Nicque: Funeral Celebrant

12/06/2026

25/03/2026

Have you ever wondered what a death doula is, or felt curious about the work and wanted to learn more?

A death doula, also known as an end-of-life doula, is someone who offers compassionate, non-medical support to individuals and families as they approach the end of life. While many people associate doulas with the final days at the bedside, the role is much broader than that.

You might like my class, “At the Bedside,” which is an introduction to becoming an end-of-life doula. Whether you are curious about this role or are already doing this work, this class would be good for you.

The next class is Sunday, May 3rd
10-12pm Pacific Time via Zoom

In this class, we will explore what death doulas can and can’t do, and clear up some common misconceptions. For example, doulas are not state-licensed, mandated, or regulated professionals, and the word “certified” can often create confusion. We will talk openly about what that means and how people can enter this field.

We will look at the ways doulas can support others long before the final moments of life, from companionship and guidance to helping people navigate aging, illness, and life transitions. This work isn’t one-size-fits-all, each person brings their own gifts, presence, and strengths.

This class is an opportunity not only to learn about the field, but also to look inward. You may discover that the qualities you naturally carry, your ability to listen, sit with others, support families, or simply be present, are exactly the kinds of gifts that are needed in this work.

The class fee is $25. If finances would prevent you from attending, please email me to inquire about a scholarship.

At the end of class I will share links to the doula training programs I recommend.
Additional resources are included below.

If you have ever felt drawn to supporting others through life’s most vulnerable transitions, this class may help you better understand the many ways that presence, compassion, and human connection can make a difference.

See you there.
xo
Gabby

Email me for a scholarship:
[email protected]

Link to learn more about this class and register for it:
https://www.thehospiceheart.net/at-the-bedside

This is a podcast conversation between a death doula (me) and a birth doula:
https://bestlifebestdeath.com/podcast-89/

Link to the book, “The Doula Tool Kit”:
https://www.amazon.com/Doula-Tool-Kit-End-Life/dp/B0CNN5LJMS

25/03/2026

People often ask me, “How do you sit with someone who is dying? What do you say? How do you do this work?”

Many believe there must be special tools, the right words, some kind of wisdom you learn from books or training.

But the truth is much simpler.

This work has taught me that death is not chaos. It is a process. The body knows how to die just as surely as it knows how to be born, and each one does it in its own way.

What death and dying need most is a calm presence.

Our job is not to fix it, control it, or perform something heroic.
We are not magicians.
We don’t wear capes.

After witnessing enough final breaths, something in you begins to settle. Death stops surprising you, and because of that, you stop bringing urgency, fear, or drama into the room.

You learn to trust the body and the process it is moving through.
You learn to slow down.
To listen more than you speak.
To let the moment belong to the person who is dying and the people who are preparing to say goodbye.

You don’t rush it.
You don’t try to control it.
You simply remain present and allow it to unfold.

Because in the end, the body knows how to die. Sometimes what it needs most, is someone who is not afraid to be there when it does.

xo
Gabby
www.thehospiceheart.net

24/02/2026

Big things happening behind the scenes at The Last Time Funerals 🤍
We’ve partnered with Joel Scully and his team at Junius Solutions, and Whisky 🐶, for a major overhaul of our IT systems and ongoing support — their focus will be strengthening security, reliability and the way we operate every day.
Solid foundations 💪🏽 mean we can stay focused where it matters most… caring for our families 🫶🏽

18/02/2026

🩷

Maybe the deepest pain
isn’t their absence,
but the love that keeps
looking for them.

It stays trapped in our hands,
in the words we never said,
in the gestures we postponed
because we thought
there would be time.

We wanted to say more,
do more,
hold on a little longer.
But silence
reached us first.

And so we end up speaking into the void,
sending thoughts, kisses, prayers
without really knowing where to send them.
In the end, we learn to trust
that love knows
how to find its own way.

Those we’ve lost
are no longer before our eyes,
but they continue to live
in who we’ve become.

And maybe the bond doesn’t break:
it changes shape.
It becomes memory,
it becomes an invisible presence,
it becomes love
that no longer needs
to be seen to exist.

— Alya Shaini
⭐ The book “Kisses from Heaven”
www.stephysplace.org