End-of-Life Coaches (also called death doulas or death coaches) provide non-medical, emotional, practical, and spiritual support to individuals who are dying and to their families.
They focus on helping people approach death with clarity, dignity, meaning, and reduced fear.
Here’s what they typically do:
1. Emotional & Psychological Support
- Help clients process fear, regret, unfinished business, or existential anxiety
- Facilitate life review and meaning-making
- Support anticipatory grief (for both the dying person and loved ones)
- Create space for difficult conversations
This often overlaps with existential and humanistic psychology.
2. Advance Planning & Practical Guidance
They assist with:
- Advance directives
- Living wills
- Healthcare proxies
- Funeral or memorial planning
- Legacy projects (letters, recordings, ethical wills)
They don’t replace attorneys or medical professionals, they guide and organize.
3. Facilitation of Family Conversations
- Mediate unresolved conflicts
- Help families talk openly about death
- Encourage honest emotional expression
- Support reconciliation when possible
4. Vigil Support
Some remain present during the active dying phase:
- Creating a calm environment
- Guiding family members on what to expect physiologically
- Supporting rituals or spiritual practices
5. Spiritual & Existential Exploration
They may explore:
- Meaning of life and death
- Personal belief systems
- Religious or non-religious frameworks
- Death anxiety and transcendence
What They Do NOT Do
- Provide medical treatment
- Give legal advice
- Replace hospice or palliative care teams
They complement services like:
- Hospice care (entity not allowed)
They focus on helping people approach death with clarity, dignity, meaning, and reduced fear.
Here’s what they typically do:
1. Emotional & Psychological Support
- Help clients process fear, regret, unfinished business, or existential anxiety
- Facilitate life review and meaning-making
- Support anticipatory grief (for both the dying person and loved ones)
- Create space for difficult conversations
This often overlaps with existential and humanistic psychology.
2. Advance Planning & Practical Guidance
They assist with:
- Advance directives
- Living wills
- Healthcare proxies
- Funeral or memorial planning
- Legacy projects (letters, recordings, ethical wills)
They don’t replace attorneys or medical professionals, they help organize, clarify, and emotionally support these processes.
3. Facilitation of Family Conversations
- Mediate unresolved conflicts
- Help families talk openly about death
- Encourage honest emotional expression
- Support reconciliation when possible
4. Vigil Support
Some remain present during the active dying phase:
- Creating a calm environment
- Guiding family members on what to expect physiologically
- Supporting rituals or spiritual practices
- Offering grounding during intense emotional moments
5. Spiritual & Existential Exploration
They may explore:
- Meaning of life and death
- Personal belief systems
- Religious or non-religious frameworks
- Death anxiety and transcendence
What They Do NOT Do
- Do NOT Provide medical treatment
- Do NOT Prescribe medication
- Do NOT Give legal advice
- Do NOT Replace hospice or palliative care teams
They complement these services by focusing on presence, meaning-making, and emotional integration rather than clinical intervention.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 