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Sally Gabriel Ph.D.
Death Doula Services
Compassionate Guidance Through
Life’s Final Chapter
Navigating the end of life can be overwhelming, both for the person experiencing it and their loved ones. At Epilogue Care, my death doula services provide emotional, spiritual, and practical support tailored to each individual’s needs. I help to guide families through the end of life process with empathy, dignity, and care, ensuring that these moments are meaningful, peaceful, and grounded in respect.
Guiding You Through Life’s Final Chapter
Changing the Way We Talk About Death and Loss
A death doula offers unique non-medical support at the end of life—we provide a steady, compassionate presence that honors the wishes and dignity of the dying person and their loved ones. My services include emotional support, advance care planning , legacy work, logistical support, vigil planning, and more for both patients and families. By learning about the unique needs of each individual and their loved ones, I help people create end-of-life experiences that are met with comfort, clarity, and intentionality.
Will I Benefit from Hiring
a Death Doula?
Support for Individuals, Families, Loved Ones,
and Caregivers
Death doula services are for anyone navigating the end-of-life process, including:
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Individuals seeking peace, guidance, and support from diagnosis through their final days
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Family members and loved ones needing reassurance and emotional support
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Caregivers looking for guidance on how best to support their loved one
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Anyone over 18 who wants to create advance care planning documents
Every engagement is tailored to your unique situation, honoring personal, cultural, and religious/spiritual needs.
"Death is not the opposite of life but a part of it."
- Haruki Murakami
Death Doulas vs. Hospice Workers
Understanding the Difference in Care
While both death doulas and hospice workers provide support at the end of life, their roles are distinct. Hospice workers focus primarily on medical care, pain management, and clinical needs for those facing terminal illness. They ensure comfort, administer medications, and coordinate medical services.
Death doulas, on the other hand, provide non-medical support. They focus on emotional, spiritual, and practical guidance for both the person experiencing the end of life and their loved ones. This may include legacy work, facilitating meaningful conversations, providing a steady presence, and offering tools for coping with anticipatory grief.
Together, hospice and death doula care complement each other, creating a holistic approach that addresses both physical comfort and emotional well-being.
What You’ll Receive with Death Doula Services
Practical and Emotional Guidance at Every Step
Working with a death doula ensures that you and your loved ones feel supported throughout the dying process. My services include:
Personalized emotional and spiritual support: Receive compassionate, individualized guidance to navigate the emotional and spiritual aspects of the end of life journey, helping you and your loved ones find comfort and clarity.
Assistance with end of life planning and decision-making: I provide practical support to help you make thoughtful decisions, create advance care plans, and ensure your wishes are clearly documented and honored.
Assistance with legacy projects, life review, and memory-making: Together, we preserve meaningful stories, reflections, and memories through legacy projects and life reviews that celebrate a life well-lived.
Advocacy and guidance for navigating the healthcare system: I support you and your loved ones by helping to explain medical options, communicating your wishes, and ensuring your voice is respected within the healthcare system.
Vigil planning and bedside support: I provide vigil planning and attentive, compassionate presence at the bedside, helping you and your loved ones create a peaceful, intentional, and meaningful final experience.
My Doula Client Process
Free Connection Call
A 15–20 minute phone call to determine if my services align with your needs.
Initial Consultation
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Format: In-person or Zoom
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Duration: 1.5 hours
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During this session, we’ll discuss your needs, wishes, and concerns. I’ll ask questions to understand your situation, explain my services, answer any questions you have, and suggest ways I can best support you and your family.
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Fee: $125
Moving Forward
If you choose me to support you, I will create a personalized plan tailored to your needs. You decide which services to include and how often we meet, whether in person or via Zoom.
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Hourly fee: $75
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Prepaid Packages available
Limits To What I Do:
What an End-of-Life Doula Does Not Do:
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Provide hands-on medical care: I offer companionship and support, but not home health care. Home health aides are better suited for those needs.
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Make medical decisions: I will educate you and your loved ones about end-of-life options, but all decisions remain with the patient, loved ones, and your medical team.
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Give medical advice or medication: I will share information to help you understand what to expect at end of life. Because I am not a medical professional, I do not offer medical advice or administer medication.
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Project personal beliefs: I will provide a safe and supportive environment, respecting your individual beliefs and values. I do not project my beliefs or values onto my clients.
What you need to know about Death Doula support
A death doula provides non-medical support to individuals and families during the end-of-life process. They focus on emotional, spiritual, and practical guidance.
Hospice primarily provides medical care for terminally ill patients. Their care team usually includes a nurse, a CNA, a social worker, and a chaplain. A death doula fills in the gaps in care by providing emotional, logistical, and spiritual support before, during, and after death. Death Doulas can devote more time with patients and families because they are private pay; Hospice is paid for by Medicare. The Hospice team and death doulas work together to give you the best quality of care at end of life.
Individuals who are nearing the end of life, family members, and caregivers who want compassionate support for planning and death support. Anyone over 18 can create a plan for their end of life, to be updated regularly.
Ideally, early in the end-of-life process—whether weeks, months, or even years in advance—to allow for planning, emotional support, and relationship-building. If you've received a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis, that's the perfect time to get a death doula on your care team.
Reach out to me via the contact page to schedule a no-charge 15-20 minute Connection Call to see how I can help you.