Death Doula & Death Midwifery Glossary: Key Terms You Should Know
Navigating end-of-life care as a professional or learner can feel overwhelming. From grief practices to spiritual rituals, there’s a language all its own. This glossary introduces key terms in death doula and death midwifery work, helping you understand the roles, practices, and concepts central to compassionate end-of-life support.
A
Active Dying Phase: The final stage of life when death is imminent, typically marked by physiological changes in breathing, circulation, and responsiveness.
Active Listening: The practice of fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what a person is saying, especially important in death doula work when supporting the dying or grieving.
Advance Care Planning (ACP): The process of helping individuals make decisions about their future medical care, including completing advance directives, living wills, or health care proxies. Doulas especially focus on planning for the active dying stage or final hours or days of life, often called the vigil plan. Doulas may also assist as families describe their wishes for care of the body after death. A comprehensive advance care plan may include:
Advance directives
Health care power of attorney
What comfort and care looks like
What should be remembered if a person cannot speak for themselves
Specific care practices that are desired or unnacceptable
Vigil plans
Wishes for care of dependent children or pets
History of sentimental items
After death care wishes
Life review & legacy projects
Obituary
After-Death Care: Practical and ceremonial care provided for the deceased, including body preparation, ritual, or family-led care at home, respecting legal and ethical boundaries. After-death care may refer to care performed immediately following the death by the loved ones, preferences to be shared with hospice or hospital staff when caring for the body after death, or wishes for the traditional death care professionals.
Anointing: The ceremonial or ritual application of oils, water, or other substances to honor, bless, or comfort the dying or deceased.
Apprenticeship (in Death Doula Skills): Structured hands-on mentorship where a trainee death doula gains practical experience under a qualified mentor, integrating skills, ethics, and presence into real-world end-of-life care.
Attended Death: A death where someone is present with the individual, providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support at the time of passing.
Autopsy: A post-mortem examination of the body to determine cause of death, typically performed in cases of uncertain or unexpected deaths.
B
Bereavement: The period of mourning and adjustment after the death of a loved one, encompassing emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual responses.
Boundaries (Energy & Professional): Guidelines and limits set by death doulas to maintain ethical practice, personal energy, and safe, compassionate support for clients and families.
Breath Work: Techniques focused on regulating the breath, often used by death doulas to help calm the nervous system of the dying or those in grief, and to maintain personal grounding during end-of-life work.
C
Caregiver Burnout: Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion experienced by individuals caring for someone with a terminal illness or significant loss. This term often requires intervention, respite care, and emotional support.
Caregiver Support: Emotional, practical, and educational assistance offered to family or informal caregivers during the dying process or bereavement.
Certified Death Doula: A death doula who has completed formal training and assessment through an established program or professional organization, demonstrating proficiency in supporting the dying and their families.
Co-Regulation: A death doula’s practice of helping stabilize and soothe the nervous system of the dying or grieving through presence, breathwork, or other supportive modalities.
Companioning the Dying: The act of offering presence, support, and guidance to those nearing the end of life, often in a non-medical capacity, focusing on emotional, spiritual, and practical support.
Complex Grief: Grief that is prolonged, intense, or interfering with daily life, requiring sensitive support from trained professionals.
Crisis Coordination: The death doula’s role in helping families navigate urgent or crisis situations related to death, offering practical assistance and emotional presence.
D
Death Doula / Deathwalker / End-of-Life Doula: A trained professional who provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support to the dying and their loved ones, helping navigate the physical, emotional, and cultural aspects of death.
Death Literacy: Knowledge and understanding about dying, death, and bereavement practices, enabling individuals and communities to engage with end-of-life experiences more effectively.
Death Midwifery: A holistic approach to end-of-life care that emphasizes presence, ritual, energy work, and supporting both the dying and their communities with a blend of practical and spiritual guidance. This follows from the tradition of midwives who provided care for the birthing person and the dying person before medicalization became the cultural norm.
Death Positive Movement: A cultural movement that encourages open conversations about death, dying, and end-of-life care, reducing fear and stigma surrounding death and grief.
Death Rattle: A sound produced by some individuals near death due to fluid accumulating in the throat or airways, often managed with positioning and comfort measures.
Death with Dignity: A term referring to the concept and practice of individuals having control over their end-of-life choices, including the right to die in a manner that aligns with their personal values, preferences, and beliefs. It often involves legal mechanisms such as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) or physician-assisted death, which are available in some jurisdictions, allowing individuals to end their life on their terms, typically in the presence of loved ones and with minimal suffering.
Dementia Doula: A trained supporter who specializes in guiding individuals with dementia and their caregivers through the progressive end-of-life journey, focusing on comfort, dignity, and presence.
Dying Process: The series of physical, emotional, and spiritual changes that occur as a person approaches the end of life. This process can include alterations in breathing, circulation, consciousness, and bodily functions, as well as shifts in emotional and spiritual awareness. Understanding the dying process helps death doulas, caregivers, and loved ones provide compassionate, attentive support that honors the person’s comfort, dignity, and transition.
