having the Family ConversationHow to discuss end-of-life wishes and why this may be one of the greatest gifts you ever give your loved ones. January 14, 2027 When Families Don't AgreeNavigating conflict and differing opinions around end-of-life care. February 11, 2027 The Three Most Common End-of-Life PhenomenaWhat people around the world report experiencing at the end of life and what it may mean. March 11, 2027 Home Wakes, Home Funerals, and FUNeralsExploring family-centered after-death care and celebration. April 8, 2027 Green End-of-Life OptionsNatural burial, water cremation, human composting, and emerging choices. May 13, 2027 Grief and BereavementThe truth about grief, healthy bereavement, and how to talk with children about death. All seminars are held live on Zoom. Space is limited and registration is required for each individual session. A Birthday Wish 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.Understanding changes experience.Experience changes lives. Together, we can create a world where no family faces end-of-life alone. Resources Free Doulagivers Level 1 Family Caregiver Training The award-winning training that has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world feel more prepared for care

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. In This Episode, Suzanne Discusses: 1. Families No Longer Have the Skills to Care for Loved Ones at End of Life How end-of-life care was once passed down from grandmother to grandchild Why these sacred caregiving skills have been lost over the last 100 years The emotional toll on families who are suddenly expected to become caregivers overnight Why this is not a failure of families — but a failure of education 2. Most People Do Not Understand What Hospice Does (or Does Not Do) The truth about the hospice model today Why hospice should be understood as a “consultant model” rather than continuous care The reality that family caregivers provide approximately 98% of the hands-on end-of-life care, even with hospice services involved Why the median hospice stay of only 16–18 days creates crisis care instead of supportive care Suzanne’s firsthand experience as a hospice nurse trying to teach families how to care for loved ones in an impossible timeframe 3. Fear of Death Is Driving Suffering How fear delays important conversations and planning Why people often come onto hospice services far too late The impact of denial and avoidance around death in modern culture How fear prevents families from learning the skills they need Why death is not just a medical experience — it is a deeply human one The Hope: Education Changes Everything 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: The Doulagivers 3 Phases of End of Life Framework A live interactive teaching experience A downloadable workbook Guidance on how to physically, emotionally, and spiritually support someone at end of life Practical caregiver education families can use immediately Save Your Spot for the FREE Live Training 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   Memorable Quotes from This Episode “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.” Connect with Suzanne B. O’Brien RN   Take the Free LIVE Death Doula Training: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-free-class-register Website: https://doulagivers.com/ Get The Book: The Good Death Here Follow & Share If this e

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: The truth behind the current hospice model Why families provide 98% of the hands-on care, even with hospice involved How hospice shifted after becoming a Medicare benefit Why most people enter hospice very late, often already in crisis The devastating impact fear of death has on quality of life, caregiving, grief, and bereavement Why presence and time are the greatest medicines we have at the end of life The sacred role of “mothering our mothers” as they age and transition across the veil How learning end-of-life skills transforms fear into peace, empowerment, grounded presence, and love 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:Community takes care of community. 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:To return end-of-life education and caregiving skills back to the hands and hearts of families. 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: A downloadable workbook Practical end-of-life caregiving education Understanding the three phases of end of life Emotional, spiritual, and physical comfort measures Guidance for families and caregivers A new way of approaching life and death with peace instead of fear And the impact has been profound. What Participants Are Saying “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.”— Cathy S. “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!”— Jan S. “The Doulagivers Level 1 Training was life changing for me! Had the BEST night of sleep in over 30 years!”— Ruth Moss “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.”— Kristen O. “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.”— Theresa H. “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.”— Viv H. This training is more than education.It is healing.It is empowerment.It is remembering who we are for one another. Join the Free Global Training One training can truly change

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.This is a global movement. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why end-of-life care is a human right, not just a medical service The reality that families provide 98% of hands-on care—yet most feel unprepared How we’ve lost these sacred caregiving skills over the past 100 years—and why it’s time to bring them back What a death doula is and how this role is transforming end-of-life care worldwide The vision behind translating this training into 15 languages—and why this matters now more than ever How YOU (or someone you love) can access this free training and become empowered, prepared, and at peace Why This Matters 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: Unprepared Fearful Overwhelmed The Doulagivers mission is simple and profound:👉 Give the skills back to the people and “fill the gap” Because death is not just a medical event—It is a deeply human, emotional, and spiritual experience. A Message from Suzanne “Death is not a medical experience—it’s a human one.And when we bring knowledge, presence, and love back into this space, everything changes.” Global Impact With this training now available in 15 languages, Doulagivers is: Reaching families across cultures and continents Empowering communities with practical, compassionate care skills Supporting a global shift toward more peaceful, connected, and conscious end-of-life experiences Access the Free Training You can join the Doulagivers Level 1 End-of-Life Doula Family Caregiver Training for free and learn how to: Provide comfort and care during the final stages of life Understand the 3 phases of end of life Support your loved one physically, emotionally, and spiritually Feel confident instead of afraid during one of life’s most important moments 👉 Register for the NEXT LIVE DEATH DOULA TRAINING here: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-f...  Join the Movement This is about more than education.It’s about changing the way the world experiences death—and therefore, life. If you’ve ever felt called to: Help others Be present in meaningful moments Bring more compassion into the world This is your invitation. 🔗 Connect & Learn More Take the free DEATH DOULA Training: https://www.doulagivers.com/monthly-f...  Website: https://doulagivers.com Get The GOOD DEATH Book: https://thegooddeathbook.com/ Share the Message If this episode touched you, please: Share it with someone you love Leave a review Help us spread this mission across the world Because together…we can bring dignity, peace, and sacredness back to the end-of-life- AND life experience- and THIS is how we change the world!