Hi, I’m Berni B, End-of-Life Celebrant, Doula, & Planner, I’m a firm advocate for why endings matter and provide a wealth of services to support individuals, and the family (and chosen family) to consider, prepare and plan for and navigate end of life. Before I begin, if you need someone to talk to or are looking for help please reach out (click on the logo for further support):
Death Planning: ©My Life, My Death, My Wishes
I help individuals and families plan for the inevitable end through by bespoke death planning packages which help with advanced planning, advocacy and open communication.
Why aren’t we death planning, surely our endings matter? We all know that death is inevitable. My Life, My Death, My wishes is a package of tutorials, guides and templates to support & encourage families to talk about death and ensure their wishes, and their affects on those expected to carry them out, are understood.
Sadly, we often remain reluctant to think about it or discuss it before it becomes an issue. Quite often we leave it too late in the belief we have plenty of time. We think talking about it and planning for it might tempt fate.
Yet discussing and documenting what you want and how your loved ones feel about your ideas really makes your loss less ‘complicated’. Those left behind deserve to know for sure what you want, how you feel and what they should do.
I’m here to facilitate those difficult conversations. I give you the time, space, information, and tools to PRE-PLAN for the inevitable. FIND OUT MORE
End of Life Doula Services
As an End of life Doula I am there to support the dying and their families as a companion and advocate to help remove the fear and mystery around death.
I work with people who are approaching end of life, supporting both the dying and the non-medical family and community around them. My role is that of companion, care giver, advocate, communicator, administrator. Sometimes I’m a gardener, cook, cleaner, driver. I am there to help navigate life and help those dying retain some control, quality and dignity in the final stages of life.
I am also there to support their family or care givers, by helping explain what they are witnessing and offer signposting and ideas to help them through a period of time which can feel overwhelming, scary and highly emotional. Part of my role is facilitate conversations and help family members of all ages acknowledge and understand what they are witnessing. FIND OUT MORE
Funerals, Memorials, Life Celebrations , Scattering of Ashes
I refer to myself as an End of Life Celebrant as opposed to a funeral celebrant.
As well as working with Funeral Directors to create beautiful tributes for burials and cremations, I also work directly with families. With the rise of direct cremations, families often chose me to personalise and deliver heartfelt memorials, scatterings of ashes and celebrations of life, that take place at a different time & location. This is a beautiful way of honouring a person without the time constraints of a cemetery or crematorium and without the costs of a traditional funeral
I pride myself in being a great listener, hearing the words spoken and emotions conveyed. My role is to give you the time you need to tell your stories and share your memories.
From this I create a service with the mood and content needed; not only to fulfil the wishes of the deceased; but also to ensure you say goodbye in a way that helps you begin your grieving process. I give you the permissions and reassurances you need to feel exactly how you feel – be that numb, sad, angry, confused or anything else. Grief is a personal journey. Let me help you take the first steps by offering you guidance and support to set you on the long road ahead. FIND OUT MORE
Remembering your Four-Legged Companion
People often don’t realise the strength of emotion and the grief that can come from losing a cherished pet. If you’ve lost your dearest dog, cat, horse (or any animal) friend, then the feelings can be as strong as those of losing a human. Time to reflect is important. Your dog, cat, horse or whatever animal friend, was certainly more than a pet, they were part of your family.
**as a member of the AOIC