E
Ecological / Green Burial: End-of-life practices that minimize environmental impact, such as natural burials, biodegradable materials, or home funerals with sustainable considerations.
Embodied Presence: Bringing full physical, emotional, and spiritual attention to the bedside of the dying, integrating breath, posture, and awareness into supportive practice.
End-of-Life Care: Comprehensive support provided during the last stages of a person’s life, including physical, emotional, and spiritual care, often provided by hospice or palliative care teams.
End-of-Life Visions: Spiritual, symbolic, or hallucinatory experiences reported by individuals near death, sometimes including visions of deceased loved ones or transcendent imagery.
Energy Work: Practices used by death doulas to support the nervous system of the dying, manage their own energy, and create a calm, grounded environment.
Ethical Wills: A type of legacy project in which individuals express their values, life lessons, and hopes for future generations in written or recorded form.
F
Funeral Industry: The commercial sector that provides services related to the preparation, care, and burial or cremation of deceased individuals.
Funeral Home: A business that offers services for the preparation and disposal of the deceased, including embalming, caskets, and sometimes memorial or funeral ceremonies.
G
Green Burial: A burial practice that prioritizes environmental sustainability, focusing on minimal impact to the earth. It typically involves using biodegradable materials such as natural wood caskets or shrouds, avoiding embalming chemicals, and choosing burial sites that allow for natural decomposition. Green burials emphasize returning the body to the earth in a respectful and ecologically conscious way, often in natural or conservation-oriented spaces.
Grief Circle / Community Grief Support: A group gathering where participants share experiences of loss, reflect on grief, and support each other in healing.
Grief as Service: Recognizing witnessing and holding grief as an active, compassionate role within death work, supporting both individuals and the broader community.
Grief Doula: A professional trained to support individuals and communities through bereavement, offering emotional presence, ritual guidance, and practical coping strategies.
Grief Literacy: Knowledge and understanding about the emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of grief, enabling individuals to better support the grieving process and cope with loss.
Guided Meditation: A therapeutic practice led by a trained practitioner or recorded resource to guide individuals into a relaxed or focused state, often used by death doulas to help the dying or those in grief.
H
Holding Space: Providing nonjudgmental, attentive presence to support someone emotionally, physically, or spiritually during intense experiences such as dying or grieving.
Holistic Care: An approach to end-of-life support that addresses the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cultural needs of the dying and their loved ones.
Home Funeral Guide: A trained professional who helps families plan and safely conduct after-death care and ceremonial farewells at home, within legal and ethical boundaries.
Home Hospice Care: Hospice services delivered in the patient’s residence, emphasizing comfort, family involvement, and individualized care plans.
Hospice Care: Specialized care focusing on comfort, dignity, and quality of life for individuals in the final stages of life, often in home, inpatient, or residential settings.
Hospice Chaplain: A spiritual care professional within hospice who provides support, ritual guidance, and presence to patients, families, and staff, respecting diverse beliefs.
Hospice Eligibility: Criteria that determine who can receive hospice care, typically a prognosis of six months or less if the disease follows its usual course.
Hospice Volunteer: A trained individual who provides non-clinical support in hospice care settings, including companionship, respite for caregivers, and practical assistance.
Home Funeral: Rituals and care practices conducted at home or in a non-commercial setting, allowing families to actively participate in honoring the deceased.
I
In-Patient Unit (IPU) Hospice Care: Hospice care delivered in a medical or residential facility, providing 24-hour clinical and supportive services for patients who need intensive symptom management or end-of-life support.
L
Legacy Project: A tangible creation (written, artistic, or recorded) that preserves a person’s stories, values, and memories for loved ones after death.
Life Review: A reflective practice in which individuals near death recount life events, achievements, challenges, and values, often used in legacy projects or end-of-life counseling.
Living Funeral: A ceremony or ritual held while an individual is still alive, intended to celebrate their life, provide an opportunity for loved ones to express their gratitude, and allow the person to hear meaningful words or tributes before death. Often described as a "celebration of life," a living funeral offers a chance for reflection, closure, and emotional connection prior to the final passing.
M
MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying): Legally regulated practices in certain regions where a person may seek medical assistance to intentionally end life due to terminal illness or suffering.
Meaning-Making / Life Integration: Helping individuals or families process life events and find coherence, often through storytelling, ritual, or guided reflection.
Memorial: A ceremony, gathering, or object created to honor and remember someone who has died, distinct from the funeral itself.
Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss / Abortion Doula: A trained professional who supports individuals and families emotionally, practically, and spiritually during pregnancy loss or abortion, honoring grief and bodily autonomy.
Midwifing Death: The act of guiding, supporting, and holding space for the dying, akin to the nurturing presence of a birth midwife, attending to physical, emotional, and spiritual thresholds.
