Shows / Best Life Best Death
Episodes
Best Life Best Death#199 Turning Towards: Accepting Aging as a Part of Life, Part II – Dr Carla Perissinotto, Gerontologist and Courtney Martin, Author
If you already heard Part I, then you know that this is an episode you do not want to miss! Personal and professional, we dive into what matters most. What are…
Best Life Best Death#198 Turning Towards: Accepting Aging as a Part of Life, Part I – Dr Carla Perissinotto and Courtney Martin
This is a topic, a duo, and a two-part podcast that you do not want to miss! I love it when BLBD is both personal and professional, and these two episodes land…
Best Life Best Death#197 Grief in Public: Roadside Memorials and Spontaneous Shrines – Dr Holly Everett, Folklorist and Associate Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Holly Everett’s work helps us better understand roadside memorials and other public expressions of remembrance. Her 1998 master’s thesis, “Crossroads…
Best Life Best Death#196 Meet the Pre-Dead Social Club — Laura Cleminson, Founder
Laura Cleminson believes that we could all use more preparation before the people we are close to are dying. How can we get that? Through conversation! Based…
Best Life Best Death#195 Carrying a Sibling’s Story: What My Brother Knew – Kristina Amelong, Author
In this BLBD episode, author Kristina Amelong joins me to share the deeply personal journey behind her memoir What My Brother Knew. Through honest…
Best Life Best Death#194 Code Status, CPR, and the Choices We Face – Dr Matthew Tyler, Palliative Care Physician and Founder of How to Train Your Doctor
What does “code status” really mean — and how does it affect the care we receive at the end of life? In this episode, Dr. Matthew Tyler returns to clarify…
Best Life Best Death#193 What Does Good Pain Care Look Like? – Dr Matthew Tyler, Palliative Care Physician and Founder of How to Train Your Doctor
Dr. Matthew Tyler returns to explore the layers of palliative care — what it is, what it isn’t, and how it differs from hospice. We discuss everything from…
Best Life Best Death#192 Reframing Dying for Better Living – Penny Hawkins Smith, RN, Author, Influencer
On this BLBD episode I talk with Penny Hawkins Smith, nationally certified hospice and palliative care nurse and social media rockstar! Penny’s 2025 book…
Best Life Best Death#191 Reclaiming Dignity, Connection and Humanity – Laura Musselman, Director of Communications for The Humane Prison Hospice Project
A good death should be a right not a privilege — Do you agree? Listen to this week’s podcast to learn about how our incarcerated population dies behind bars…
Best Life Best Death#190 Widows, Wisdom, and WTF Moments — Anita Coyle and Mel Shore, Founders of Widow We Do Now
In this episode, I sit down with two fabulous and funny podcast hosts, Anita Coyle and Mel Shore, founders of the Widow We Do Now? podcast. They share their…
Best Life Best Death#189 What If Death Care Included a Doula for Everyone? — Kacie Gikonyo, RN, Death Doula and the Founder of Death Doula School
Kacie Gikonyo is a registered nurse, death doula, and educator with over 12 years of experience in end-of-life care. She is the founder of Death Doula School…
Best Life Best Death#188 What Is Green Burial? – Samuel Perry, Funeral Director and President of The Green Burial Council Board
From his humble days as a “lawn guy” at a local funeral home, to his current role as a funeral director and leader on the board of the Green Burial Council…
Best Life Best Death#187 Pushing Up Daises 101 - or - What to Know about Body Disposition – Diane Hullet, Death Doula and Founder of Best Life Best Death
This week I’ll give you an overview of the many ways a body can be laid to rest — from traditional cremation to options like green burial, water cremation, and…
Best Life Best Death#186 What Does a Care Boss (aka Caregiver) Need to Know? – Jennifer A. O'Brien, MSOD
Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD, joins me to discuss a topic that we all need more understanding around: caregiving. In her book Care Boss: Leadership Strategies and…
Best Life Best Death#185 The Green-Wood Cemetery: An Iconic National Historic Landmark – Gabrielle Gatto, Manager of Public Programs
Whether large or small, urban or suburban, many of us have a favorite cemetery. Perhaps the crown jewel of cemeteries in the US is the National Historical…
Best Life Best Death#184 Is a “Good Death” Possible? How?? — Suzanne B. O’Brien, Founder and CEO of Doula Givers
Former hospice and oncology nurse turned Doulagiver Trainer, Suzanne B. O’Brien has dedicated her life to teaching people how to care for those at the end of…
Best Life Best Death#183 Children’s Books about Death, Grief and Loss – Jade Adgate, the Farewell Librarian & Death Doula behind Farewell Fellowship & Farewell Education
This week, doula, educator and book-lover Jade Adgate joins me to explore children’s books that delve into the tender topics of death, grief and loss. Why is…
Best Life Best Death#182 When Grief Is Complicated: Navigating Loss in Complex Relationships – Tawnya Musser, Life-Cycle Celebrant, Death Doula & Founder of Dear Departures
Sometimes, the truth is that the dead are not always our “beloved.” Relationships can be incredibly complex, and when a person in a complicated relationship…
Best Life Best Death#181 Home Funerals: What You Need to Know – Tawnya Musser, Life-Cycle Celebrant, Death Doula & Founder of Dear Departures
In this information-filled episode, Tawnya Musser and I explore the power and possibilities of home funerals. What exactly is a “home funeral”? How does it…
Best Life Best Death#180 The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: A Love Letter to Life and Loss – Jennifer O’Brien, Author, Artist and Interim Healthcare CEO
In this episode, I chat with Jennifer O’Brien, author of The Hospice Doctor’s Widow: An Art Journal of Caregiving and Grief and also Care Boss. (More on that…
Best Life Best Death#179 A Legacy of Compassion: Ken Ross on Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's Life and Work – Ken Ross, Founder and President of the EKRoss Foundation
In this episode, I’m joined by Ken Ross, son of the legendary Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, whose groundbreaking work revolutionized the field of end-of-life care…
Best Life Best Death#178 Pregnancy Loss: What We All Need to Know – Amy Wright Glenn, Founder of The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death
This episode delves into a subject that many find deeply uncomfortable: pregnancy loss. Whether through miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, accident, or medical…
Best Life Best Death#177 Postal Service for the Dead – Janelle Ketcher, Founder & Director
As Sarah Kerr puts it, “Grief is a feeling; grieving is an action.” This week, I speak with Janelle Ketcher, an artist and archivist who envisioned a unique…
Best Life Best Death#176 Grief Improv Theater: a Creative and Compassionate Approach to Grief-Related Topics – Erin Whalen, Founder of Compassionate Coaching
[Note to listeners: Sorry for the not-so-great sound on this one. I had issues.] Erin Whalen has spent years as an actor and acting coach, and she’s now…
Best Life Best Death#175 The Real Deal about Hospice with Dr G — Dr Kaishauna Guidry, Founder of Mourning Dove Medical
In this episode, Dr Kaishauna Guidry and I take a look at some myths about hospice, and you’ll hear Dr G’s heart-filled point of view as she busts some of…
Best Life Best Death#174 What Is VitalTalk? Clinicians and Hard Conversations – Dr James Tulsky, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dr. James Tulsky is passionate about enhancing communication between clinicians and patients. Why are words so vital in the medical field? What do patients and…
Best Life Best Death#173 Bringing Compassionate Presence to Difficult Experiences – Amy Wright Glenn, Founder of The Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death
Some people possess the rare gift of weaving together knowledge from multiple fields, using it to chart new and inspiring directions. Amy Wright Glenn is one…
Best Life Best Death#172 Dementia: Reframing for a Creative and Positive Approach – Ashley Bright and Heather MacLeod, Instructors with the Conscious Dying Collective
When someone is living with dementia, challenges abound. Join me for a conversation with Ashley Bright and Heather MacLeod, experienced instructors of a course…
Best Life Best Death#171 How to Hold Space for Suicide Talk – Cait Maddan, Doula and Founder of Aware Care Library
Cait Maddan’s free downloadable guide called “How to Hold Space for Suicide Talk” is just one key part of all the work that she does. As a doula with a focus…
Best Life Best Death#170 The Latest on Terramation: “It Just Makes Sense” – Mike Reagan, End-of-Life Doula, Hospice Volunteer, and CEO of The Natural Funeral
