The Doula Hearts

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.” - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Our Mission

We provide compassionate support, education and guidance to enhance the practical, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the dying and their loved ones.

Our Vision

We are trained and informed caregivers, who provide non-medical support to patients and families facing the enormity and uneasiness that accompanies the final period of life.

Our role is to help the dying and their families feel safe, supported, respected and cared for in the final months, weeks and days of life.

We can facilitate the creation of final documents, help to navigate through healthcare, social care and government agencies, encourage important final wishes conversations and provide bereavement support.

We wish to accompany our clients through the end-of-life journey, providing practical and emotional support, resources, education and friendship so that this period is one of calm and closure.

Meet Your Doulas

Shawna Barlette
Certified End of Life Doula
Death Literacy Specialist

My professional and personal experiences have shaped me and uniquely qualified me for end-of-life doula work. During my career, I was a Human Resource Director, which exposed me to the needs...

Joni Porter
Certified End of Life Doula
Death Literacy Specialist

All of my life, I have accumulated experiences that have been centered and grounded by working with people. These experiences have taught me perspective on living and dying.

Services

Planning for Your Remaining Days

Diagnosis of a terminal illness brings with it an immediate reshuffling of your priorities, as well as new challenges and concerns. We will work with you to create a plan to help address the issues that arise after learning your remaining time is limited.

Advanced Directives /
Legal Documents

Death is universal and inevitable. While we cannot control the time and cause of our death, we can influence where and how we are cared for. We believe that advance directives increase the likelihood your preferences will be respected and your loved ones will be relieved of the burden of making difficult decisions on your behalf.

Medical
Advocacy

We are happy to accompany the patient to a doctor appointment to listen and record information, and assist with the dissemination of information to caregivers and family members.

Companionship and
Respite

Providing qualified, knowledgeable and compassionate care in the comfort of your own home, or in a facility, is the core service that we provide.

Legacy Planning /
Life Review

A Life Review is an important part of bringing one's life to a close. As life ends, we want to know that we have truly been seen by someone in this world, and that our life has value and meaning.

Digital
Legacy

Death in our modern era brings a difficult technical aftermath. We can act as a technical executor and assist with the digital aspects of your life.

Nutrition
Counseling

The role of a nutritionist is to help people achieve optimal health by providing information and advice about health and food choices.

Functional
Movement

Functional movement is any movement done during your daily life such as putting groceries away or pushing a door open - that requires engaging muscular and skeletal structure to perform. But while these movements are routine, we often take them for granted and develop bad habits. Functional movement exercises involve full-body motion and engage the stability muscles, which are extremely important in preventing injuries.

After Death Guidance / Funeral Options

We can assist with disposition choices and outline the various options available to you, as well help protect your rights as a consumer.

Memorial Planning / Remembrance Event / Living Funeral

We can help you identify what type of memorial service or life celebration you would like, and provide assistance with the planning and organizing.

Vigil
Sitting

“The scene of death is a sacred space.
The Doula’s job is to protect it.”
-Fersko-Weiss

Post Passage Bereavement

We want to ensure the best possible outcomes for our families after the loss of a loved one. We will visit you to offer our support and any needed referrals to bereavement services and help provide closure.

What it means to work with our Doulas

Compassion is the at the core of all that we do. We will create an individual care plan that meets your specific needs with compassion.

Contact Us

Complete the form below and we will reach out to you with 24 hours.
Or you can call us now at 919-802-3563

Our Mailing Address

7604 Astoria Place
Raleigh, NC 27612

We serve the Triangle area: Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill, Apex, Garner, Knightdale and Zebulon.

We can arrange to travel outside of this area, please contact us for details.