.jpg)
Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula
Join host Traci Arieli for "Comforting Closure," a podcast where the often silent topics of aging, death, and grieving are explored with compassion and clarity. Each episode features guests who share practical advice, emotional insights, and spiritual perspectives to illuminate these natural yet seldom discussed aspects of life. Dive into tender conversations designed to demystify and destigmatize these experiences, offering solace and understanding to those navigating life's final chapters. Grab a warm drink and find a moment of peace amidst profound transitions with "Comforting Closure."
Episodes
113 episodes
When the Law Blocks a Peaceful Death: The Fight to Expand Medical Aid in Dying Access
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Marica Hofer, President of A Better Exit, to talk about a devastating and often overlooked fact: many people with diseases like ALS a...
•
41:32
.jpg)
The Obituary of the Future Starts While We’re Still Here
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Gary Kisela, founder of Murial, to explore how storytelling, especially before death, can transform legacy, connection, and grief.&nb...
•
40:19
How the Norse Faced Death: Viking Funeral Rituals
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with archaeologist and museum lecturer Ellen Marie Næss from the Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo. Together, they discuss how Norse communiti...
•
44:03
From Fear of Death to Funeral Design: Ruby Cohen Love & Cafe Mortel
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Ruby Cohen Love, founder of Cafe Mortel, about reimagining what a funeral can be. Ruby shares her journey from struggling with fear of d...
•
1:00:29
George Mark Children's House: Where Care Feels Like Home
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores pediatric palliative and hospice care with Shekinah Eliassen, CEO of George Mark Children’s House. They talk about what makes G...
•
1:00:10
Music at the End of Life Creates Sacred Space for Dying
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with music-thanatologist Catharine DeLong to talk about the powerful role of music at the end of life. With decades of experie...
•
45:53
Courageous Parents Network: A Lifeline for Families Facing the Unknown
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with Dr. Chrissy Salley, pediatric psychologist and Director of Clinician Engagement and Outreach at Courageous Parents Network
•
51:03
From Death Sentence to Legacy: HIV and End-of-Life Care – Part 2
In Part 2 of this two-part conversation on Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli continues her discussion with Vince Crisostomo, longtime HIV/AIDS activist and Director of Aging Services at the San Francis...
•
34:33
From Death Sentence to Legacy: HIV and End-of-Life Care – Part 1
In this first of a two-part episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with longtime HIV/AIDS activist Vince Crisostomo about his decades-long journey living with HIV. Diagnosed in the 1980s, ...
•
32:10
Death Doula Q&A: What We Do, How We Help, and When to Call Us
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with veteran death doula Sarah Hill to answer the questions people are often too afraid, or too unsure, to ask. Together, they discuss wha...
•
1:00:44
Doctor. Mom. Caregiver: A Pediatric Hospice Journey, Part Two
What happens when you're a doctor and still, you can't fix what's happening to your own child? In this second part of our conversation, Dr. Tasha Faruqui shares what it’s like to live in the in-between. She and her husband, both phy...
•
55:04
Doctor. Mom. Caregiver: A Pediatric Hospice Journey, Part One
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli speaks with Dr. Tasha Faruqui, a pediatrician and mother navigating the complex path of parenting a child in hospice care. Together...
•
29:01
You Just Lost a Child. Now Comes the Bill. Luke’s Purpose Can Help.
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores what happens after the unthinkable: the death of a child. Joined by Ashley Meyveci, founder of the nonprofit Luke’s Purpose, they ...
•
55:58
From Loss to Listening: Healing Grief Within Families
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with grief counselor and former funeral director Joe Stinson to explore the deeply personal and complex nature of grieving as a family. Wi...
•
53:12
Memory, Love, and Loss: A Daughter’s Dementia Caregiving Story
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, end-of-life doula Traci Arieli speaks with Tracey Scheffler, who cared for her mother through the final stages of dementia. Tracey shares her experie...
•
1:11:10
The Truth About Medical Bills - And How to Push Back
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, I’m joined by Martine Brousse, a medical billing advocate who’s been helping people take back their power in the healthcare system for over a decade. Together, w...
•
1:06:45
Building Your Personal Village: A New Approach to Aging Solo
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, I’m joined by Steve Gurney, founder of the Positive Aging Community, for a practical conversation about what it means to age solo and why none of us are truly al...
•
1:04:05
Touching the End: Comfort and Care Through Palliative Massage
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Cindy Spence, massage therapist at the T. Boone Pickens Hospice Center and author of Palliative Touch: Massage for People at the ...
•
40:53
Talking to the Dead: Victorian Spiritualism and Grief
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli explores the mystical and emotionally charged world of 19th-century grief and belief. Joined by historian and researcher Katie Keckeisen, creat...
•
56:07
A Promise Kept: Alzheimer’s, Love, and a Final Choice
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down once again with Erica Baccus, whose husband Jon was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. What followed was a journey of d...
•
44:37
After the Denial: What to Do When Insurance Says No
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores the emotional and financial toll of denied medical claims. Joined by founder and patient advocate Holden Karau, creator of Fight Health...
•
57:57
A Good Death Begins with a Good Life – With Chris Palmer
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores the true meaning of a good death, and why it begins with how we choose to live. Joined by teacher, speaker, and author Chris Palmer, they u...
•
58:54
Senior Living Done Right: What Families Should Know
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli explores the complexities of senior living decisions with Angie Graham, Division President of Our House Senior Living. Together, they break dow...
•
59:54
What to Document Before You Die: The Loving Act of Planning
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Farah Baxter, co-founder of Soalma, about the essential documents, conversations, and emotional legacies we should prepare before we die...
•
45:15