Terramation, Natural Organic Reduction, Human Composting – whatever you call it, let’s get down in the dirt to discuss this body disposition option! In this…
Best Life Best Death#169 The Value of Service, Silence and Presence at the End of Life – Mike Reagan, End-of-Life Doula, Hospice Volunteer, and CEO of The Natural Funeral
Enjoy this conversation with end-of-life doula Mike Reagan. How can we embrace opportunities to “serve” at the end of life? What does it mean to “show up” when…
Best Life Best Death#168 When You are Called to Soul-Based Deathcare: Becoming a Sacred Deathcare Guide – Sarah Kerr, PhD Founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare
Sarah Kerr joins BLBD again this week, as we share exciting news about a new course we’ve been developing at the Centre for Sacred Deathcare. Launching in…
Best Life Best Death#167 Rewriting the Story: The Deathwalker Archetype and Soul-Based Death Care – Sarah Kerr, PhD & Founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare
This week’s conversation with Sarah Kerr invites you to broaden your perspective on death, shifting toward a soul-centered understanding. We talk about the…
Best Life Best Death#166 Planting Seeds in a Garden: Messages from Terminally Ill Parents to Their Children – Su Park, Founder of Die Well
If you have the “gift of precious time” in the face of a poor prognosis, here is a way to leave videos that are structured, organized, and developmentally…
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#165 When the Veil Is Thin: Ancestors, Ghosts and Spirits – Rhea Mader, Founder of Conscious Living, Conscious Dying
Rhea Mader and I chat about the mysteries that this time of year brings forth. We start out with some light-hearted remembrances of Halloween costumes, and…
Best Life Best Death#164 Conversations with Doctors: How Do You and Your Doc Get on the Same Page? – Dr Matthew Tyler, How to Train Your Doctor
Listening to Dr Matthew Tyler mull over the intricacies of conversations between doctors and patients always gives me hope. How do we figure out when to say…
Best Life Best Death#163 We’ve Lost Our Role Models for How to Die and How to Give Care to Those Who are Dying — Barbara Karnes, RN
In this conversation with long-time hospice nurse and educator Barbara Karnes, she states: “We’ve lost our role models on what it’s like to die, and we’ve lost…
Best Life Best Death#162 One Year After the Death of a Spouse: Barbara Karnes, RN Reflects
This podcast is personal, and I thank Barbara Karnes for her candid sharing of what the first year has been like after the death of her long-time husband…
Best Life Best Death#161 What Are the Different Ways that Grief Shows Up? – Annie Sklaver Orenstein, Author
Resilient grief, complicated grief, anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief. These are terms you may or may not be familiar with, but trust me, learning…
Best Life Best Death#160 Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief – Annie Sklaver Orenstein, Author
When Annie Sklaver Orenstein’s brother died, she looked for books that would help her to understand her experience as a surviving sibling. While she…
Best Life Best Death#159 It’s Not Too Late, Until It’s Too Late: How to Start a Conversation – Diane Hullet, Mortality Educator and Doula
It's all well and good that I keep saying “You should really have conversations about death and dying….” Yet you might be thinking, “What the heck! This is too…
Best Life Best Death#158 When Dementia and Mental Illness Collide: One Person’s Experience – Tarron Estes, Founder of the Conscious Dying Institute
Tarron Estes is no stranger to death. Raised by a mother who sat vigil with the dying, Tarron understood from a young age the power and possibility of liminal…
Best Life Best Death#157 What Do the Dying Take with Them? – Gabriele Elise Jimenez, Hospice Nurse and Author
Gabby Jimenez – hospice nurse, doula and social media content creator extraordinaire – explores these questions with me. What do the dying take with them? How…
Best Life Best Death#156 Having The Conversation Can Make the Difference Between Pain and Peace – Gabby Jimenez, Hospice Nurse and Author
Gabby changed everything up mid-life after taking care of a friend who was dying. She realized that she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives by…
