Hello.
My name is Kristen Ward and I am an End of Life Care Doula. The number one thing people say to me daily is "I don't know how you do the work you do." My response is usually, "someone has to do it, so why not me." I believe that the path of an End of Life Doula is a calling. You are drawn to it. You probably had a life experience that brought you to the point of wanting to help people who are at the end of their journey.
A bit about me:
I am a wife. A mom to three grown children. A grandmother. A dog mom. A hairdresser and a doula.
I am reiki certified and work with essential oils and healing crystals as well. I became a hairdresser in 2012 and love making people feel beautiful and letting them talk and be heard while they sit in my chair, it can be so therapeutic.
One day, out of the blue, I met a woman who was the director of hospice at a senior community, we chatted for awhile and she told me I would be perfect for a job opening she had.
I was offered a job as the volunteer coordinator for hospice! Anyone that knew me was surprised, I had always had an huge fear of death and I am sure they thought I wasn't going to succeed at working around dying people everyday. Well guess what? I found that I also had a passion for being with those who were dying and their families. I used any chance I was given to spend time with a patient who was at the end of their journey. Sometimes it would be holding a hand, listening to someone who is scared or just wants to tell their stories, holding a terminally agitated person who needed to get in and out of bed repeatedly, comforting a family member and so on. I was blessed with some amazing nurse friends who allowed me to do use my abilities to sooth and be a calm presence with their patients, especially when they were too busy.
That ability is a gift.
That gift is what I bring to my practice.
Life experience has brought me to where I am today and everyday I am learning more.
I currently attend the Care Doula School of Accompanying the Dying and I am studying to get certification as an End of Life Doula. I look forward to helping those at the end of their journey, as I am sure I will learn even more from every person I am given the privilege to help.
Blessings,
Kristen
A bit about me:
I am a wife. A mom to three grown children. A grandmother. A dog mom. A hairdresser and a doula.
I am reiki certified and work with essential oils and healing crystals as well. I became a hairdresser in 2012 and love making people feel beautiful and letting them talk and be heard while they sit in my chair, it can be so therapeutic.
One day, out of the blue, I met a woman who was the director of hospice at a senior community, we chatted for awhile and she told me I would be perfect for a job opening she had.
I was offered a job as the volunteer coordinator for hospice! Anyone that knew me was surprised, I had always had an huge fear of death and I am sure they thought I wasn't going to succeed at working around dying people everyday. Well guess what? I found that I also had a passion for being with those who were dying and their families. I used any chance I was given to spend time with a patient who was at the end of their journey. Sometimes it would be holding a hand, listening to someone who is scared or just wants to tell their stories, holding a terminally agitated person who needed to get in and out of bed repeatedly, comforting a family member and so on. I was blessed with some amazing nurse friends who allowed me to do use my abilities to sooth and be a calm presence with their patients, especially when they were too busy.
That ability is a gift.
That gift is what I bring to my practice.
Life experience has brought me to where I am today and everyday I am learning more.
I currently attend the Care Doula School of Accompanying the Dying and I am studying to get certification as an End of Life Doula. I look forward to helping those at the end of their journey, as I am sure I will learn even more from every person I am given the privilege to help.
Blessings,
Kristen
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |