Seeing Death Clearly
Seeing Death Clearly is a show that challenges you to think about your beliefs about death, dying, grief, and living life. I am your host, Jill McClennen, a death doula and end-of-life coach. As a death doula, I found through first-hand experience that the more I came to terms with my thoughts and feelings about death and dying, the more present I became in my everyday life and I hope to share that with you too, how you can live a better life by having a healthier relationship with death and dying. Each episode features a guest who shares their beliefs and stories about death and dying. These are honest conversations about a topic most of us avoided talking about our entire lives. I am on a mission to change that, one conversation at a time.
Episodes
In this episode of the podcast 'Seeing Death Clearly,' host Jill McClennen talks to Jo Beth Polly about her experiences with infertility and the death of her husband from brain cancer. Jo Beth shares how these profound losses shaped her life and career in helping others navigate grief.
They discuss the isolating nature of grief, the importance of genuine support, and how such intense experiences can lea...
In this podcast episode, Janet Turkula and Ryan Olivera, the founders of Give Willow, a platform designed to support families during funeral planning by allowing the community to contribute financially. Janet shares her personal story of losing her father at 21 and the struggle her family faced with unexpected funeral expenses, which inspired her to create Give Willow.
The platform works like a wedding registry, ...
Funeral director and celebrant Allyse Worland shares how her lifelong passion for funeral service began with a personal tragedy and grew into a calling to help others through death, grief, and healing. With sixteen years of experience, she offers a unique look at what it means to care for both the living and the dead—bringing compassion, artistry, and education to end-of-life care. Her story sheds light on how funeral...
Funerals in the United States have become unaffordable for many families, often forcing them into debt, fundraising, or unwanted cremations. This episode features Cheri Wallace, who shares a powerful grassroots solution: cemetery societies. By returning to community-based traditions of shared land and collective care, she believes people can reclaim death care in a way that is affordable, sustainable, and rooted in di...
In this special episode of Seeing Death Clearly, Jill reflects on three years of deep conversations about death, dying, grief, and living fully. As the podcast enters its fourth year, Jill shares what she’s learned from her incredible guests — from Holocaust survivors to hospice workers, death doulas, authors, and more.
She talks about how the podcast has evolved, the lessons it’s taught her, and the moments that ...
Grief can change the course of a life, and for Jason Tuttle, it became both a personal journey and a calling to help others. As a father and caregiver, he lived through the daily realities of hospital stays, medical decisions, and profound loss. After the death of his son in January 2022, Jason began to share his experiences with grief, end-of-life planning, and conscious living as a way to heal and to guide others th...
End-of-life doula Kasey March shares how personal loss and a background in guiding people through complex systems led her to death work. After experiencing the painful absence of support when her grandmother died in the ICU, she realized the importance of conscious planning, education, and compassionate guidance for both the dying and their loved ones. Her work centers on having conversations before a crisis arises, e...
In this episode, the guest shares her journey of living with Lewy body dementia, exploring how grief, acceptance, and conscious planning shape her approach to life and death. She reflects on the challenges of diagnosis, the impact on her independence, and the ways she finds healing while preparing her legacy for her family.
Growing up in Texas, she experienced loss early when her mother passed away right after hig...
In this episode, AJ Coleman shares his journey of losing his wife to brain cancer, raising their daughter as a single father, and finding healing through grief, storytelling, and conscious living.
AJ Coleman, author of Keep Those Feet Moving, became a widower at 33 when his wife died of brain cancer, leaving him to raise their 16-month-old daughter. He described those first months as a blur of grief, survival, ...
This episode explores how writing, grief, and spiritual connection can help us process loss and live more consciously. Poet and author Cyra Dumitru shares her journey of losing her brother David to suicide, and how poetry became a vital tool for healing, end-of-life reflection, and honoring his legacy. Her story shows how creative expression can help us face trauma, navigate grief, and discover meaning after loss.
What happens when a childhood fear of death transforms into a lifelong calling? Funeral director Tasha Dugan, who works at the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, shares her powerful journey from being a frightened child at funerals to guiding families through grief, legacy, and healing. Her story shows how facing death directly can open doors to conscious living, spiritual growth, and death positivity.
Lisa Cox has spent her life as a teacher, guiding people through different stages of learning and growth. Now, as a death doula and shamanic practitioner, she helps individuals and families navigate the profound transition of dying. Her work blends practical support, like completing advance healthcare directives and organizing end-of-life documents, with emotional and spiritual guidance. Lisa emphasizes that dying is ...
In this episode, I’m joined by Aaron Pyne, a meditation teacher, digital artist, and the creator of Inner Realms Journey. This imaginative and mythically inspired guided meditation experience helps people of all ages explore their inner world. Aaron blends ancient traditions, storytelling, and spiritual tools to support people in navigating life, death, and everything in between.
Aaron shares how his early fascina...
Elizabeth Wood, a sociologist who studied gender and sexuality, found her focus shifting when her mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2009 and later terminal cancer in 2012. Watching her mother’s final months opened her eyes to the ways our healthcare system avoids death and how families often do the same. This deeply personal experience led Elizabeth to explore death work from a more practical and emotional pl...
Ed Bixby shares his journey from real estate developer to national leader in the green burial movement. After inheriting Steelmantown Cemetery, a family burial ground in New Jersey dating back to the 1700s, Ed shifted his focus toward more natural and sustainable ways of honoring death. His love for the land, history, and simple living helped shape a new approach to dying, one that respects nature, supports families, ...
Meghan J. Maher, a death doula based in Central Florida, shares how the loss of her mother led her to this meaningful work. After experiencing grief firsthand, Megan began volunteering with a local hospice and discovered what end-of-life doulas do. The connection was instant she knew this path was right for her. Now, she helps families navigate the dying process with emotional, spiritual, and practical support.
Me...
What if dying could be more peaceful, intentional, and healing for both the living and the dying? In this powerful conversation, healer and death priestess Cristabeth Ingold shares how her soul’s calling guides her to support individuals and families through death, grief, and spiritual healing. Her work spans the physical and energetic realms, blending bodywork, astrology, ancestral healing, and soul-guided practices ...
In this moving conversation, Deborah Charman and Brian Wardale share their powerful personal journeys through grief, caregiving, and healing, and how those experiences inspired their work in suicide prevention and emotional education. Both survivors of deep loss and personal struggles, they now use their stories to help young people navigate grief, end-of-life challenges, and the difficult emotions that can come with ...
In this heartfelt episode, Daryl McCullough shares how childhood grief led him to create a story that now helps others navigate death, loss, and healing. What started as a middle school writing assignment after the death of his cousin became a lifelong journey of finding meaning in grief and honoring loved ones through storytelling. His children’s book, The Story of Tree and Cloud, began as a crayon-illustrated parabl...
For over 25 years, Caroline has walked beside the dying and their families, offering support, stories, and sacred presence. Her work as a death doula and funeral celebrant has brought her into homes, long-term care facilities, and sacred circles, where she’s helped others navigate grief and end-of-life transitions with honesty, humanity, and compassion.
Caroline’s journey began as a volunteer, eventually leading h...
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