Mottling: A purplish or blotchy discoloration of the skin often seen in the final stages of life, reflecting changes in circulation during the dying process.
Music Thanatology: A therapeutic practice that uses live music (usually harp and voice) to soothe the dying, helping to ease physical and emotional pain and facilitate the transition.
O
Obituary: A written notice of a person’s death, typically published in print or online, often summarizing their life, achievements, and surviving loved ones.
P
Palliative Care: Medical and supportive care focused on relieving symptoms, improving quality of life, and addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs at any stage of serious illness.
Pediatric Hospice: Hospice services designed for children with terminal illness, emphasizing family-centered care, comfort, and age-appropriate support.
Pet Doula: A caregiver supporting pets and their families during end-of-life transitions, offering comfort, presence, and guidance for grief and practical care.
Pre-Active Dying Phase: The stage just before the active dying phase, marked by subtle signs and changes indicating that death is near. This phase often includes changes in the person's physical appearance, behavior, and energy levels, such as reduced appetite, increased sleep, withdrawal from social interaction, and fluctuating consciousness. It signals that the individual is transitioning toward the final stages of life but has not yet entered the active dying phase, where death is imminent.
Private Practice Death Doula: A professional who offers death doula services independently, contracting directly with clients or families for end-of-life guidance, support, and presence.
R
Respite Care: Temporary relief or assistance provided to caregivers, giving them a break from the emotional, physical, or practical demands of caring for a loved one nearing the end of life.
Resting Rites: A term used for after-death care rituals and processes that honor the deceased, often including washing, dressing, anointing, and preparing the body for funeral or memorial practices.
Restorative Practices: Activities and rituals that help the death doula, family, and community process grief, restore energy, and integrate the experience of loss.
Ritual & Ceremony: Structured or intentional practices used to honor life, death, and grief, which can include lighting candles, music, blessings, storytelling, or other culturally and personally meaningful acts.
S
Sacred Threshold / Liminal Space: The transitional state at the end of life, where the dying move between life and death, often accompanied by spiritual or mystical experiences.
Self-Care & Debriefing: Essential practices for death doulas to maintain emotional, physical, and energetic health, especially after supporting intense death or grief experiences.
Somatic Practices: Body-based techniques used to support emotional and physical healing, which may include breathwork, movement, or grounding exercises, often utilized by death doulas to maintain personal energy and assist clients.
T
Terminal Agitation: Restlessness or agitation observed near the end of life, often addressed with comfort measures, presence, and sometimes medical intervention.
Terminal Lucidity: A temporary return of clarity, memory, or communication in some dying individuals shortly before death, often a meaningful moment for loved ones.
Terminal Secretions: Bodily fluids, such as saliva or mucus, that may accumulate in the airway during the final stages of life, sometimes creating audible breathing sounds.
Thanatology: The scientific study of death, dying, and the processes associated with them, including the psychological, social, cultural, and medical aspects of death. Thanatology encompasses the understanding of grief, the rituals surrounding death, and the ethical and emotional challenges faced by those involved in end-of-life care.
Threshold Choir: A group of singers who offer bedside singing to individuals who are nearing the end of life. These choirs use gentle, soothing harmonies to provide comfort, emotional support, and a sense of peace to the dying, often creating a sacred and peaceful atmosphere during the final moments of life.
Transitioning: The period immediately before death when the body and consciousness shift toward the end of life, requiring comfort, observation, and presence.
Trauma-Informed Care: Approaches that recognize the impact of trauma on dying, grieving, or caregiving individuals, emphasizing safety, choice, and empowerment.
V
Vigil: A period of intentional presence at the bedside of someone who is dying, often including ritual, prayer, reflection, or simply companionship.
Vigil Plan: A structured approach to being present with a person who is dying, often involving planned rituals, ceremonies, or quiet companionship. The vigil plan may include specific actions such as creating a calm environment, providing comfort through touch or words, lighting candles, holding space for emotional expressions, or involving family and loved ones in the final moments. It’s a way to honor the transition from life to death with intentional presence and reverence.
VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking): A legal and ethical choice by a competent individual to hasten death by voluntarily refusing food and fluids, often accompanied by hospice or doula support.
W
Witnessing: The practice of being fully present for the dying, grieving, or families, holding space without judgment, rushing, or trying to fix the experience.
Understanding the language of death, grief, and end-of-life care is the first step toward confident, compassionate presence as a death doula or death midwife. This glossary offers clear definitions of the tools, practices, and concepts that guide your work, from bedside rituals to grief support, energy regulation, and navigating hospice systems. By learning these terms, you can deepen your own awareness, honor the sacredness of each transition, and walk alongside the dying and their loved ones with clarity, respect, and skill. Whether you are exploring this work for the first time or continuing your professional growth, these definitions serve as a foundation for thoughtful, informed, and ethically grounded care.
