285.9K
Downloads
181
Episodes
Ask a Death Doula Podcast is a weekly show hosted by Hospice and Oncology nurse Suzanne B. O’Brien. Suzanne is the CEO and founder of International Doulagivers Institute. This is a vital platform for discussions and interviews that will bring back death into the natural fold of life. Ask a Death Doula will share vital education on how to care for those who are dying as well as sharing inspiring stories from working at the bedside with over 1000 dying people from all around the world. Please visit www.doulagivers.com to access our free education and resource center. About International Doulagivers Institute: The goal of Doulagivers Institute is simple and powerful - to provide affordable and accessible education and support to everyone in the world so that every person has the opportunity to die with comfort and dignity in their own home. Death is something that we all have in common no matter our race, religion, or socioeconomic status. We believe that this education to support people to have the most positive end of life experience is a human right, not a privilege.
Episodes
22 minutes ago
22 minutes ago
Can learning about death actually heal grief?
In this deeply moving episode from The Good Death virtual book tour, Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN, sits down with award-winning filmmaker and death educator Johanna J. Lunn, co-founder of The When You Die Project.
After experiencing multiple profound losses early in life, Johanna was unexpectedly guided toward a life devoted to exploring death, grief, and consciousness through film and community dialogue. What she discovered is transformative:
education about death doesn’t increase fear — it dissolves it.
Together, Suzanne and Johanna explore how understanding what truly happens at the end of life can soften grief, awaken spiritual insight, and reconnect us to the essence of who we are.
In this episode, they discuss:
• Why avoiding conversations about death amplifies suffering
• How awareness brings peace instead of fear
• Lessons from those at the end of life
• The continuity of love and consciousness
• Grief as a doorway to awakening
This conversation is for anyone who is grieving, fears death, or feels there is something more to this human experience.
Because when we understand death…
we begin to truly understand life.
Johanna J. Lunn is an award-winning filmmaker and co-founder of The When You Die Project, a Canadian initiative dedicated to fostering conversations and education about death and dying through film and community engagement. Through documentary storytelling and public dialogue, her work explores mortality, grief, meaning, and the profound spiritual dimensions of the human journey. Website here: https://whenyoudie.org
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE Or visit our website here!
Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
7 days ago
7 days ago
Closing Thought: Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
In this episode, Suzanne O’Brien reflects on the first anniversary of The Good Death and the simple intention behind the book: to soften fear, open conversations, and remind us that death can be sacred and peaceful when we plan ahead. After hearing from caregivers, nurses, doctors, and families whose lives were changed by the book, Suzanne invites listeners to leave a heartfelt review—because reviews are how this message reaches people before crisis, supports overwhelmed caregivers, and helps families discover another way to walk the end-of-life journey.
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here
Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE
Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
In this episode, Suzanne shares her guiding model, Serve & Assist, and why it’s essential for heart-centered death doulas and caregivers today. Learn how serving your community first—through education and presence—creates trust, impact, and a sustainable practice without pressure or hustle.
Suzanne explains why 80–90% of a positive end-of-life experience comes from planning ahead and how this work can bring both purpose and fulfillment.
If you want to make a real difference while staying in integrity with your heart, this episode is for you.
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here
Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE
Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Are Men and Veterans Being Left Alone in Grief and at the End of Life?
Or Are We Asking Them to Carry Their Pain in Silence?
There is a quiet truth in end-of-life care that is rarely spoken about: many men—and especially veterans—carry grief, trauma, and emotional pain without support. In this episode of Ask a Death Doula, Suzanne O’Brien, RN—founder of Doulagivers Institute—is joined by end-of-life doula Adam Daviau for an honest, compassionate conversation about grief, presence, and dignity at the end of life.
🔗 Connect with Adam Daviau:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautifulexistencedoulaservices
- Website: Here
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here
Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE
Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Is End-of-Life Pain Really Being Managed?
Or Are Families Being Asked to Do the Impossible Without Training?
There is a quiet truth in end-of-life care that many families discover too late: pain is often misunderstood, mismanaged, or missed entirely. In this episode of Ask a Death Doula, Suzanne O’Brien, RN—founder of Doulagivers Institute—speaks with honesty, clarity, and deep compassion about pain management at the end of life and what family caregivers truly need to know. This is not about blame. It is about education, empowerment, and dignity.
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here
Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE
Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
In this episode of Ask a Death Doula, Suzanne O’Brien shares a heartfelt reflection on this moment in humanity—and a special announcement:
Doulagivers Life Café is now meeting weekly, live, free, and globally. Life Café was born during the COVID pandemic as a sanctuary when fear and isolation were overwhelming. Today, it returns weekly as a space to pause, breathe, and remember our shared humanity. This is not about doing more. It’s about being. And choosing love over fear.
🌍 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
• Why most end-of-life experiences are harder than they need to be
• How death becomes one of our greatest teachers about life
• The difference between human ego energy and being/heart energy
• How fear impacts the nervous system and keeps us disconnected
• Why Life Café was created—and why it’s now weekly
💛 The Heart of This Episode Every day, we are being asked to choose: love or fear. When we choose love, we come back into coherence—with ourselves, with others, and with life itself.
