The Caring Death Doula

Frances

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. Aug 3

    Sometimes Grief Needs Permission

    Grief doesn’t just hurt, it can silence you, numb you, and make the simplest parts of life feel heavy.  If you’re mourning someone you love, I want you to hear this clearly: I see you, and you don’t have to pretend you’re okay. We make room for the real emotions that show up after loss, from tears to anger to denial, and we talk honestly about how numbness can linger longer than people expect.  I also share a fresh, personal experience of loss and the surreal feeling of thinking, “This can’t be real.” That disbelief is more common than most people admit, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing grief wrong. Because every relationship holds different dreams, love, and memories, there’s no fair comparison, no universal timeline, and no “right” way to grieve.  The goal isn’t perfect healing or to fix  anything; it’s to honor what you feel and take the next small step.  To make this practical, we walk through a simple nervous system tool you can use anywhere: box breathing. You’ll learn how to inhale, hold, exhale, and hold again in a steady count, plus a visualization technique that helps you stay anchored when your mind is spinning.  If you’re looking for grief support, coping skills, and a gentle reminder that your experience is valid, press play. Subscribe and share this with someone who needs it. You never know what it could mean to someone. Consider leaving a review so more grieving listeners can find this space. This is The Caring Death Doula, and I am here for you, holding space.  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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  2. Jul 27

    Estrangement Grief part 2

    Some losses don’t come with funerals, casseroles, or even permission to talk about them.  In this episode we discuss how when a relationship ends but the person is still alive, the grief can feel confusing, isolating, and nonstop, especially when the outside world acts like nothing happened.  The pain is real, heavy, and constant as the year moves through holidays, birthdays, and even just daily activities.  I share a story that has stayed with me for years: a woman  whose son died, and afterward her daughter-in-law moved away with the children and cut contact. She didn’t even know where her grandchildren were.  I also reflect on my own experience as a grandmother with grandkids who live out of state, and how distance alone can create a steady ache as children grow up in the gaps between visits.  These stories highlight why family estrangement and relationship loss can be a form of complicated grief with triggers built into the calendar. We also talk about another kind of estrangement, when someone pulls away because connection hurts too much, like an aunt who can’t be around her niece because she looks like the sister she lost.  The result is still the same: people left without support, left without words, left alone with grief and sorrow.  My purpose is simple: to help us get more comfortable talking about death and grief and to see the “death” of dreams, hopes, and relationships, so we can support each other better. If this resonates, listen, share it with someone who might feel unseen, and leave a review so more people can find support around estrangement grief, grief support, and emotional healing. You never know what it could mean to someone that you thought of them and shared this episode.  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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  3. Jul 21

    Estrangement Grief

    In this episode we are discussing the disorienting truth behind estrangement grief, a form of loss that rarely gets casseroles, sympathy cards, or even a patient listener.  I talk about why this pain feels so sharp and lonely, especially when people try to “help” with comments like “at least there’s still hope” or “at least they’re alive,” as if your heart should snap back into place on command. We walk through what estrangement can really be: not always a lack of love, but a collision of hurt, self-protection, anger, confusion, and miscommunication that builds until one or both people decide they can’t be in each other’s lives. That choice, whether it’s yours or theirs, creates a very real mourning process. You grieve what you hoped would be, what you wanted to fix, and the relationship you thought you’d have. Most importantly, I offer permission. No one gets to tell you what counts as grief, how long you’re allowed to feel it, or what “moving on” is supposed to look like. I share a steadier frame for healing: grief reflects love, and life is full of endings we learn to carry, not erase.  If you’re navigating family estrangement, relationship loss, or complicated grief, this conversation is here to help you feel less alone.  If it resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs support and leave a review with the words you wish people would say to you. 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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  4. Jul 14

    Grief Intertwines with Life

    Grief doesn’t politely wait for you to be ready. It shows up after you’ve had a “good” stretch, after you’ve checked the boxes, and sometimes right when you think you finally have a handle on it.  I’m honest about why I’m late getting this out and what it’s like to be hit by grief waves that come from different losses and different angles.  I talk about a reframe that has helped me survive the hardest moments: grief is a thread of our lives.  It comes  from love and hope. We don’t mourn random things, we mourn what mattered. That truth can soften the shame that often tags along with bereavement, especially when grief brings messy feelings like anger, resentment, judgment, bitterness, or the struggle to forgive ourselves.  I also explore a less-discussed kind of mourning, grieving who you no longer are after someone dies, when a soulmate, companion, or long-time partner is gone and your identity feels broken into pieces.  Most importantly, I hold space for a reality many of us live every day: we can carry sorrow and pain at the same time we carry kindness, compassion, laughter, and joy. It’s all intertwined, and learning to live with grief is often a one-day-at-a-time practice.  If this resonates,  share with someone who needs it, as you may not ever know what it meant to them.  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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  5. Jul 6

