Companions in End of Life Care
Learn to Companion the Dying with Confidence, Presence, and Grace join interest listThe foundational skills for being present with the dying
Companions in End of Life Care teaches practices in presence, communication, self-care, and understanding the dying process.
It is a foundational training for anyone called to be with someone at the end of life. Whether you are supporting a loved one, exploring death work, or preparing for professional practice.
Learn to be a grounded, compassionate presence
In my work as an end-of-life doula, coach, and chaplain, I’ve listened deeply as dying people share their fears, their love, their lives, and what remains incomplete.
Often, what is shared with me is not shared with their loved ones. Many times, it’s because people don’t know how to create and hold space for these conversations.
What’s missing is the foundational skill of being present without fixing. Being able to listen beyond words. The practices that ground us so we can be with each other. The wisdom to know when to speak and when silence is also a loving response.
Companions in End of Life Care gives you the foundational skills to support another person in their dying journey.
“If you are to die consciously, there’s no time like the present to prepare. The best preparation for death is a life fully lived.”
~ Joan Halifax
A story from the work
I once supported a woman who was ready to stop treatment and prepare to die. When her medical team came to discuss next steps, not one of them explained what declining treatment and dying would actually look like for her.
So I stopped them. I shared that she had told me she was ready to die, and asked them to explain what that would mean. The room filled with awkwardness—they were focused on the medical process, not on truly hearing her.
Over the next months, I companioned her and her family. We had conversations about her life and death. We created space for what needed to be said and for completion.
This is what skilled companioning makes possible: the dying person is heard and supported in their wishes, and everyone remembers that this is a sacred passage, not a medical event.
Companioning in End of Life Care is for you if:
You are or will be caring for someone who is dying and want to be a compassionate, supportive guide for them.
You work in healthcare or spiritual care and know there’s a difference between managing the medical and companioning the sacred.
You’re preparing for professional death work and need the foundational skills that make everything else possible.
This is preparation for one of life’s most sacred passages.
In Companions in End of Life Care, you’ll develop these core foundations:
- Embodied Presence – Deep listening, compassionate presence, meeting in the liminal space
- Holding What Is – Navigating difficult conversations, acceptance, letting go, holding layers of truth
- Sustainable Practice – Being with the breath, energy management, the art of rest, stillness as a practice, asking for help
- Death Literacy – Recognizing signs of nearing death, understanding death as more than medical, vigil presence
- Sacred Ritual – The practice of washing the body, honoring the time after death, and contemplative death practice
The Best Time to Practice is Now
“I’ve stopped feeling stuck with the way my mom died. Now I’ve let that go so I can focus on how I can support my dad when it’s his time to die.”
What you’ll learn:
Module 1: Moving Inward
You’ll develop the inner capacity to meet someone in the liminal space between life and death. You’ll learn the practice of being with stillness, with silence, with the “non-doing” that is actually the deepest form of support.
Module 2: Compassionate Communication
You’ll learn how to listen beyond words, how to hold layers of truth that coexist in end-of-life moments, and how to be present for acceptance and letting go without trying to change or fix anything.
Module 3: Self-Care Is Not a Part-Time Job
Learn the practices that let you show up with intention: working with breath and emotions, the art of rest, stillness as spiritual practice, balancing your energies, and the sacred necessity of asking for help.
Module 4: In the End
You’ll learn the practical and mystical realities of the final passage—from vigil presence to recognizing signs of nearing death, from the sacred ritual of washing the body and honoring the body after death.
You’ll receive:
Four modules with video content (closed captioned)
Reading and video resources
Personal reflection prompts
Guided breath, meditation, and rest practices to return to again and again
Self-paced learning to complete on your own timeline
Ongoing access to the course portal
Develop both the inner capacity and practical knowledge to show up as a grounded, compassionate companion.
Companions in End-of-Life Care
THE FOUNDATIONS FOR SACRED PRESENCE
1 Payment of $350
More Information:
All Are Welcome
This work is for anyone with the heart to companion another human being through death. You don’t need credentials or clinical experience. You need willingness, curiosity, and the desire to learn. All paths to this sacred work are honored here.
End-of-Life Practitioner Pre-Requisite
If you choose to pursue our end-of-life practitioner certificate training, Apprenticeship With Death, this is a prerequisite that needs to be completed prior to your start date in the doula training. Join the interest list to know when registration opens.
Terms of Purchase
Please review the Terms of Purchase before enrolling.
The gift of this work
The gift of companioning is beyond words. It’s such a sacred honor to be with people in this way—whether they are a client or our most beloved. It reminds us all the time about how precious life is. How incredible and miraculous life is. How love is all there is in the end.
Things to Consider
Why do I need this?
This program provides comprehensive skills in deep listening, communication, presence, death literacy, and self-care that elevate care. These are skills that aren’t typically taught in school, university, or on the job. This will help you become a compassionate companion skilled at holding space for those who are dying.
Is this the same as a death doula certification?
No. This program was designed for those who want to learn more about the essential skills in holding space for dying. If you want a professional death doula certificate, you’ll take Apprenticeship With Death after completing this foundational learning.
Is there live support?
This is a self-guided course. There are no live sessions or group facilitation. You’ll work through the materials at your own pace and receive email support for questions.
Where will I find the course content?
The course content will be available to you through a private online portal accessed with a personal login. You will receive a welcome email after purchase.
How long will I have access?
You’ll have ongoing access within your student portal.
Companions in End-of-Life Care
THE FOUNDATIONS FOR SACRED PRESENCE
1 Payment of $350
About Rhea
Walking alongside death as both teacher and companion has been my sacred journey. Through the profound losses of my baby and grandmother, and years of serving in residential and medical facilities, I’ve learned that our relationship with death holds the power to transform how we live and hold space for one another.
As a Thanatologist, Interspiritual Chaplain Associate, and meditation teacher, I weave together spiritual wisdom and deep reverence for the human experience. It’s the honor of my lifetime to guide others in awakening to this calling, helping them discover their own unique medicine as threshold guardians and stewards of the sacred.