End-of-Life Doula FAQ Vancouver & Canada | Guiding Light

  • While not a new concept, in today’s world and End of Life Doula bridges the gap between medical care and the human connection, offering personalized, compassionate support to individuals and families during life’s final chapter. We work alongside healthcare teams to ensure no one is alone. We support people across the lifespan as they face the many challenges of loss that come with a life changing diagnosis. This may include planning ahead, coping with grief, planning legacy projects or just sitting in silence to bear witness to the intensity of emotions at that time. Doulas hold space for grief and meet their clients where they are at. 

    During active dying a doula can be a calm grounding presence offering emotional support to the dying person and their loved ones. 

    In short doula-ing is the act of educating, respecting, caring, empowering, listening, embracing advocating for and assisting. 

    The end of life deserves as much beauty, care and respect as the beginning.

  • An end-of-life doula like myself provides non-medical emotional and practical support, focusing on compassionate space for difficult emotions and family discussions, unlike medical hospice or palliative care which manages symptoms. I complement your care team by helping families honour important relationships and plan how you would like your journey to end. This fosters dignity and peace in Vancouver homes, hospitals, or virtually across Canada.

  • Guiding Light End of Life Doula focuses on non-medical emotional support, grief counselling, family discussions, and end-of-life planning—we do not provide medical care, prescribe treatments, diagnose conditions, distribute medications, or perform clinical tasks, as these are outside the scope of end-of-life doulas per End of Life Doula Association of Canada standards. Services like personal care (e.g., bathing), solo overnight vigils, formal therapy beyond certified grief counselling, or legal/financial advice are also not offered; referrals to qualified professionals can be provided instead. This ensures focused, compassionate space for your grief journey while complementing your medical team.

  • Anyone facing loss, terminal illness, or end-of-life planning can benefit from Guiding Light's support—individuals, families, and loved ones walking the grief journey. Services like 1:1 Grief Counselling help you honour important relationships and learn strategies for coping with loss. Families in Vancouver and Canada-wide also often appreciate support that involves them as loved ones in those difficult end-of-life discussions.

  • Contact anytime on your grief journey—whether planning ahead, during illness, or after loss. Embrace your life and your death through End of Life Planning to decide how you would like your journey to end. With my background in mental healthcare and personal, lived experience with loss, I walk compassionately by your side, providing space and validation for complex emotions, and comfort when you need it.

  • Guiding Light End of Life Doula serves Vancouver and surrounding areas in person for grief counselling, family support, and end-of-life planning. Virtual sessions extend compassionate space nationwide in Canada, helping people navigate letting go from anywhere. As a certified Grief Counsellor, Carolyn supports your unique journey wherever you are.

  • Yes, as a former mental health nurse with 40 years experience, I complement medical teams well by providing non-medical emotional support, family discussions, and planning. Guiding Light helps bridge gaps in care, ensuring your wishes are clear so families and care teams know what’s most important to you throughout your end-of-life journey.

  • Services include 1:1 Grief Counselling to honour relationships and learn coping strategies; Family Support to involve loved ones in end-of-life discussions; and End of Life Planning to embrace your death on your terms. Carolyn walks compassionately with you, offering solace for difficult emotions throughout your grief journey, in person in Vancouver and virtually across Canada.

  • As a peer support volunteer for the MAiD Family Support Society and End of Life Doula Association, I provide validation, support and compassionate space for MAiD-related planning and family discussions. I help navigate letting go with dignity, complementing medical processes for Vancouver families, and virtually across Canada.

  • Guiding Light services like grief counselling and end-of-life planning are typically private pay, but check health spending accounts or benefits for coverage.

  • Reach out for a free consultation to discuss your grief journey, end-of-life planning, or family support needs. I would be happy to meet with you in-person in Vancouver, or over Zoom Canada-wide to hear your story, and continue the conversation.