    Holiday Grief

    We remind you that grief is yours, and nobody gets to judge how loud, how long, or how often you feel it.  We talk through why holidays can hurt, how to ground your body when your mind won’t settle, and how to show up for someone who is grieving with simple care.  • grief has no right way, no timeline, no finish line  • love and grief as intertwined realities of being alive  • Fourth of July memories and why holidays can intensify grieving • joy on a holiday is allowed and is not being disloyal  • body-based coping when rest and focus feel impossible  • grounding with senses, fresh air, warm drinks, soft textures  • movement as release, including dancing to shift your state  • practical ways to support a grieving friend without fixing them  • making it easier to talk about grief, life, and death  If this resonates with you, listen in, share, post a review. Let’s help others find the comfort & support they need.  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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  6. Jun 29

    Grief Wave and Joy

    In this episode, Frances shows up raw on a hard day and names the numbness that can hit without warning when grief waves roll in.  A quiet morning in the park becomes a reminder that joy can break through in an instant, even when sorrow is still close.  • admitting how grief can flatten energy and motivation  • using nature and stillness to notice what is happening inside  • recognizing “joy waves” that arrive as suddenly as grief  • grieving life changes like children growing up and roles ending  • naming losses beyond death, including friendships that shift  • holding both joy and sorrow during illness and anticipatory grief  •understanding life is full of grief •life and death, beginning and end It’s a full episode, raw and real. Listen in and share with the one who comes to mind. Let’s not let anyone journey this life alone.  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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  7. Jun 22

    Your Grief Is Beautiful

    When grief gets judged, that pressure can make you feel even more alone.  In this episode, I’m here to say the quiet part out loud: you matter, and you don’t have to prove your pain to anyone.  If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re grieving “wrong” because you didn’t cry at the funeral, or because you’re crying at random moments weeks, months, or even years later, this one is for you. We talk about grief as a reflection of love, not a flaw to fix.  Whether you’re facing bereavement after a death, mourning a pet, processing a breakup, or grieving a job, a dream, or a former version of yourself or your life, the core truth stays the same: your relationship or situation was yours, and your grief is yours.  I walk through why comparison is so harmful, why emotional swings are normal, and how shame can pull you deeper into pain and loneliness. You matter. Your grief and your love and passion for your loved one or situation is real. It matters. You matter. You’ll leave with a gentler way to look at the grieving process, clearer boundaries for anyone trying to rush you, and permission to listen to what your body and heart are asking for right now.  If this message helps, share it with someone else who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find it. I’m holding space for you, 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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

  8. Jun 15

    Living Grief

    Grief makes people uncomfortable, so we try to organize it, timebox it, and rank it. That’s how we end up with the quiet pressure to “be strong,” to stop talking about the person who died, or to act like the funeral is the finish line. I’m pushing back on that mindset and naming what so many of us feel: grief doesn’t follow rules, and it doesn’t owe anyone a schedule. In this episode, we talk about why we judge each other’s grieving based on what we were taught in our families, culture, community, or religion, and how those assumptions can lead to painful comments that shut people down.  I share personal moments that reshaped my perspective, including what it was like to see one person not cry at all and to hear another say they were “fine” soon after the funeral , while I was still deep in my own pain.  We also discussed a simple truth: even when we lose the same person, our relationships, memories, and inner worlds are different, so our bereavement experience will be different too. You’ll hear practical, compassionate reminders for coping with loss: listen to your body, leave room for rest, and stop comparing your tears or lack of tears to someone else’s.  If you want to support a grieving friend, coworker, or family member, the goal isn’t to fix them. It’s to be a steady presence and a safe place. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who needs permission to grieve at their own pace, and leave a review so more people can find this conversation. Holding space for you, 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 Join the private FB group for “behind the podcast” and advance notification The Caring Death Doula Podcast. A safe place to ask questions and to learn more.  IG The_Caring_Death_Doula https://www.instagram.com/the_caring_death_doula?igsh=MXdjOTF3MWo2a3RpYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

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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
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Caring Death Doula
  • Show Website
    The Caring Death Doula