The Caring Death Doula

Frances
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

In a world that rushes past death and ignores grief, The Caring Death Doula stops to listen with tenderness, truth, and time.  Whether you are grieving right now or here to learn how to help those grieving, join your host, Frances, a certified grief educator on the journey of finding connection, conversations, and comfort. Let's make grief and death a natural part of our conversations.

  1. 1D AGO

    When Grief Hits I’m Here

    In this episode, I talk honestly about the days when I’m grieving in more than one way, when words are nonexistent, and when grief whispers, “stay in bed”.  If you’re coping with loss right now, I want you to feel seen and supported.  A simple moment, like sorting a pile in a room and finding a photo of my dad, can open the floodgates. I reflect on how complicated relationships still carry love, how it hurts to accept you won’t see someone again on this earth, and how grief includes the future that won’t happen, like time with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mourning doesn’t require a perfect story to be real. It just requires honesty. We also get practical about grief support. I share why holding space matters, why presence can be more comforting than anything else we can do, and how grief comes in waves with sudden triggers from words, memories, and everyday reminders.  As  the Caring Death Doula, I believe no one should have to walk the grief path completely alone, even though part of it is deeply personal. If this resonates, listen through and share it with someone who needs it, then subscribe and leave a review so more grieving people can find this kind of support. And when you need to, when you are ready, reach out to me. I am here for you. I am holding space for grief- yours and mine.  Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    9 min

  2. APR 6

    Grief For Those You Did Not Know

    Some grief doesn’t get “approved” by the people around you. It shows up when someone says you didn’t know them, didn’t have them long enough, or shouldn’t still be thinking about it.  I share a personal, tender look at that kind of invisible grief, starting with my father-in-law who died just eight months into my marriage, and the ache of knowing my children never got to meet the grandpa who should have been part of their lives. From there, I move into an even quieter kind of mourning: grieving a sibling lost to stillbirth, and the complicated thoughts that can follow you for years. We talk about survivor guilt and the haunting question of why one life continues while another ends. This is an honest conversation about pregnancy loss, stillbirth, miscarriage, and the way our culture often avoids naming these deaths as worthy of grief.  I also challenge the idea that grief can be ranked, like it “hurts less” if someone already has children or “counts less” if you never held the baby.  Every death carries meaning, attachment, and love.  If you’ve ever felt dismissed while grieving, I offer a moment of silence, witnessing, and holding space, and the reminder that your feelings make sense. You are supported. You are seen.  If this episode resonated, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people looking for grief support can find this podcast.  If it feels safe to, would you share with me?  What kind of grief has felt hardest to explain in your life? Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    13 min

  3. MAR 30

    Grief Mind, The Call You Can’t Make

    Your hand reaches for the phone before your brain catches up. For a split second, it feels perfectly natural to call your dad, your mom, your person and then reality hits, and the grief rushes in. I share a moment that happened to me this morning: that honest, almost comforting impulse to ask my dad a question, followed by the ache of remembering he’s not here to answer.  If you’ve had that experience, I want you to hear this clearly: you’re not broken. You don’t need to be fixed. That reflex doesn’t mean you’ve taken steps backward in your healing or that you’re “doing grief wrong.” It can be a sign of how real the bond still is, and how much you still want to share your life. It’s the reality of your love. Love that just needs to be carried differently.  We also talk about how the grieving process actually moves, not like a neat checklist, but more like water. Sometimes grief hits like a wave. Sometimes you drift, then get caught on a rock, then move again. As The Caring Death Doula,  I offer grief support you can use in the moment: sit with what comes up, breathe, cry if you need to, and don’t compare your loss to anyone else’s. Your relationship was unique, so your grieving will be, too. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who’s grieving a loved one, and leave a review so more people can find it.  With care, Frances I would love to hear: What’s the moment that catches you off guard most lately? Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    9 min

  4. MAR 23

    What If Silence Is The Real Mistake

    In this episode, we talk about why so many of us hesitate to reach out after someone grieves the death of a loved one and how that silence can grow when weeks turn into months.  Frances makes the case that it is not too late, that your words carry real weight, and that a simple check-in can help someone feel less alone in grief.  • normalising conversations about death, grief, loss and change  • why reaching out can feel uncomfortable and what sits underneath that fear  • how missed funerals and delayed messages create hesitation  • why late support still matters, especially on birthdays and anniversaries  • the practical power of simple words that share the burden  If this resonated with you, please share this podcast with someone who may also need gentle encouragement to support someone who is grieving.  Together we can lighten the load even if for a minute. Let’s extend grace to each other.  The Caring Death Doula Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    8 min

