Mortality Management
Life Planning & Transition Services
I’m Nikki, a certified life transitions and end of life doula specializing in whole life advanced planning, end of life education, grief guidance and contemplative coaching. This basically means I'm a “mortality assistant” helping you consider and organize end of life matters so you can live your best life, right now.
Pre-planning reduces stress by addressing a lot of "what ifs." It allows you to fully express your wishes for yourself and releases loved ones from needing to guess during life's most vulnerable moments. It's a gift you give yourself and those you love: a gift of consideration, clarity and presence.
Life happens, so does death. They're entwined strands of the same thread, two sides of the same path. I can't complete your journey for you, but I can help walk you home, whether we're on the road or in the wild. Give a shout any time by scheduling your free intro call below.
ADVANCED PLANNING
Whole Life Advanced Planning (Packages Available)
- Advanced Care Plans
- Instructions for your personal care
- Advanced Directives/Living Wills
- Dementia Care Addendums
- Psychiatric Care Addendums
- Appointing Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Whole Life Planning
- Instructions for your affairs during emergencies
- Comprehensive documentation for anyone to quickly understand and manage your affairs, short or long term, if you're unable
- Preparing plans and expressing wishes for dependents, pets, properties, plants, business interests, finances, and all physical, digital or intangible assets
- Legacy Planning
- Instructions for how you wish to be remembered
- Preservation and passing down personal, family and cultural heritage
- Cataloging, archiving, and documenting collections, digital back up options
- Creative projects, e.g. interviews, recording stories, crafts (these may require additional hours depending on complexity)
- Final Disposition/Memorial Planning
- Instructions for your physical body after death
- Understanding and arranging for final disposition (e.g. burial, cremation, etc.)
- Understanding options for organ and scientific donation
- Expressing your wishes for funeral arrangements, memorials and celebrations of life
Business Advanced Planning
Using the principles and philosophies behind Advanced Planning for individuals and families, these business planning sessions are for people whose income and healthcare is partially or entirely dependent upon owning and operating a small business. Whether it's a side hustle or small company, a sole proprietorship or LLC, just you or a partnership, we can discuss options and create planning documents that can help protect you, your business, your employees, and your clients in the event of a temporary or long-term incapacity.
Grief Guidance
Grief & Bereavement Guidance (Packages Available)
In person or online sessions to compassionately explore and discuss:
- Supporting current bereavement and past losses
- Your personal, family and community grief cultures
- Your goals in working with grief (e.g. relief, understanding, etc.)
- Grief Mapping & Honoring
- Education surrounding grief and bereavement
End of Life Educational Services
In person or online informational sessions or workshops for individuals or groups
End of life basics and how you can work with providers and doulas: 1 - 2hrs (Presentation + Q&A)
Topics include but aren't limited to:
- Palliative vs Hospice Care
- Advanced Care Plans vs Advanced Plans: Why should I have them?
- Approaching End of Life Planning with Loved Ones
- Picking a Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Understanding the Dying Process
- Final Disposition & Memorials that Support Your Values
- How to Approach Grief and Bereavement
Contemplative Coaching
Practices for full-body listening, deeper awareness, and mindful exploration
- Utilizes Deep Listening® exercises, e.g. a living framework of somatic & guided meditation practices
- Allows for playful, spontaneous expression, gentle movement, and intuitive embodiment-explores our senses to find new insights into how we relate to ourselves and the world
- Customized Add-on: for the plant curious may include information on flower essences and plant associations
- Customized Add-on: for the symbolism curious, may include aspects of card meditation practices (e.g. oracle or tarot decks)
About Nikki
For the past twenty years, I've designed, production managed and staffed live events while assisting small business owners, non-profits and individuals with executive support services in the arts, medicine, legal and retail fields. I've worked directly with respected professionals at crucial moments to grow businesses, launch new projects, refocus existing efforts or retire after storied careers. Some have joked that I'm like Mary Poppins, showing up with a smile and travel bag of items right when needed most.
After my family experienced the strain that comes with unexpected health issues, I turned my organizational skills towards supporting my community in new ways. I now have a triple certification with the International Doula Life Movement as an End of Life, Advanced Planning, and Grief Support Doula. I continue learning with them and also facilitate Deep Listening® sessions as a certified teacher through Rensselaer Polytechnic's Center for Deep Listening. For fun I write, make art, study folklore and herbalism, and go for walks where I easily get distracted by trees, flowers, shiny rocks, mushrooms and bugs.
Why a doula?
There is so much to keep track of, in daily living let alone emergency situations, that our brains are constantly making decisions and handling details when our hearts just want to sit and hold someone's hand. When my family was in this situation, there were moments we wondered if we were making the right choices for our loved one. Under stress, we chose things for ourselves we might not have if we'd had time and space to notice other options. We were being pulled in many different directions at once, so it was hard to figure out where we were. That made it much harder for us to figure out which way we needed to go. To the degree it's possible, I want to help people walk a smoother road than the one my family traveled.
While I know our experiences are all unique, I want to support people in the best ways I can. Whether it's by sharing tools for wrangling life logistics, witnessing and co-tending loss, or providing clear, factual information about end of life questions, I can meet you along the way. We'll make maps, forge keys, and light lamps for you and your loved ones--no matter where you are on your path. Thank you for trusting me to walk with you.
