Ep. #143: Compassionate Curiosity & Death, with Valoria Walker
May 11, 2021
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Valoria Walker, Doula by Destiny founder, joins the host to explore how choosing to be curious about death helps us acclimate to the inevitable. They discuss the power of compassion as a verb, improving end-of-life care, exploring analogies of curiosity with everyday objects, and promoting open conversations about death.
Compassionate curiosity helps individuals facing death by providing empathy, support, and personalized experiences.
Valoria Walker advocates for normalizing conversations about death, encouraging open dialogue and breaking up the conversation into manageable pieces.
Deep dives
Compassion as Action
Valoria Walker believes that compassion is a verb and that spreading compassion makes the world a more positive place. She emphasizes the importance of showing empathy and providing support for individuals during the end-of-life journey. By actively involving herself in difficult conversations and advocating for patients' needs, she aims to create a more compassionate and personalized experience for those facing the unknown.
The Role of an End-of-Life Doula
Valoria Walker works as an end-of-life doula, providing advanced care planning training and support to individuals and their families. She helps clients prepare for medical emergencies and end-of-life treatments by assisting them in creating living wills, advanced directives, and naming healthcare agents. Additionally, she offers care and support to patients who are at the end of life by providing companionship, advocacy, and ensuring their needs and desires are met.
Promoting Conversations about Death
Valoria Walker believes that attitudes towards death are shifting, particularly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasizes the importance of normalizing conversations about death and advanced care planning, encouraging individuals to talk openly about their wishes and values. Valoria advocates for breaking up the conversation into manageable pieces and approaching it with empathy, allowing people to express their desires and concerns without feeling forced or uncomfortable.
Some time ago I was at a STEM event for middle schoolers, talking about curiosity -- in particular their curiosity about death. That got me thinking: how does curiosity show up around death? Doula by Destiny founder Valoria Walker joins me to explore how choosing to be curious about death might help us acclimate to the inevitable -- and how compassionate curiosity helps her in her work.
Theme music by Sean Balick; "Spinning Meter" by The Depot, via Blue Dot Sessions.
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