As a Death Doula and Aliveness Therapist, I help individuals and families find meaning and movement through loss — not only at the end of life, but wherever grief appears.
The profession of Death Doula is still little known in France.
It first appeared in New York in 2003 before expanding to Switzerland and Belgium, and has only recently started to take root in France through the IDDFV – Institut Deuils-Doulas de Fin de Vie, which became Qualiopi certified in 2019.
In a society that often avoids speaking about death, the pandemic reminded us of how vital it is to talk about the end of life — freely, without taboo or fear.
Many people feel lost after the death of a loved one, unsure of how to navigate grief or the practical steps that follow.
This is where death doulas can offer precious support.
Where does the word “Doula” come from?
The term doula comes from the Greek word meaning “a woman who offers care, presence, and emotional support.”
Traditionally, doulas accompanied birth and the postpartum period — the beginning of life.
Over the past two decades, a new branch of this vocation emerged: the death doula.
Rooted in the same philosophy of compassion and presence, a death doula supports individuals and families through the passages surrounding death and grief.
We accompany not only the physical reality of dying, but also the emotional, relational, and spiritual aspects that surround it — always through a lens of humanity and respect.
From End-of-Life to Grief Support
While some death doulas focus on end-of-life care — being present at the bedside, assisting families, and facilitating conversations about medical directives —
my own practice has evolved toward grief work: supporting those who remain, helping them rebuild meaning, and reinhabit life after loss.
For me, being a death doula means walking alongside the living.
It means holding space for grief in all its forms, helping it move and transform rather than suppressing or pathologizing it.
Grief is not something to overcome — it is something to live through.
And within it lies the potential for renewal.
Grief Beyond Death
Grief does not only arise from the death of a loved one.
It is a universal process that touches us whenever something precious is lost or transformed.
The forms of grief include:
- The death of a loved one (a family member, partner, friend, or colleague)
- Animal grief, the loss of a beloved companion
- Perinatal grief, including miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, or sudden infant death
- Transitional grief, following a major life change: separation, divorce, illness, retirement, menopause, immigration, or professional reconversion
Each of these losses deserves recognition, space, and compassion.
As a death doula specializing in grief, I offer a safe and grounded space where these experiences can be expressed, understood, and symbolically honored.
Spaces for Healing and Meaning
Grief calls for witness — for someone who can listen without trying to fix.
I offer this presence through:
- Individual grief support, in-person or online
- Group circles and workshops, where words and silence coexist
- Educational workshops on advance directives, helping people approach end-of-life choices with clarity and peace
- Ritual creation, to symbolically honor loss and reestablish continuity between life and death
These spaces invite people to reconnect with what is still alive within them — to rediscover the pulse of their aliveness.
How Transgenerational Work Deepens Grief Support
My approach is enriched by transgenerational analysis, which explores unresolved or inherited grief within the family lineage.
Some sorrows are not entirely our own.
They travel through generations, through silence, unspoken guilt, or emotional repetition.
By bringing these patterns to light, it becomes possible to understand why certain losses feel heavier or more complex than others.
This exploration helps clients to:
- Recognize frozen grief or “bad deaths” within their family tree
- Honor ancestors whose stories were silenced
- Create symbolic rituals of repair and release
- Understand family reactions to loss with more compassion and perspective
Through this process, the person can finally separate their own grief from inherited pain — and find a more peaceful relationship with life.
Neither Doctor nor Psychologist
I am neither a doctor nor a psychologist.
My role is not to diagnose or treat, but to accompany.
My work does not replace medical or psychiatric care, and can be offered in complement to therapy with a mental health professional.
I collaborate with medical, social, and funeral professionals whenever needed, ensuring a respectful and safe continuum of care.
Toward a Culture of the Living
Being a death doula is, above all, an act of reconciliation —
reconciling the living with death, families with conversation, and each of us with our own humanity.
To accompany death is to accompany life —
to honor what ends while nurturing what continues.
In this sense, the death doula is not a figure of mourning, but a guardian of the bridge between loss and aliveness.
