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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
120 episodes
How Kicking the Bucket Helps Us Talk About Dying
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with multidisciplinary artist and podcast creator Andee Kinzy to explore how fiction, humor, and storytelling can make end of life conversatio...
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46:22
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How to Talk to Your Doctor About Your Advance Directive
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with family physician Dr. Eleanor Tanno to talk about one of the most overlooked steps in end-of-life planning: discussing your advance direct...
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58:16
Choosing When to Die: A Conversation on Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with Crystal Flores, an end-of-life doula and owner of The Grateful Death® to discuss Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)...
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51:46
Beyond Borders: Seeking Medical Aid in Dying Abroad with Bryan Rigg
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Bryan Rigg, founder of Axios Consulting, about what happens when Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) isn’t available where you live.
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52:19
How to Avoid Probate and Protect Your Family
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli speaks with estate planning attorney Jeannette Marsala about probate, why it is so common, and how families can best avoid it with thoughtful planning.&...
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50:08
Parenting Through Grief: What No One Prepares You For, Part 2
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli continues her conversation with returning guests Ashley Meyveci, Co-founder and President of Luke’s Purpose, and Danielle Cristofano-...
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35:15
Parenting Through Grief: What No One Prepares You For, Part 1
In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli speaks with returning guests Ashley Meyveci, Co-founder and President of Luke’s Purpose, and Danielle Cristefano-Schwartz, Founder of Love From...
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56:49
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...
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41:32
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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
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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...
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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, ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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40:53