Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Ruby Cohen Love, founder of Cafe Mortel, about reimagining what a funeral can be. Ruby shares her journey from struggling with fear of death and bipolar disorder to creating deeply personal and artistic memorials that reflect the true essence of a life. Together, they explore how funerals and memorials can move beyond tradition, why planning ahead is a gift to loved ones, and how art, food, music, and personal storytelling transform grief into legacy. Ruby also opens up about envisioning her own funeral as a fashion exhibition, hosting “funeral rehearsals,” and her mission to design ceremonies that are authentic, beautiful, and sustainable. Key takeaways: How fear of death can evolve into creative meaning-making The role of art, design, and ritual in end-of-life planning What it means to create a funeral that truly reflects a person’s life Why pre-planning is an act of love and service to family How Cafe Mortel helps people design unforgettable memorials This episode will inspire you to think differently about funerals, death, and the legacies we leave behind. Links/Resources Guest: Ruby Cohen Love – Cafe Mortel: https://www.cafemortel.world Host: Traci Arieli – Comforting Closure: https://www.comfortingclosure.com  Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes! 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores pediatric palliative and hospice care with Shekinah Eliassen, CEO of George Mark Children’s House. They talk about what makes George Mark one of the few places in the country offering whole-person care for seriously ill children and their families at no cost. This episode covers: The difference between pediatric palliative care and hospice care What support looks like for the whole family Why most families do not learn about this kind of care until they are in crisis What it would take to build more homes like George Mark across the United States This conversation is for anyone who wants to understand how to better support children and families living with serious illness. Links/Resources Guest: Shekinah Eliassen, CEO of George Mark Children’s House – https://www.georgemark.org Host: Traci Arieli's Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com  Please like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with new episodes. Your support helps bring these conversations to more families and professionals. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with music-thanatologist Catharine DeLong to talk about the powerful role of music at the end of life. With decades of experience bringing harp and voice to the bedside of those who are dying, Catharine offers a moving perspective on how music can provide comfort, connection, and peace during life’s final chapter. Together, they discuss what music-thanatology is, how it differs from simply playing music in the background, and why silence is often just as meaningful as sound. Catharine shares personal stories from her work in hospice and offers guidance for families and caregivers who want to bring music into end-of-life care, even without formal training. Whether you're a professional in the field or simply someone supporting a loved one, this conversation offers gentle insight into how music can help hold space when words are no longer enough. Links/Resources Guest: Catharine DeLong – https://www.delongharp.com Host: Traci Arieli – https://www.comfortingclosure.com Learn more about Music-Thanatology – https://www.mtai.org   If this conversation resonated with you, please like, share, and subscribe to help normalize honest discussions about aging, dying, and grieving. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with Dr. Chrissy Salley, pediatric psychologist and Director of Clinician Engagement and Outreach at Courageous Parents Network, and Blair Young, a Parent Champion with the organization and mother to Bubba, who died in 2024.  Together, they discuss what it’s like to raise a child with complex medical needs, and to do so in a system that often delays palliative care and overlooks emotional support. Blair shares her family's powerful story: from the shock of her son’s diagnosis to the grief and clarity that followed his death. Chrissy explains how Courageous Parents Network helps bridge the gap between clinical care and the lived experience of parenting through uncertainty, loss, and love. According to a 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation report, an estimated 19 million children, 26% of all U.S. children under 18, have special health care needs (KFF, accessed 8/4/25). This episode highlights how Courageous Parents Network offers guidance, community, and practical tools for the families behind that number. Topics covered include: The emotional and logistical impact of delayed pediatric palliative care Why peer-to-peer connection is essential The role of Parent Champions in transforming family care How clinicians and parents can walk this path together This conversation is for clinicians, caregivers, and anyone supporting a family with a seriously ill child. It's about listening deeply, showing up, and remembering that no parent should have to face this journey alone.  Links/Resources Please consider donating to the Courageous Parents Network at https://courageousparentsnetwork.org/about/donateGuests:  Dr. Chrissy Salley & Blair Young – https://www.drchrissysalley.com Courageous Parents Network – https://www.courageousparentsnetwork.org Host:  Traci Arieli – https://www.comfortingclosure.com Additional Resources:  NeuroJourney Tool – https://www.neurojourney.org KFF Report – https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/5-key-facts-about-children-with-special-health-care-needs-and-medicaid 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In Part 2 of this two-part conversation on Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli continues her discussion with Vince Crisostomo, longtime HIV/AIDS activist and Director of Aging Services at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. During the episode, Traci and Vince talk about the grief of surviving, the essential role of chosen family, and the emotional labor of holding space for a generation that is aging, and often dying, without the support they need. Vince speaks openly about what dignity looks like at the end of life, the quiet grief carried by long-term survivors, and the ongoing fight against stigma. Together, they discuss: How grief changes when you’re the one left behind The erasure of HIV in mainstream end-of-life conversations What systems need to do better for those aging with HIV The healing power of community, memory, and being witnessed This episode is not only about HIV, but also about how we show up for each other at the end. It’s a call to honor the full humanity of those who’ve lived through the epidemic, and to ensure they don’t die unseen.  