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This is the second of a two-part episode. Check out part 1: 188 What a Death Doula Knows About Grief That Most of Us Don't (1/2) | Sierra Campbell

What does someone who has spent more than three decades sitting with the dying actually know about grief, and what can that teach the rest of us about living?

Today's guest is an elder caregiver, end-of-life doula, and founder of a leading end-of-life education platform. She began working in care at sixteen, opened her own home care services by twenty-one, and has since supported hundreds of people through the final chapter of their lives. As a two-time cancer survivor, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to one of the most avoided conversations of our time.

In this episode, we cover

• What the dying most commonly grieve about their lives,
• What unprepared families carry long after a loved one is gone,
• What accumulates in the body of a caregiver who witnesses death repeatedly, and
• Why talking about death is, in her words, talking about life.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome
00:49Second part episode
02:49 Death is a great teacher
03:44 Letting go or continuous bonds?
08:44 Your wishes for your death
012:51 How not to fix, save or heal
017:48 Medical-assisted death
05:32 Secondary gains in grief
0Teaching Death Doulas - What surprises them the most?

Whether you are grieving a loss, supporting someone who is, or simply carrying an unspoken awareness that you are not prepared for what lies ahead, this conversation offers grounding, clarity, and practical perspective.

About our guest
An experienced elder caregiver and end-of-life doula, Sierra Campbell is the founder of Choose Nurture. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Sierra is a leading voice in end-of-life reform. She combines her professional background with her personal journey as a cancer survivor to educate and support ageing adults and their loved ones.

• choosenurture.com
• IG: choosenurture
• TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sLENQbRSls

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• 🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
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Find Support Resources

• 💜 For Grievers – Resources
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
• 💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
• 💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
• 💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/

Send us Fan Mail

This is the first of a two-part episode. Check out part 2: 189 What a Death Doula Knows About Grief That Most of Us Don't (2/2) | Sierra Campbell

What does someone who has spent more than three decades sitting with the dying actually know about grief, and what can that teach the rest of us about living?

Today's guest is an elder caregiver, end-of-life doula, and founder of a leading end-of-life education platform. She began working in care at sixteen, opened her own home care services by twenty-one, and has since supported hundreds of people through the final chapter of their lives. As a two-time cancer survivor, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to one of the most avoided conversations of our time.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome
03:10 Sierra's life story
07:10 What facing death taught me
08:49 The effect of unresolved generational trauma
10:09 Presence in being with the dying
15:52 When the support we get is not the support we need
24:11 Grief of not being able to be a mother
28:18 What do people grieve most at the end of their life
31:05 Families who are not prepared for a loved one's death
34:17 Anticipatory grief
34:48 Being prepared for someone dying
40:51 Being present when people die

Whether you are grieving a loss, supporting someone who is, or simply carrying an unspoken awareness that you are not prepared for what lies ahead, this conversation offers grounding, clarity, and practical perspective.

About our guest
An experienced elder caregiver and end-of-life doula, Sierra Campbell is the founder of Choose Nurture. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Sierra is a leading voice in end-of-life reform. She combines her professional background with her personal journey as a cancer survivor to educate and support ageing adults and their loved ones.

• choosenurture.com
• IG: choosenurture
• TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sLENQbRSls

Resources mentioned

Book - Stephen Levine: One Year to Live

If this episode was useful to you, please take a moment to leave a five-star review. It helps this podcast reach the people who need it most.

Support the show

💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.

🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.

Stay Connected

• 🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
• 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
• 🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
• 💛 Socials Instagram Facebook

Find Support Resources

• 💜 For Grievers – Resources
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
• 💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
• 💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
• 💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/

Send us Fan Mail

This episode is different. Instead of sitting across from a guest, I am the one in the chair.

In this solo episode, I share my own personal timeline of grief, loss, and trauma — and trace how each experience shaped the ones that came after it. From what I learned about grief growing up, through infertility, miscarriage, the death of my daughter A’Mya three days after she was born, the suicide of my mother four and a half months later, a significant trauma in my adult life, separation, and single parenthood — this is the story behind the work.

My intention is not to centre myself. It is to model what I ask of every guest: that your personal story is not separate from how you grieve. It is the lens through which you grieve. Understanding that lens changes everything.

If you are carrying multiple losses, if your grief feels more complicated than you think it should, or if you support someone whose grief seems out of proportion to the immediate loss, this episode is for you.

Free resources mentioned in this episode are available at nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub, including the Beginner’s Guide to Dealing with Grief and Trauma.

Rate this podcast five stars if it helps you feel less alone. It takes thirty seconds and helps more grieving and traumatised people find this show when they need it most.

Support the show

💡 If today’s episode touched you, please share it with someone who might need it.

🤝 Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month & leave a review.

Stay Connected

• 🌐 Visit nathaliehimmelrich.com
• 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for resources and updates
• 🎧 Never miss an episode—follow the podcast!
• 💛 Socials Instagram Facebook

Find Support Resources

• 💜 For Grievers – Resources
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/grief-trauma-support/
• 💜 For Supporters – Supporting someone https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/supporters-resources/
• 💜 Books – Explore books on grief and healing https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/books/
• 💜 Support – Offers - free and paid
  https://nathaliehimmelrich.com/free-resources-hub/