An expert guide for providing empathetic end-of-life care for death doulas and related professionals

Death doulas – trained, empathetic professionals who provide companionship, comfort, and guidance to the dying and their loved ones – are becoming increasingly common around the world. Their invaluable expertise is increasingly recognized as capable of transforming a deeply distressing experience into a still painful, but more manageable, one.

In Laboring Out of Life, registered nurse and death doula, Kacie Gikonyo, delivers a comprehensive guide for aspiring and practicing death doulas. She walks you through the responsibilities of death doulas and how they differ from the expectations placed on other deathcare professionals. Gikonyo also explains the essential skills you’ll use on the job, like facilitating grief support to understanding the biological processes of dying.

Inside the book:

• Advice for building a sustainable business practice that’s financially successful
• How to practice self-care and avoid emotional burnout
• Strategies for walking families through hard conversations about funeral planning, living wills, and last wishes

Filled with personal anecdotes from the author’s extensive experience as a death doula, Laboring Out of Life is a must-read guide for practicing death doulas, healthcare workers trying to get into the role, and hospice workers. It’s also invaluable for nurses, social workers, therapists, chaplains, and other professionals who deal with the end of life.

Kacie Gikonyo, RN, is a death doula, educator, speaker, and founder of Death Doula School, a comprehensive and internationally recognized training program for aspiring death doulas, and the Death Doula Collective, a global professional community for end-of-life practitioners. An RN with more than 12 years of experience in end-of-life care, palliative care, and healthcare education, she has become a leading voice in the modern deathcare movement. As a former nurse educator and the first death doula to serve on the National Doula Certification Board, Kacie is known for her honest, compassionate, and refreshingly human approach to conversations about death and dying.