  5. MAR 19

    When Grief On The Page Feels Too Real

    In this episode, I discuss how a book  can be something we look forward to until it suddenly feels like a mirror. I sit down ready to gather grief resources and instead I’m stopped cold by a story that’s too close to home. With my brother-in-law’s death still fresh, the rawness on the page makes me close the cover and cry. And, I have to admit what so many of us think but rarely say out loud: I want support, not a wave that pulls me under. Next I share how I trya second book, hoping for inspiration and motivation, and I run into the same wall.  That becomes the turning point, not because reading is bad, but because grief is honest. We can learn from stories and still set boundaries with them. We can look for inspiration & help after loss without forcing ourselves to absorb more pain than we can carry today. And we can release the guilt and shame that tell us tears are something to hide. From there, I share my own written reflections about the changes and reality of our life. It isn’t a perfectly controlled schedule or environment . It’s life. Messy. Real. Not perfect. Not planned.  As the ground  of our life path shifts, we have the confidence that we will keep our existence, our balence amongst life’s reality.  That we will get up and keep going. It’s resting, working, crying, and laughing again. Letting joy and sorrow coexist in the same memory.  I close with a gentle, practical grounding exercise: breathe, notice the sounds around you, see the colors in front of you, and remember you are not alone. If you needed a quiet place to land today, press play.  Subscribe, share with someone who’s grieving, and leave a review so more people can find this kind of grief support.  And if feels okay to do so, leave me a message on what helps you breathe when life or grief feels unbearable? With care,  Frances, The Caring Death Doula Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    10 min

  6. MAR 16

    Grief and a Birthday

    A birthday can be a celebration and a gut punch at the same time, especially when it arrives only weeks after a funeral.  Today I’m holding space for my brother in law’s family and anyone staring down a hard date: your loved one’s birthday, an anniversary, the first holidays, or even a small tradition like “the day the pond opens” that used to belong to someone you love.  These milestones don’t just bring sadness. They bring memory, meaning, and the reality that life keeps moving even when your heart is still catching up. In this episode, we talk honestly about why the first year of bereavement can feel numb, and why the second year of grief can sometimes hurt more as you become more aware and active in daily life again.  I share a simple message that can change everything: you’re allowed to grieve exactly as you are. Cry if the tears come. Scroll the photos. Tell the stories. Gather with family and celebrate the life your person lived. Or keep it quiet and private if that’s what you need. This is your grief, your way, and in your timing.  We also name the pressure that makes grief heavier, like people saying it’s time to “get over it” or insisting your loved one “wouldn’t want this.” I offer a kinder path: give yourself grace, set boundaries when you need to, and remember that many people struggle around death because they were never taught how to show up for grievers.  If you’re looking for grief support,  and a reminder that love and the sorrow of loss can be carried together, press play.  If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone facing a hard date, and leave a review so more people can find it. And always remember, you don’t need to walk this alone. I  am The Caring Death Doula, and I am here for you.  Let’s change the way we talk, live, and support grief.  Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    9 min

  7. MAR 9

    Grace In Grief: Choosing Rest, Choosing Connection

    Ever have a day where your heart says not tonight and the world keeps asking anyway? We start right there—at the honest edge of not wanting to show up—and talk about how grief reshapes energy, attention, and appetite for connection. Frances, the Caring Death Doula, invites us to treat that resistance as information, not failure, and to claim the small, life-giving boundary of no when our bodies ask for quiet. From that grounded place, we explore the tender middle ground where connection can help without forcing anything. You’ll hear why choosing rest is not avoidance, how to listen for the moments when a gentle voice or a short check-in might ease the ache, and why you are not broken for needing fewer plans and more pauses. The conversation anchors in practical, compassionate grief support: normalize fluctuating capacity, and  trade productivity for presence. We also lay out a calm, focused plan for March: curating grief and death resources so you don’t have to sift through noise when you’re already tired. Take what fits and leave the rest. Expect thoughtful recommendations from podcasts and books that speak plainly about loss, hold space for sorrow and joy, and offer language for the love that remains. Frances shares gratitude for the steady listeners who make this a living circle—proof that showing up can be as small as pressing play and as deep as being seen. If you’re carrying a heavy day, take the permission slip here. If you’re ready for a little company, we saved you a seat. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a softer pace, and leave a review to tell us what kinds of grief resources would support you next. Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    7 min

  8. FEB 23

    When Grief Knocks You Sideways

    Grief doesn’t ask if you’re ready. It arrives and sometimes it knocks you flat.  In this episode, I open up about the death of my brother‑in‑law and how the shock unsettled not just my thoughts but my body, even with years of training as a grief educator and death doula. The point isn’t to prove we’re strong; it’s to learn how to be gentle with ourselves when grief hits. I share practical ways to create pockets of safety: a few minutes of sunlight on your face or  a  cup of hot tea.  We also reframe crying as a powerful, biological reset rather than a loss of control. If tears don’t come easily, try a movie that loosens the valve. If tears do come, drop the reflex to stop them or to apologize. Never be ashamed of your tears.  Another thread runs through the caregiver’s dilemma: when you’re the one holding space, what happens when the loss is in your own family? I talk about the surprise I felt about being hit so hard with grief and how strong the fear was. Sometimes we need to step back from being “the strong one.”  Mixed emotions belong here too—joy and sorrow can live in the same breath, the same photo, the same memory.  You are not broken, and you don’t need fixing.  If this lands with you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs permission to feel, and leave a review so more people can find support when the waves hit.  Click here to send me a text. I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this episode. Sign up for my newsletter, ask questions, and get responses via Email: thecaringdeathdoula@gmail.com Follow on FB The Caring Death Doula https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUfH9Kek6/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

    9 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

In a world that rushes past death and ignores grief, The Caring Death Doula stops to listen with tenderness, truth, and time.  Whether you are grieving right now or here to learn how to help those grieving, join your host, Frances, a certified grief educator on the journey of finding connection, conversations, and comfort. Let's make grief and death a natural part of our conversations.

Information

  • Creator
    Frances
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Caring Death Doula
  • Show Website
    The Caring Death Doula