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Sally Gabriel Ph.D.
About Me
Sally Gabriel Ph.D.
I'm a compassionate listener trained in psychology, coaching, communication, end of life and grief support. I specialize in helping people navigate the natural processes of aging, dying, grief, and life after loss.
Your journey matters. I believe you have the right to a dignified end of life where you feel cared for and supported. I help you and your loved ones plan for and create a positive and individualized death experience. I accompany you and your loved ones by providing a safe space for the expression of thoughts and emotions. I also provide support for surivors in navigating the logistics and emotional terrain that follows the loss of a beloved one.
I'm an End of Life Doula and Grief Educator serving Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Florida in-person with emote support nationwide.
WHY I DO THIS WORK
My work as an End of Life Doula and a Grief Educator is a calling
Providing care for individuals Preparing for the end of life, those Dealing with Loss as well as those experiencing grief, requires...
A compassionate heart
A listening ear
Skillful communication
Flexibility
Curiosity
Presence
Do you need support creating a peaceful, meaningful end-of-life experience for yourself
or a loved one? Have you recently lost someone and need logistical and/or grief support? Let’s navigate these journeys together.
My Passions
I offer compassionate, non-medical support to patients and their loved ones as they navigate the end of life journey.
Unlike traditional medical care, I focus on death as a natural process, not a medical event. I work with you to create advanced care, vigil, and survivorship plans to prepare for it with knowledge and confidence.
Just as a birth doula supports women in childbirth, I provide guidance, emotional support, and education during life's final chapter.
Many people feel unprepared to face their own death. I help you plan for and hopefully come to terms with the inevitable end of life.
As a grief educator, I walk alongside the broken-hearted. Through education and support, I empower individuals to understand their grief, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and find ways to honor their loved ones while building a future without their physical presence.
When a loved on dies, families face important practical tasks and significant emotional strain. I provide guidance for both, through passion and clarity.
My calling:
It is An honor and a privilege to walk with individuals and their loved ones through life's final chapter.
The end of life holds a unique space in my heart. It wasn't the path I envisioned after graduate school, fresh with a psychology degree focused on aging. Back then, I started work at a housing service for seniors, then moved a world away to spend 15 years in commercial banking.
My life took some unexpected turns, but one thing remained constant – my desire to support older adults. Today, I'm thrilled to be back where I began, working alongside people as they navigate the complexities of aging, illness, grief, dying, death, and what lies beyond.
The year 2017 was a turning point for me. Caring for both my parents, who passed away that spring, opened my eyes to the profound intimacy and complexities of end of life care. I felt unprepared and unsupported through their dying journeys.
Four years later, the opportunity arose to support a dear friend through her final months. Witnessing her peaceful passing, guided by her wishes, solidified my calling. Her positive death experience ignited in me a deep desire to support others and to make things easier for them at the end of their lives.
Fueled by this purpose, I quickly became a hospice volunteer and pursued specialized training as a death doula with hospice. My End of Life Doula certification from the Doulagivers Institute (2022) and additional training from INELDA (2024) equip me to offer the compassionate support others deserve as they navigate death and dying.
I've expanded my services in 2024 to include grief education and coaching, drawing on a certification as a Grief Educator (2024) from renowned grief expert David Kessler.
And, I expanded my services again in 2025 to include 'after loss support services', after I witnessed again and again how unprepared many survivors were after losing their loved one. The focus had been on the dying person's needs (sometimes for years), with little attention given to what survivors might need after their loss.
Today, being in the deathcare field is undeniably the most fulfilling work of my life. I'm honored to be part of a movement changing the way death and grief are viewed, and deathcare is practiced in America.
My Experience
"How people die remains in the memory of those who live on"
- Dame Cecily Saunders, founder of modern hospice
Credentials
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B.A. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis
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M.A. in Adult Development and Aging from Syracuse University
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M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business
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Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health
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Certifications in nutrition, health and lifestyle coaching, end of life doula care, grief education, and advance care planning.
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Doulagivers International Association
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International End Of Life Doula Association (INELDA)
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M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business
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National End of Life Doula Alliance (NEDA)
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Florida End of Life Doula Alliance
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Sarasota Area End-of-Life Doula Collective, Co-founder, Secretary-Treasurer, Membership Coordinator
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Member, Grief Educator Alumni Circle
Fun Fact
When I was in graduate school, I took my first course on death and dying with the famous Swiss-American psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, author of over 20 books on death and dying and a pioneer in raising awareness of terminal illness and death. Before her work, death was an unexplored and neglected topic in medical schools and American culture. Little did I know how famous Dr. Kubler-Ross would become! She later became the driving force behind the “death with dignity” movement in the 1970s and an advocate for hospice care. Her most famous contribution is her recognition of the five stages of grief as a pattern of adjustment to loss of all kinds: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Proud Member Of:
To promote the work of End of Life Doulas and Grief Educators, I am a member of the following organizations
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Doulagivers International Association
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International End Of Life Doula Association (INELDA)
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National End of Life Doula Alliance (NEDA)
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Florida End of Life Doula Alliance
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Sarasota Area End-of-Life Doula Collective, Co-founder, Secretary-Treasurer, Membership Coordinator
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Member, Grief Educator Alumni Circle
Certifications
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Our Community Partner: Sarasota Area End‑of‑Life Doula Collective
At Epilogue Care, we deeply value the power of community—and that’s why we’re honored to work closely with the Sarasota Area End‑of‑Life Doula Collective. This compassionate network of certified end-of-life doulas is dedicated to transforming how our community approaches death, dying, and grief. Together, we’re building a more informed, supported, and heart-centered experience for individuals and families during life’s most sensitive transitions.
What the Collective Offers:
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Holistic Support & Planning: Advance care planning, legacy work, vigil support, and personalized care tailored to individual wishes. Sarasota Doula Collective+1
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Grief & Education: Grief support, workshops, and honest conversations that help normalize death literacy. Sarasota Doula Collective
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Holistic Healing: Services rooted in mind, body, and spirit—offering reiki, aromatherapy, meditation, and more. Sarasota Doula Collective
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Local Reach: Serving Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties, with flexible options like in-person, phone, text, and video support.