Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Andrew Gordon of the Marshall Allen Project to talk about one of the most stressful parts of healthcare that families are rarely prepared for, medical billing. 

When someone is sick, aging, caregiving, or facing end-of-life decisions, the last thing families should have to worry...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli looks at how technology is reshaping the way we remember the people we love. Joined by architect and CEO Alex Josephson, founder of Cumulus, they discuss the shift from physical memorials to digital legacy, and what that means for future generations. 

Together, they discuss the differenc...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Trish Rux and Jan Booth, nurses, end-of-life doulas, and co-authors of Dying Matters: 8 Conversations That Can Change Your Life. 

Together, they discuss the conversations most families avoid and why those conversations matter more than any document. Drawing from decades of bedside ...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Dan Fischer, founder of the One Last Wave Project, to talk about grief, connection, and what it means to carry on a relationship with someone you love after they die. 

After losing his father to pancreatic cancer, Dan found himself searching for a way to process his grief. What ...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores a question more people are beginning to ask: does AI have a place in grief? 

Joined by Traci Gwozdz, grief educator and advisor to Reflekta, this conversation looks at how artificial intelligence is being used to preserve memories, support grief, and maintain connection after loss. Dr...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Peter Abraham, BSN, RN, to talk about the real experience of hospice care, beyond what most families are told. 

They walk through what hospice nursing looks like today, including heavy caseloads, time pressure, burnout, and the limits nurses face at the bedside. Peter shares fir...

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What actuallhttps://www.hjertehagen.nety happens in a shamanic journey, and can it really shift the way we experience grief? 

In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli looks at the role of shamanism in grief, death, and the unknown. Joined by Lisa Cox, a death midwife and shamanic practitioner, this conversation looks at shamanism as ...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores funeral planning and why it matters long before a death occurs. 

She is joined by Dan Ford, President of Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes and President of the National Funeral Directors Association. Drawing from his experience working with families, Dan shares what happens when no plans ar...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Michael A. Light, Clinical Social Worker at Harborview Medical Center, to talk about what happens when someone is seriously ill and has nowhere to go. 

In the United States, many people assume care will be there when it’s needed. But that is not the reality for everyone. F...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores grief, connection, and a little-known practice called the psychomanteum. Joined by Dr. Irene Blinston, researcher, author, and grief practitioner, they talk about what this experience actually looks like, how it is used in grief work, and what people report during and after a session.&nbs...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli discusses one of the hardest questions families face: when is it time for hospice. Joined by David Zartman and Joanna Franco from Caring House Hospice, they talk about what hospice really is, why families often wait too long, and how to start the conversation with a loved one. 

This conv...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli discusses long-term care planning and the question most people avoid: who will take care of you if you need help. 

Joined by Raymond Lavine, founder of Lavine LTC Benefits, they walk through what long-term care really looks like and why so many families are unprepared. This conversation goes b...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores what it truly means to be an end-of-life doula in the United States and why families often discover that hospice care alone cannot meet every need at the end of life.  

Joined by Danielle Slupesky, executive director of the New Mexico Death Care Network and founder of Conscious Crossr...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Marilyn Raichle, author of Don’t Walk Away, about what it means to care for someone living with dementia in a more human, relational way. Together they discuss how dementia caregiving can shift from managing decline to building partnership, presence, and connection.  

M...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Dan Ford, President of Alderson-Ford Funeral Homes and President of the National Funeral Directors Association, to talk about something many people have never heard of before: therapy dogs in funeral homes. 

Dan shares the story of Joey and Annie, two certified therapy dog...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli discusses why planning for the future often begins with a simple family conversation. Joined by Jermaine Ee, founder of the estate planning platform Heirlight, they discuss what it means to talk openly about retirement, illness, death, and writing a will before a crisis forces decisions. 

Jerm...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli, end-of-life doula and founder of Comforting Closure, explores the reality of caring for a loved one with dementia. Joined by author and end-of-life doula trainer Patty Brennan, the conversation looks closely at the emotional, practical, and relational challenges families face when dementia enters...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli speaks with Molly Pearson, founder of Birthdays From Beyond, about legacy, anticipatory grief, and how relationships can continue after death. 

Molly shares how her father’s cancer diagnosis led her to ask him to write birthday cards meant to be opened after he died. That personal e...

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli talks with Martha Shedden, Co-Founder and President of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA). 

Together, they discuss how Social Security changes when a spouse becomes ill or passes away, and what families can do to plan ahead. This conversation helps l...