Links/Resources Guest Website: San Francisco AIDS Foundation – https://www.sfaf.org Host Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com   If this conversation moved you, please like, share, and subscribe. These are the stories that don’t get told and your voice helps carry them further. For questions or to connect, visit https://www.comfortingclosure.com. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this first of a two-part episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with longtime HIV/AIDS activist Vince Crisostomo about his decades-long journey living with HIV. Diagnosed in the 1980s, Vince shares what it was like to receive a death sentence and then outlive it. Together, they discuss the early years of the AIDS crisis, the trauma of surviving when so many didn’t, and what end-of-life care looked like then versus now. Vince reflects on caregiving, community, and how the legacy of AIDS continues to shape how we approach death, dying, and grief today. Part 2 continues the conversation, focusing more deeply on chosen family, grief, and the ongoing gaps in care for people aging with HIV. Key takeaways from Part 1 include: The emotional weight of surviving the early AIDS epidemic How caregiving shaped Vince’s view of life and death What it meant to be young, gay, and diagnosed in the 1980s The evolving meaning of dignity and support at the end of life This episode aims to honor those lost, uplift those who remain, and invite thoughtful, overdue conversations about HIV and end-of-life care.  Links/Resources Guest Website: San Francisco AIDS Foundation – https://www.sfaf.org Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com   Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes including Part 2 of this powerful conversation. Help us normalize the conversation around death, dying, and grief because these stories matter. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with veteran death doula Sarah Hill to answer the questions people are often too afraid, or too unsure, to ask. Together, they discuss what death doulas do, how they complement hospice care, and the deeply personal ways they support individuals and families through dying, grief, and legacy work. Whether you're navigating end-of-life decisions, supporting someone you love, or just curious about the doula role, this honest conversation offers guidance and real-life stories. Key takeaways include: What end-of-life doulas do and how they differ from hospice staff Why people hire doulas for advance planning, even when they’re not dying How doulas hold space during medical aid in dying (MAiD) and voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) The role doulas play in grief, life review, and legacy work What it's like to be present at the moment of death  Links/Resources Guest: Sarah Hill, East Bay Doula for the Dying – https://www.eastbaydoulaforthedying.com Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com National End-of-Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) – https://www.nedalliance.org International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) – https://www.inelda.org Academy of Medical Aid in Dying – https://www.acamaid.org David Kessler - https://grief.com  Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes! 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.What happens when you're a doctor and still, you can't fix what's happening to your own child? In this second part of our conversation, Dr. Tasha Faruqui shares what it’s like to live in the in-between. She and her husband, both physicians, did everything they could to find answers for their daughter. Every test. Every specialist. Even a policy change in Congress to access care. And still - no clear diagnosis. No fix. Together, we talk about how fear shows up in families, how grief starts long before death, and how sometimes, just saying the hard words out loud becomes its own form of courage. Links/Resources Guest: Dr. Tasha Faruqui – https://www.tashafaruqui.com Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefaruqui5 Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com Book: Keep Your Head Up – https://www.tashafaruqui.com/book If this conversation moved you, please like, share, and subscribe. These stories help open the door to the conversations we all need but rarely have. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli speaks with Dr. Tasha Faruqui, a pediatrician and mother navigating the complex path of parenting a child in hospice care. Together, they discuss what it means to live with intention when time is uncertain. Tasha shares her family’s rare medical journey, the emotional landscape of anticipatory grief, and how hospice care at home became an act of deep presence. Key takeaways include: The lived experience of anticipatory grief as both a clinician and a parent Challenges navigating pediatric hospice within a system built for adults The balance of professional knowledge and personal vulnerability How joy and grief can coexist in the same breath This conversation aims to normalize pediatric end-of-life care, honor the stories of medically complex families, and invite listeners into a deeper understanding of presence, love, and letting go. Links/Resources Guest: Dr. Tasha Faruqui – https://www.tashafaruqui.com Guest Instagram Channel: TheFaruqui5 Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com Resources mentioned: Book: Keep Your Head Up - https://www.tashafaruqui.com/book    Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes. These stories matter—and your voice helps them reach further. 

I'd love to hear from you! Send me a text message.In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores what happens after the unthinkable: the death of a child. Joined by Ashley Meyveci, founder of the nonprofit Luke’s Purpose, they discuss the emotional and financial shock grieving families face and the lack of systemic support in those first devastating days. Ashley shares the heartbreaking story of her son Luke, the unexpected medical complications that led to his death, and how she turned her grief into action. Together, Traci and Ashley talk through the hidden costs of child loss, the overwhelming logistics families are expected to manage while in deep grief, and how Luke’s Purpose helps take that burden off their shoulders. Key takeaways include: Why child loss creates both emotional and financial trauma What hospitals and medical staff often miss when a child dies The origin and mission of Luke’s Purpose How we can show up better for grieving parents and for each other This episode aims to break the silence around child loss, validate the experiences of grieving families, and normalize open, compassionate conversations about death, trauma, and support.  Links/Resources: Guest: Luke’s Purpose – https://www.lukespurpose.org Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com   Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes. Your support helps us keep these important conversations going.