Sherry Burns, End-of-Life Doula

02/09/2026

I love The Pitt. I wait impatiently for every new episode. In episode 5, I was taken by surprise when a death doula appears to support a terminal patient and her husband. I was really disappointed with the way the character came off though. She was unnecessarily assertive and stern--no expression of compassion. Her face was so dour that I found myself thinking "god, I hope I don't look like that or come across that way."

Doulas are gaining a foothold in end-of-life care, but gaining trust and winning respect are challenging. This character portrayal did nothing to help that. Only in her last scene did she soften (a little) and express compassion, the ability to be a team player, and offer real support.

I do love The Pitt. But writers, do better.

https://www.primetimer.com/features/what-is-a-death-doula-and-how-does-the-pitt-include-it-in-season-2-episode-5-heres-everything-to-know?fbclid=IwdGRjcAP27DtjbGNrA_br0GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHoajPiEoA9LTYRgxcvKBcoltxEGBadXEFd8PEMhHIcsNvP3Z0X_EJT-8HSNX_aem_ZYd_4tOf0ZTIuwiZ1Zl9bQ

The Pitt season 2 episode 5 brings a death-doula for a patient suffering from terminal lung cancer.

12/17/2025

❤️‍🩹
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17VG5M4Mc5/

08/29/2025

Join us in Niwot, CO, for a workshop on living life fully by looking death straight in the eye and learning what it can teach us.

Seating is limited, so register early!

ABOUT THE GATHERING Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it — a threshold, a teacher, a mirror. In this half-day workshop, we invite you to gather in a spirit of reverence and curiosity as we turn gently toward one of life’s most profound passages. Through mindfulness, story, somatic...

07/12/2025

Beautiful and profound

05/26/2025

This is a beautiful interview with a former client who didn't qualify for MAID in the US, so she went to Switzerland to use their Voluntary Aid in Dying (VAD) program. In the interview, Jamie says she wanted me to go with her, but I wasn't able to. But, at the very last minute it did work out, and I had the profound privilege of being with her.

(If you don't want to watch the entire hour interview, you can go to 47.35 to hear her talk about deciding who would accompany her and why.)

Jamie Silverman was a psychotherapist, art therapist and family constellation facilitator. Painting, illustrating, yoga, hiking, swimming, dance and partici...

02/05/2025

Love his sense of humor. What a gift that he helped his loved ones laugh through their tears.
https://www.threads.net//post/DFrN1HXvWib?xmt=AQGzI-LEDA01zPrdltfv2-fnCrE99myjJkCmqzsg76NoBQ

01/15/2025

For anyone interested in Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), this video is a presentation two colleagues and I gave at the Before I Die New Mexico Festival last November. We discuss MAID and do a reenactment.

https://beforeidiefestivals.com/festival-videos/Representatives of End of Life Options New Mexico (EOLONM) presented details about accessing Medical Aid in D...

11/29/2024

We must do better for the dying, especially for our children.

A bereaved mother’s case against our grief-phobic culture.

08/24/2024

This is a wonderful podcast featuring a colleague, speaking about Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED).

Twana Sparks MD is a semi-retired ear, nose and throat surgeon and writer.  She is a native New Mexican and 1986 graduate of the University of New Mexico Medical School.  Dr. Twana Sparks excels at oral histories mixed with scientific in...

04/09/2024

Wisdom from Roshi Joan Halifax. I'm guilty of using the term "good death" with my clients.

“If we are trying to design a ‘good death’ we could well cause ourselves more suffering.” — Roshi Joan Halifax

12/21/2023

So tender...

Kemberly Richardson has the story.Read More: https://abc7ny.com/nyc-central-park-pet-tree-secret/14207701/Find us on social media:FACEBOOK: https://www.face...

12/18/2023

A story of one ferocious advocate

“There should be a JLMA form: Just Leave Me Alone, for those of us who concede that we’re actually going to die some day and work to keep our end-times as inexpensive and comfortable as possi…