Olga Rhoodie / Grief Counselor / Death Doula

17/04/2026

Pain is not the opposite of love.
It’s its reflection.

To book a grief support session visit www.grieftoday.com

03/04/2026

Every relationship is unique.
There is no such thing as “the same” love. And there is no such thing as “the same” loss.

With some people, we are connected in every way
through the body, emotions, thoughts, meaning, a shared life.
And with others — there is one, but deeply important thread.

And when someone dies, we don’t just lose them,
we lose the connections that existed between us.
And that’s why pain is so intense.

Which of these connections hurts the most? 💬

18/03/2026

I recently joined the course “Traumatic Loss & Grief” with David Kessler. Not just as a professional, but as a human being who has loved and lost.

It doesn’t matter how long ago the loss happened. It doesn’t matter if, on the outside, it looks like I’m coping well or doing fine.

The deeper I allow myself to go into my own grief and pain, the more I am able to truly meet and understand yours.

I’ll be sharing some reflections and insights along the way. And maybe, in some of these words, you’ll recognize a part of your own story.

27/06/2025

I never planned to walk with people through the hardest moments of their lives.

But everything changed when I turned 35, and the worst thing that can happen to a parent happened.

🕯 Our son died. Suddenly. Tragically.

Three months later, I had a profound spiritual experience that completely shifted the way I saw life and death.
I felt an invisible force pulling me toward people to share my experience.
That’s how I found myself at Lifeline Johannesburg.
At first, I joined a self-growth and counselling skills course just to tell my story.
But I stayed on as a volunteer to support people in crises for two years🤝

It was there that I began to see just how many people encounter grief and death, and how few have space to speak about it.
💬 Even within families, even among friends, death remains a taboo.
It's pushed out of view, and yet it happens. And when it does, pain often arrives in silence.

Later I took a course focused on su***de and grief.
It deepened my understanding of pain, boundaries, and the need to be seen and heard🪷

A few years later, I came across an article about death doulas.
Within seconds, I knew: this is what i want to do.

📚 That same day, I found a certification program through a IAP Career College and enrolled.
That was five years ago.
Since then, I’ve continued to study death and grief, to support others, to hold space, especially in those moments when life feels unbearable.

And I’ve seen it over and over again - we don’t know how to talk about death. It’s absent from public space and daily language.

But I believe, and I’ve witnessed, that death doesn’t have to be only an end.
Grief doesn’t have to destroy us.
It can be a threshold. A doorway. A transformation ✨

I feel deeply that my experience, knowledge, and this calling that chose me, can help others not only survive loss, but transform it into love, into meaning, into something larger than pain🌱

Right now, I feel a new wave rising. A call to expand.
To speak. To share. To be present.
To make space for death to be seen.
For grief not to remain unanswered.
And for no one to feel alone when their heart is breaking💔

I'm Olga. Founder of Grief Today. Death Doula and Grief Counselor.
Learn more: www.grieftoday.com

Share you path... 👇

22/06/2025

As a death doula, I witness how important it is to honour ageing as a natural and meaningful part of life.

And the world is ageing - quickly. For the first time, older adults in Europe now outnumber children and adolescents.

This shift calls us to rethink how we care for our elders. We need compassionate, holistic support systems that focus not only on living longer, but on living with dignity, connection, and purpose.

Ageing is a shared journey. Let’s make it gentle, respectful, and deeply human. 💜

A new WHO Collaborating Centre (CC) has been established in Moscow, Russian Federation, to promote geriatrics and care for older people. The new CC will operate at the Russian Clinical and Research Centre of Gerontology (RCRCG) of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University.The new CC.....

09/06/2025

Informative Chat with Olga, a Death Doula 👇

I'm offering free Informative Conversations for organizations and communities interested in learning more about the role of a Death Doula — a growing profession that brings practical, spiritual, emotional and informational support at the end of life for dying person and his family.

These conversations are ideal for:
🏥 Hospitals & palliative care teams
🏡 Hospices, nursing homes & care facilities
🤝 Support groups & community centers
💒 Spiritual or faith-based groups

Available both online and in person:
💻 Online: Just a small fee to cover Zoom room costs
🤝 In-person in Johannesburg or Pretoria: free of charge

These sessions are designed to:
✨ Introduce the Death Doula role and how it fills the “gap” in hospital and hospice care
✨ Explore how Death Doula support transforms the end-of-life journey from a fear-filled experience into a peaceful, meaningful, and sacred one
✨ Highlight the powerful impact of end-of-life planning for individuals, families, and care teams

If you'd like to host this empowering conversation for your team or organization, please send me a message on LinkedIn or:

📞 083 700 3365
📧 olga@grieftoday.com
🌐 www.grieftoday.com

Let’s make space for compassionate conversations about dying — and how we can do it with dignity and peace.

05/06/2025

A few months have passed, but I didn’t want to let more time go by without saying a thank you to

Voice of Wits

for showing genuine interest and creating space for a conversation around Death, Dying, and Grief.

,1

12/05/2025

One thing in life is guaranteed:
we will all face death and grief. 💔
Some sooner, some later — but none of us are untouched.

Grieving alone can feel unbearable. Isolating. Numbing. Endless.

But you don’t have to do it alone. 🤝
As a death doula and grief companion,
I walk beside you in your sorrow.
I hold space for your pain.
And I help you reconnect with life —
while honoring the love that remains. 🌿

Let’s walk this path together.
Book a session on grieftoday.com or WhatsApp on 083 7003365 🤍

21/02/2025

CALL ME WHEN...

06/06/2024

This day arrived!

I got my very own website with the services description, fees and the option to book your first free consultation 👇

www.grieftoday.com

Visit and share with someone who needs it.

15/07/2023

The first year is the hardest. This is true. Not only because the grief is still fresh and deep, but because it's time for the FIRST... without him/her.
ㅤ
6 weeks after Gabriel's death, it was Christmas, Gabriel's birthday and New Year's Eve. All in one week. This week, I cried my eyes out with breaks for sleep. It's been a very tough week.
ㅤ
The FIRST is so difficult not only because there is an empty seat at the table, but also because it is the start of the FIRST for the rest of your life. And it's unbearably sad.
ㅤ
One thing that was extremely helpful to me when it came to the first Christmas without Gabriel was creating a small altar for him. At the table, I put his favorite plate and cutlery and put his favorite toy on a chair. There is always a place in the room for a photo, a candle and a flower.
ㅤ
This physical presence of an invisible connection gave me relief. Even though the pain never went away
ㅤ

08/07/2023

First weeks after death of loved one feels like hell. Things to remember during this time.