Your Village Doulas

Services

Facing the end of life is a uniquely challenging and often disconnected experience. Many who reach out to us feel uncertain, isolated or overwhelmed. As doulas, we support a holistic approach to death and dying and believe nobody should navigate this journey alone.

Members of Your Village Doulas include Anne-Catherine, Kyle, Minda and Sarah.  Each doula contracts independently with families and individuals. Our specialty areas are described in our respective bios in the About Us section of the website.

As a collective, we meet regularly to share resources, engage in professional learning experiences, and co-problem solve. Additionally, Your Village Doulas work together to facilitate community conversations in our “Let’s Talk About Death, JP” art series. 

The categories listed below are intended to convey the scope of potential services and may be a helpful starting point for a first conversation. Support can be provided in-person (in the Greater Boston area), virtually, or over the phone. 

Please communicate directly with Anne-Catherine, Kyle, Minda, or Sarah, or send a general inquiry via the Contact Us page. 

Advance planning

  • Provide guidance, tools and support related to end of life planning
  • Assemble a “critical info file” (power of attorney, health care proxy, living will, digital legacy, important accounts and passwords, contact lists, etc.) – our support is in the gathering and organization of information; we do not create or execute legal documents
  • Facilitate conversations with individuals and families about wishes and concerns

Life review and legacy projects

  • Life Review (reflection and reminiscence with opportunities for reframing past experiences)
  • Legacy Project (documenting stories, creating a recipe or photo book, making audio or video recordings, leaving a philanthropic legacy, etc.)
  • Provide companionship, compassionate presence, and emotional support
  • Coordinate household support (setting up systems for meals, visitors, cleaning, etc.) 
  • Facilitate conversations about evolving needs, wishes and concerns
  • Design functional and beautiful spaces for peaceful living

Caregiver support

  • Educate primary caregivers around anticipatory grief, the impact of stress, and what to expect in the journey of supporting someone who is dying
  • Provide emotional support and a space for caregivers to share their challenges, develop new skills, and to reflect in a non-judgmental environment
  • Empower and equip caregivers to practice self-advocacy, self-care, and help-seeking skills

Support during the last days

  • Arrange physical space for final transition
  • Offer and coordinate vigil sitting
  • Coach and support caregivers and companions during the active dying process 
  • Offer respite support to caregivers

Ritual, ceremony, and celebration

  • Work with client to pre-plan and design rituals, ceremonies and celebrations
  • After death, work with surviving loved ones to facilitate/officiate events that respect religious and cultural preferences
  • Assist with obituary and eulogy writing

After-death and bereavement care

  • On-call doula support for acute grief, and coaching program for longer-term grief
  • Help executors sort through and make decisions about belongings
  • Provide administrative and practical support

Community Engagement

  • “Let’s Talk About Death, JP” is a community conversation program based in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston that uses movies, books, art, music, and storytelling to facilitate authentic, open, and vulnerable conversations about the taboo topics of grief and death. 
  • We facilitate workshops for private events at workplaces, houses of worship, senior centers, and other community-based organizations

Fees

Fees vary according to the type of support, the complexity of the situation, and the specific services provided.

Rates typically range from $60 to $150 per hour. After an initial discovery session—where you and your doula explore your needs, priorities, and the types of support that may be most helpful—you’ll receive an outline of the recommended services and the associated costs.

Some clients work with a doula for one or two sessions, while others have an engagement spanning weeks, months or even years. Depending on needs and availability, it may be advantageous to contract with multiple doulas to fulfill the needs of a comprehensive care plan.

At this time, doula services are not covered by Medicare/Medicaid or private pay insurance.