FREE Online Event: Deathcare In Community: 4 Models from Around the World

Deathcare In Community: Four Models from Around the World📅 Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 🕛 12:00–1:30 PM ET | 💻 Free Online Event

At the end of life, no one should face death alone. Across cultures and continents, communities have developed unique ways to support the dying and their loved ones—offering care, companionship, and guidance through one of life’s most profound transitions. While each model is shaped by its local context, the need for communal support remains universal. In this event, we’ll explore four distinct approaches to community-based deathcare, uncovering both shared wisdom and region-specific challenges.

Join us for an illuminating conversation as we hear from deathcare practitioners around the world about:🔹 What led them to this work🔹 The deathcare needs in their community for both the dying and their loved ones🔹 The programs and services they offer to meet these needs🔹 Lessons they’ve learned and challenges they’ve faced🔹 The power of collaboration—who they work with and why

This event is an invitation to reflect on how we, too, can foster stronger, more compassionate networks of care in our own communities. Whether you are a caregiver, healthcare professional, death doula, or simply someone who cares about end-of-life support, this discussion will inspire new ways to engage with deathcare in community.

Hosted by the Dying Well Initiatitve, a part of the the Global Wellness Institute, and moderated by Christine Caldwell, Vice Chair, Dying Well Initiative, panelists include:

Aditi Sethi, MD, is a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living & Dying. She is dedicated to bridging the sacred and practical aspects of living and dying, offering compassionate, community-supported care that honors the dignity and interconnectedness of all beings.

Featured in the film The Last Ecstatic Days, Aditi is emerging as an integral voice for transforming our cultural understanding of dying, death, and bereavement care. Her recent TEDx talk in Asheville, NC, titled "The Art of Dying Before You Die," reflects her passion for inspiring a holistic and sacred approach to the end-of-life journey.

Her work is inspired by her Indian heritage, spiritual practices, and love for music as a tool for healing and transformation.

Wilka Roig MA, MFA, PLC, is a transpersonal psychologist, death activist and doula, grief counselor, dream worker, ordained minister, end of life doula educator, facilitator, writer, Taoist Arts instructor, musician, photographer, performance artist, silversmith, baker, truth-teller.

She is founder and president of Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (EKR) México Centro,academic director of Espacio Formativo para la Integración de la Muerte (ESFIM), deputy director of education of EKR Foundation Global, BIPOC/International advisor, and Certification Program Manager of International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA), co-founder of Red Iberoamericana de Acompañamiento en la muerte y el duelo, and curriculum coordinator for the International Birth, Breath and Death Study Program.

Her interests include the neurobiology of trauma, loss, grief, and relationships, conscious living & dying, birds, stars, confectionery arts, and wine culture.

Cathy "Brooksie" Edwards, LCMHC, is the founder and director of heart2heartnc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Since 2018, Brooksie and the heart2heartnc team have been dedicated to helping individuals navigate end-of-life with a greater sense of ease while supporting families, caregivers, and communities through their grief journey and path of healing. The organization’s community-based events and personalized services are grounded in the power of human connection and the proven practice of various modalities—from touch and sound to movement and mindfulness.

Heart2heartnc is part of Sanctuary at the Burrow, a conservation green burial ground offering nondenominational end-of-life services and creating a meaningful experience that honors the dead and comforts the living. Brooksie is a licensed clinical counselor, death doula, bodyworker, kundalini yoga teacher and musician with over 25 years of experience.

Sarah Carberry, Soul Midwife and Death Walker, Co-Founder, Fare-well Trust. Sarah is a dedicated advocate for end-of-life care, both palliative and assisted dying, with a particular focus on rural communities. She lives in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand.

Sarah's journey into end-of-life care began at an early age but was heightened by her mother's request to die at home. From that, a deep commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by those in remote areas to remain at home became a passion. Recognizing the lack of resources and support for individuals and families dealing with end-of-life issues in rural settings, she co-founded the Farewell Trust. This organization provides vital support and resources, promoting dignified and compassionate end-of-life care.

In addition to her work with the Farewell Trust, Sarah also played a pivotal role in the establishment of ELDAA (End of Life Doulas Aotearoa Association). ELDAA aims to advocate for end-of-life care policies and practices that respect the cultural and geographical diversity of New Zealand.

Register now to join the conversation and explore how we can build community-centered deathcare together!