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Welcome to

The Heartwood Collective

End Of Life Doula Services, Portland, OR

We are here for you and those who love you when it matters most.

WHY work with an End of Life Doula?

Uncertainty can be terrifying.

We spend so much time planning important moments in our lives; our wedding, family, kid’s education, retirement, it’s only natural we should be equally as willing to plan our death. There is comfort in preparation. Confidence in control.

Dying is the single thing we all have in common with each other. Quietly inevitable. It can be hard to think about. Accept. Our own - and our loved ones.

And while it feels completely unpredictable - and therefore, terrifying - it is actually quite predictable.

Heartwood supports you in removing uncertainty from the experience.

Some of our clients are planning ahead.

Others are coming to grips with a diagnosis.

PLANNING. SUPPORT. ADVOCACY.

We Are here to HELP RELIEVE the overwhelm.

We are a community of nuanced professionals skilled and committed to assisting individuals and or their loved ones with the emotional decisions and tasks surrounding end of life.

Like living, dying doesn’t come with a roadmap. We can help.

We provide non-medical, social, emotional and practical support to clients and their caregivers to help them prepare for end of life. Every case is unique. We cater our services to meet your needs.

  • TESTIMONIALS

    With Jen’s experience, patience and professionalism, I was finally able to face the daunting task of completing an Advanced Directive. Jen gently, and with great empathy, helped me face and explore my experiences and feelings surrounding the end of life. 

    By the end of this work, I felt heard and understood.  Jen’s insightfulness, patience and kindness are all exceptional.  I cannot recommend Jen more highly, for this work or other End of Life Doula support.

    — Karen

  • TESTIMONIALS

    Jen and Karen's graceful guidance combined with the space to share ideas, perspectives, and different ways of looking at the subject of mortality, make Peace of Mind Planning a great workshop.

    — Jake

  • TESTIMONIALS

    Peace of Mind Planning is a great way to begin thinking about something we all will go through, but may push off planning for. The Peace of Mind Planning workshop is a smart combination of practical planning, resources, and thoughtful reflection.

    — Louis

  • TESTIMONIALS

    Jen met me where I was emotionally and brought me and my family immediate comfort with her compassionate spirit. Jen helped me navigate my husband’s transition into Hospice care at home and helped me establish a caregiving team when my husband’s health declined and he urgently needed skilled bedside care beyond what I knew. She helped me organize, coordinate and harness the power of our community, who were all so eager to give, help in any way possible, drop off meals, etc.  No task was too big or too small for Jen – from helping tidy up our home to helping arrange end of life details and logistics, to helping plan my husband’s Celebration of Life, Jen was my quarterback, my sounding board and communicator. I’m beyond grateful for Jen and can’t imagine where I’d be today without her.

    — Minda

  • TESTIMONIALS

    The Peace of Mind Workshop is a great way to familiarize yourself with the landscape of end-of-life planning for yourself and your loved ones. Whether you've completed a Life File or have no idea what to put in one, this workshop can help you prepare. Jen and Karen offer a holistic consideration of death and tools for mitigating the emotional and practical ways that the end of a life unfolds in the lives of those who remain.

    - Sasha

  • TESTIMONIALS

    I finally got myself and my husband going with our own end-of-life planning, which feels great.

    — Laurie

What is an END-OF-LIFE DOULA?

An End-of-Life Doula, much like a birth doula, cares for someone holistically (emotionally, physically, socially) at the end of their life. An EOLD provides non-medical support to both clients and loved ones, as they prepare for the end and all that it entails. By helping clients and their families prepare for death, a doula also aims to encourage people to recognize that it is a natural and important part of life.