Best Life Best Death#155 A Key Medical Study: Living the Most in the Time You Have Left – Dr Kerin Adelson MD Anderson and Dr Maureen Canavan Yale
When you are in that terribly complicated time of making medical decisions around advanced cancer, what framework can you turn to? Oncologists are called upon…
Best Life Best Death#154 Our Grief Illiterate and Grief Avoidant World, Part II – Kim Shute, Grief Writer
This conversation is one of those that is personal and universal. What do you do when your partner dies unexpectedly? What Kim did was delve into that…
Best Life Best Death#153 Our Grief Illiterate and Grief Avoidant World, Part I – Kim Shute, Grief Writer
After her husband of 19 years died suddenly of Leukemia at the age of 48, Kim Shute experienced first-hand that the death of a young partner “stopped people in…
Best Life Best Death#152 What is “Death over Drafts”? – Stefanie Elkins, Founder of Death over Drafts and Be Present Care
Perhaps you’ve heard of Death Cafes or Death over Dinner… what about Death over Drafts? Grab a brew and listen to this episode in which you’ll hear from…
Best Life Best Death#151 The Experience of Aging: “I’ve Become an Immigrant In the Country of Old” — Susan Lieberman, Author
As Author Susan Lieberman concludes in this BLBD conversation: “Old is not terrible, it’s just old.” Listen to this episode for some light thoughts and some…
Best Life Best Death#150 What Makes an Obituary Full of Life? – Jennifer Carroll, Author and Artist
Jennifer Carroll shares tips and thoughts on how to bring an obituary to life. What are the personal touches that take it beyond a short, basic announcement?…
Best Life Best Death#149 Judith Letting Go: Six Months in the World's Smallest Death Cafe – Mark Dowie, Award-winning Journalist and Author
I think it is fair to say that Mark Dowie’s latest book is unlike any other he’s written. Brief and intensely personal, Mark writes about his experience with…
Best Life Best Death#148 Bonus Tracks with a Thanatologist and an Animal Doula – Kim Mooney and Kayla Nakano
I’m pulling from the “old files” for this one! I spoke with Kim Mooney on BLBD podcast #71 and #72 and with Kayla Nagano on #74, and with this episode you can…
Best Life Best Death#147 How Can We Prevent Adults From Drowning? – ‘Melon’ (Mary Ellen) Dash, Expert Swim Instructor
I believe that this podcast offers a topic you might not have considered – and it very much has to do with life and death. “Drowning deaths are on the rise in…
Best Life Best Death#146 VSED Part 2: Understanding Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking – Nancy Simmers BSN, RN, Death Doula
Nancy Simmers served as the death doula for Kate Christie’s mother when she chose VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking) to hasten her death. How did…
Best Life Best Death#145 VSED Part 1: One Family’s Experience of a Terminal Fast – Kate Christie, Author of The VSED Handbook
Kate Christie and her family went through the experience of VSED when her mother chose to “voluntarily stop eating and drinking.” This choice to hasten death…
Best Life Best Death#144 Conscious Grieving: How Might We Engage and Transform Through Loss? – Claire Bidwell Smith LCPC
In this episode we explore the rich, complex topic of grief. Claire Bidwell Smith’s beautiful book Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing…
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#143 Telling Our Stories as They Come to a Close – Darnell Lamont Walker
Writer, teacher, artist, filmmaker, and death doula Darnell Lamont Walker is all about the stories we live and share. What truly matters as we spend time and…
Best Life Best Death#142 Get Griefy: A Magazine For Those Living with Loss and Actually Living – Kera Sanchez, Founder of Get Griefy
When Kera’s mom died unexpectedly at age 57, just a few days after Kera had just had a baby, the duality of grieving and mothering dropped her to her knees…
Best Life Best Death#141 What Can We Do to Create Gentle, Empowered Endings? – Dr Bob Uslander
How do we support individuals to do death better? #1 Realize that the medical system isn’t set up to address the gaps for the dying and their families. #2…
Best Life Best Death#140 What Do Grief Groups Offer? The Who, When and Why – Jenn Flaum, Executive Director of the HeartLight Center
The HeartLight Center in Denver, CO is a nonprofit grief center offering in-person and online support to those who are grieving or supporting grievers…