🗓️ LIFE CAFÉ (WEEKLY)
Every Wednesday 12:00–1:00 PM Eastern Time
Live on Zoom | Free | Global
Life Café is a place to simply show up—in presence, compassion, and non-judgment. Each gathering closes with a global meditation and prayer, holding humanity and the Earth in love.
🧭 FREE GUIDE Universal Life Mastery (ULM) Guide What Suzanne has learned from end-of-life patients about how to live more fully.
👉 Download here: https://doulagivers.com/ulm-guide/
💬 QUESTION FOR YOU
Where in your life are you being invited to choose love over fear right now?
#AskADeathDoula #LifeCafe #Doulagivers #ChooseLove #EndOfLifeWisdom #ConsciousLiving #NervousSystem #Presence #LoveOverFear
Monday Dec 22, 2025
Monday Dec 22, 2025
As we close out 2025, Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN shares a heartfelt Year in Review for the Doulagivers Institute, reflecting on three extraordinary milestones that are helping transform end-of-life care around the world. This episode honors what’s possible when education, compassion, and community come together.
🌍 In This Episode, You’ll Hear About: • Expanding End-of-Life Education Worldwide In January 2025, the Doulagivers Level 1 End-of-Life Doula Training was expanded into 15 languages and offered completely free.
To date, more than 400,000 people in 36 countries have accessed this foundational caregiver education—returning a skill once passed down through generations. With 98% of hands-on end-of-life care provided by family caregivers, this training continues to fill one of the most critical gaps in modern healthcare.
A Book That Met the World Suzanne reflects on the release of The Good Death, launched March 18, 2025. Often described as “What to Expect When You’re Expecting—for the other end of life,” the book became an instant international bestseller and was named one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2025. Now available in Spanish and distributed across Europe, China, and India, the book is helping families approach end-of-life with peace, clarity, and empowerment.
Compassion Made Tangible in Guatemala One of the most moving moments of the year was Suzanne’s return to Guatemala to witness the completed Elizabeth Kübler-Ross Respite House, which Doulagivers Institute helped fund. The respite house now provides a safe and dignified place for families traveling from the mountains to Guatemala City for medical care—families who previously slept on the streets while their loved ones were hospitalized. This story is a powerful reminder of what happens when compassion becomes action.
🎧 Listen, Reflect & Share This episode is a celebration of impact, gratitude, and the growing global movement to restore sacredness to both life and death.
🌟 Free Live Masterclass Invitation Jan. 1st at 7pm EST : CLICK HERE: https://suzannebobrienrn.com/masterclass Continue the journey with Suzanne in this free live online masterclass:
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 08, 2025
Monday Dec 08, 2025
In this episode, Suzanne O’Brien shares her inspiring journey from working as a nurse to becoming the founder of Doulagivers, an organization dedicated to providing free end-of-life care training to people around the world. Suzanne discusses her impactful work in countries like Guatemala and Thailand, where she has helped bring compassionate care and vital resources to communities in need. She emphasizes the belief that compassionate end-of-life care is a fundamental human right, and describes the ongoing global expansion of Doulagivers’ mission.
Suzanne highlights several recent milestones, including the successful completion of a much-needed respite house in Guatemala, which offers comfort and support to those facing end-of-life challenges. She also announces the launch of Spanish-language training programs to better serve diverse communities, and introduces the upcoming Life Café community initiative, designed to foster open conversations and support around end-of-life issues. Throughout the episode, Suzanne encourages listeners to choose love over fear, embrace conscious and intentional living, and become part of the growing movement to make compassionate, accessible end-of-life care available to all.
(00:01:20) Listening to Higher Self and Life Mastery
(00:02:32) Suzanne’s Nursing Background and Disillusionment
(00:03:38) Transition to Hospice and Founding Doula Givers
(00:10:06) Doulagivers Thailand: The Beginning
(00:12:22) Inspired Guidance and the Path to Guatemala
(00:13:58) Influence of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
(00:16:43) The Vision and Creation of the Guatemala Respite House
Links mentioned in this episode:
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation
Fundación Elisabeth Kübler Ross Guatemala
Join the Life Cafe here
Join the upcoming FREE Doulagivers Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training Webinar here
Register to join us for FREE: THE GOOD DEATH BOOK CLUB EXPERIENCE: 12 MONTH FREE DEATH AND DYING COURSE
Or visit our website here! Please Share! Share this episode and invite them to join this sacred and supportive experience.
Listen & Subscribe:Available on Apple Podcasts • Spotify • Google Podcasts • YouTube
JOIN MY FREE TRAINING AND MEMBERSHIP SITE Join Here: 4491664174178077
If you want to do great things you need to have a great environment. Create the life you want by surrounding yourself with positivity and watching daily. Click here to subscribe!
Leave a comment on this video and it'll get a response. Or you can connect with me on different social platforms too:
#deathdoula #deathdoultraining #dyingwell #death #life #deatheducation #doulagivers #hospice #hospicecare #hospicenurse #deathdoula #soulmidwife #deathmidwife #endoflifeplanning #healthcareproxy #funerals #fearofdeath #endoflifedoula #thegooddeath #hospice #grief #deathawareness #birth #endoflife #deathpositivity #consciousdying #dying #advanceplanning #deathpositive #gooddeath #consciousliving #endoflifedirective #palliativecare #advancedirective #livefully #suzannebobrien. #lifecafe #consciousness #awarenes