For Individuals
Emotional support for terminal illness. You do not have to face this alone.
A life-limiting diagnosis can feel profoundly isolating, especially without a strong family network nearby. As an end-of-life companion, I offer dedicated emotional support, legacy planning, and a steady, grounded bedside presence, so you have a reliable advocate throughout your transition.
Who sits with the dying? Non-medical companionship
While medical teams manage physical symptoms, an end-of-life companion sits with the dying to provide continuous emotional and spiritual grounding. I offer a calming presence, listen without judgment, and gently ease the fear of dying alone. Sometimes the most important thing in the room is simply someone who is not afraid to stay.
Navigating anticipatory grief
Anticipatory grief is the complex experience of mourning the loss of your future while you are still living. I offer structured, empathetic support to help you process these emotions, validate your fears, and find personal meaning as a terminal illness progresses. Grief that begins before death is real grief, and it deserves company.
Legacy preservation and end-of-life planning
Legacy work ensures your story, your values, and your final wishes are captured accurately and in your own voice. From building an end-of-life planning checklist to recording audio memoirs and writing letters to those you love, I help you organize your affairs and your story so you can spend your energy on peace of mind, not paperwork.
Emotional & logistical advocacy
Therapist vs. end-of-life companion
| Feature | Clinical Social Worker / Therapist | End-of-Life Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | Typically clinical settings or scheduled telehealth appointments. | In-home, by the bedside, in your own surroundings. |
| Scope of practice | Diagnoses and treats mental health conditions; navigates insurance. | Non-clinical active listening, legacy projects, and companionship. |
| Availability | Scheduled sessions during standard business hours. | Flexible, on-call support shaped around the dying process and vigils. |
| Focus | Psychological stabilization and clinical resource allocation. | Grounding, holding space, and easing social isolation at the end of life. |
Environment
Clinical Social Worker / Therapist
Typically clinical settings or scheduled telehealth appointments.
End-of-Life Companion
In-home, by the bedside, in your own surroundings.
Scope of practice
Clinical Social Worker / Therapist
Diagnoses and treats mental health conditions; navigates insurance.
End-of-Life Companion
Non-clinical active listening, legacy projects, and companionship.
Availability
Clinical Social Worker / Therapist
Scheduled sessions during standard business hours.
End-of-Life Companion
Flexible, on-call support shaped around the dying process and vigils.
Focus
Clinical Social Worker / Therapist
Psychological stabilization and clinical resource allocation.
End-of-Life Companion
Grounding, holding space, and easing social isolation at the end of life.
A companion is not a substitute for mental health treatment. If you would be better served by a clinician, I will say so and help you find one. My work lives alongside clinical care, not in place of it.
My background is psychology: a Master's from Seattle Pacific University and years of study in the literature on death, dying, and grief. What I bring to your bedside is careful attention and a lack of fear about the heavy moments. This is your death, and my work is to be present to it on your terms.
About my background and approachYou are not alone in this
Let's have a conversation.
A free thirty-minute call to talk through where you are, what you are facing, and whether this kind of companionship would help. Sliding-scale and pro-bono availability for first clients.