one of Australia’s most active End of Life Doulas
Jacqui commenced her business, End of Life Transitions in August 2018 after experiencing the unexpected and expected deaths of 6 beautiful people in her life over an 18-month period. During this time, she established herself as an End of Life Doula. Along with her previous experience as a Registered Nurse, Jacqui recognises that for the person who is dying, there is a genuine need to provide social, practical, spiritual and emotional support which provides an avenue for expressing ‘what is most important’ to that person; what are their priorities, their values and what choices do they wish to make during the transitions that occur at the end of life. And for the dying person’s loved ones, Jacqui’s calming presence ensures that they feel that they are ‘not walking this journey alone’.
Additionally, Jacqui is an experienced Funeral and Memorial Celebrant. She actively works with individuals whilst they are alive to craft their own living wakes or plan their own funeral or memorial, or she walks alongside families after their person has died to guide and help co-craft a funeral or memorial ceremony that honours the essence of the deceased person.
Jacqui is also passionate about building Compassionate Communities and facilitates regular end-of-life workshops (in-person, online, local, national, and international) and community engagement guest speaking. As a very active end-of-life Doula and one of Australia’s most active Death Cafe facilitators, Jacqui enables opportunities for individuals and communities to build their death literacy by normalising death, dying, grief, and loss.
MORE ABOUT WHY JACQUI DOES THIS TYPE OF WORKÂ
There is great value, compassion and richness in guiding those who are
dying; being ‘present’ as death approaches; and informing and empowering loved ones during the dying process and beyond. After spending many years as a health professional working in community and palliative care settings, Jacqui was aware that whilst community, residential and hospital health care teams were providing clinical care and expertise in end-of-life care, there were still significant periods where the dying person and their loved ones were having to negotiate, often by themselves, the transition of dying. Often feeling quite ‘alone’, somewhat daunted, and sometimes ‘scared’. This was whether the person lived at home, in a residential aged care facility or were in hospital.
It has been due to a mixture of this professional experience, and her own personal experiences of death when a loved one dies, that Jacqui has continued to follow the path of being an End of Life Doula in her End of Life Transitions business.
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