Hi, I'm Niki.
Death doula, Guided Autobiographer, funeral planner & grief GUIDE
Welcome. It's an honor to meet you.
My work in death care is multi-faceted. I’m here to serve you as you navigate the end-of-life.
As a death doula and guided autobiographer, I guide my clients and their families in finding meaning at the end-of-life through sharing their stories – whether through writing obituaries or publishing a printed book. The act of storytelling is healing and empowering, for you are tracing not only where you have been, but where you want to be; the act of storytelling is an exercise in legacy and uncovering your core values. How then, will you live, regardless of how long or short that time might be?
I believe that funeral planning (done in advance ahead of death or after death has occurred) is another sacred act of storytelling. When I plan a funeral, the neurodivergent, detail-obsessed part of my brain thrives! I love contemplating and curating the details – the readings, poems, music, and stories – that add personalization and meaning to a ceremony.
In my role as a grief guide, I hold space for your grief and walk with you as you navigate the world-shattering loss of your person, or as you move through significant, painful, life changes. In my containers, you are able to process your feelings without fearing judgement. Together, and in your own timing, we will discover what life after loss looks like for you, and how we might weave ritual, writing, and honoring your person into the future.
My Background
Raised in the woodlands of northeastern Pennsylvania, I moved west to Utah to chase the stunning mountains I now call Home. My soul finds nourishment among these wild peaks, and I draw much of my inspiration for death care and grief work from wandering among the mountains. I have a deep reverence for the natural world, which offers up profound and holistic lessons on how to live: Breathe deep. Climb the mountain. Slow down. And just Be.
As an ardent writer, stories – both the telling and the listening – are at the core of my heart.
After my Appalachian Trail hike in 2022, I found myself telling a friend, “if I could find work that allowed me to listen to people’s stories – the good, bad, ugly, traumatic and triumphant – it would be the truest work of my soul.”
Throughout my five years immersed in the realm of deathcare and death education, my work has transitioned out of solely advocating for death education and literacy, and into honoring others through listening to their stories. Whether they be stories of legacy and life if I’m helping someone craft an obituary or life book, or whether I am privileged to hold the profound stories of grief and loss that I hear in my grief support, it’s my deepest honor to walk alongside you.
Death Care Training & Continued Education
I became a death doula through the University of Vermont and went on to study thanatology at The Open Center in New York. To further continue my studies, I’m halfway through a master’s degree in theology and hospice chaplaincy. Prior to the pandemic, I was a hospice volunteer where I heard my share of amazing life stories and was privileged to sit vigil with numerous individuals as they neared the end of their lives.
In my continuing quest to grow my body of knowledge and expertise, I have pursued training as a certified trauma support specialist, as well as numerous end-of-life continuing education and grief studies.
Within my work, I integrate body, mind, and soul; the three are intrinsically connected. I am a vocal advocate of death literacy and of the empowering, transformative effect of telling your stories and plotting your path with an eye towards finitude. My hope and prayer is that this death care with a focus on legacy and writing helps illuminate your way forward while honoring the path you took.
Selected Certifications + Experience
Primary
- Death Doula, University of Vermont (2019)
- Grief Support Volunteer, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO, 2023 – Present)
- Certified Trauma Support Specialist, Arizona Trauma Institute (2024)
- Certified Grief Doula, IDLM (Anticipated: December 2024)
- Certified Guided Autobiographer (Anticipated: December 2024)
- Funeral Celebrant Training with the Deathwives
- Hospice volunteer (BAYADA Hospice, 2019-2020)
Secondary
- Certificate in The Art of Dying: Integrated Thanatology
The Open Center (February 2022) - Mental Health First Aid
- Death Literacy Specialist
- Grief Immersion for Death Workers
Inviting Abundance (February 2022) - Grief Training with Megan Devine
Assorted Fun facts
- Writing a book that combines my Appalachian Trail journey with all that I’ve learned from death work: leaning into a full and authentic life by viewing your numbered days through a lens of mortality
Moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland to the Appalachian Trail (!!!) back to Maryland and then to Utah.
- Spent three months hiking a little less than half the Trail: 900 miles from West Virginia to Maine (which taught me, in a raw and visceral way, the joy of little things, and what Living can truly be like)
- (Can you tell I love hiking?)
- Teaches horseback riding lessons with Bridle Up Hope, an organization that teaches life skills to girls and women
- Obsessed with rock climbing
- Volunteer at my local animal shelter
- Lover of cats and tea – basically a grandma
