End-of-Life University

Learn about the specialty of pediatric palliative care and how one doctor has benefitted from his relationship with his seriously ill patients. My guest Dr. Bob Macauley is one of only a few hundred pediatricians in the U.S. specializing in palliative care for children with life-threatening illness. Uniquely Dr. Macauley attended both divinity school and… Continue reading Ep. 506 Pediatric Palliative Care and the Remarkable Children it Serves with Bob Macauley MD

Explore how death doulas fill the gaps in end-of-life medical care with Kacie Gikonyo, RN and founder of The Death Doula Collective. A conversation about presence, advocacy, and healing at the end of life.

Ian McCartor, hospice nurse and founder of The Ash Rose, shares how he transforms cremated ashes into rose-shaped memorials—and how creativity and ritual can support the grief journey.

Learn about breaking taboos around talking about death through a unique death education program in Australia. My guest Samantha Waite is the quirky founding director of Taboo Education who works with individuals and groups in local, national (Australia) and international communities to resolve our taboo and confusion in talking about death. She is a long-time… Continue reading Ep. 503 Taboo Education: Changing the Way We Talk About Death with Samantha Waite

Learn how finding just one little thing to be thankful for every day can help us with grief. My guest Kelly Buckley is the author of the book and founder of the movement called Just One Little Thing that has a loyal following worldwide. She is a registered nurse who now nurtures other souls who… Continue reading Ep. 502 Just One Little Thing: Gratitude and Grief with Kelly Buckley

Learn why it’s important to be aware of the needs of people with disabilities (and their families) when providing end-of-life and bereavement care. My guest Carrie Batt is an end-of-life doula and the founder of SEOL Care which offers disability-competent end-of-life care, support and planning for people with a disability and their families. She advocates… Continue reading Ep. 501 Disability-Informed End-of-Life Care with Carrie Batt

Join me for a few stories and a brief celebration of the 500th episode of EOLU Podcast! This week I’m celebrating the milestone of 500 Episodes and I hope you’ll share my joy! I’ll be answering a few questions (submitted by ChatGPT!) and telling a story or two. It has been an incredible experience being… Continue reading Ep. 500 Celebrating a Milestone with Karen Wyatt MD

Learn about the value of viewing death through a spiritual lens rather than just as an ending of the physical body. My guest Felicity Warner is the founder of Soul Midwives™ a global movement to teach holistic and spiritual end-of-life care. She has been working with death and dying for 35 years and her work… Continue reading Ep. 499 Death as a Shift in Consciousness with Felicity Warner

Learn how a project making memory bears for people who are grieving is opening the door to conversation about the end of life. My guest Michelle Sebern is an RN who trained as an end-of-life doula to channel her skills and passion into more community-focused work. When she found her rural community wasn’t quite ready… Continue reading Ep. 498 Memory Bears and Grief in Community with Michelle Sebern RN

Learn how doulas and chaplains collaborate to provide end-of-life care in a skilled nursing facility. My guests for this episode are Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal who both work with the Full Circle Care Program in a skilled nursing facility to support residents and their loved ones during end-of-life journeys. Jane is an end-of-life doula… Continue reading Ep. 497 Integrating Doulas and Chaplains in End-of-Life Care with Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal

Learn how the art of Visual Storytelling can enhance end-of-life education and serve as a tool for advance care planning. My guest Jill Greenbaum is a contemplative chaplain and advocate of conscious living and dying. She completed chaplaincy training at the Upaya Zen Center and integrates her experience in psychology, education, visualization, and trauma-informed teaching… Continue reading Ep. 496 Visual Storytelling for End-of-Life Planning with Jill Greenbaum

Learn how leadership skills and organizational tools can help decrease stress for family caregivers. My guest Jennifer O’Brien has been a practice management consultant to physicians for 35 years and is the author of the book The Hospice Doctor’s Widow, which was the subject of our previous interview. After providing care for her husband, a… Continue reading Ep. 495 Care Boss: Strategies for Family Caregivers with Jennifer A. O’Brien

Learn how a hospice volunteer and doula utilizes his artistic talents to help patients and families. My guest Rich Curtis is an artist, teacher, hospice volunteer and end-of-life doula. He currently volunteers for Archbold Hospice in Thomasville GA where he has utilized his artistic talents to help patients and their families at the end of… Continue reading Ep. 494 Integrating Art and the End of Life with Rich Curtis

Learn what it means to have a “good death” and how and why we all need to prepare for the end of life to benefit ourselves, our loved ones and our planet. My guest Suzanne B. O’Brien RN is the founder and CEO of Doulagivers Institute and a “pioneer” in the global death doula movement.… Continue reading Ep. 493 The Good Death: An End-of-Life Guide with Suzanne B. O’Brien RN

Learn about the benefits of creating intentional rituals for the big and small moments of life and death. My guest Megan Sheldon is a cultural mythologist, humanist celebrant, and end-of-life doula in North Vancouver, BC. She is the co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world’s first guided ritual and ceremony app. Megan will discuss her work… Continue reading Ep. 492 Rituals and Ceremonies for Life, Death and Grief with Megan Sheldon

Learn about the benefits of team-based care and how the hospice team works together on behalf of patients and families. This week I’m welcoming my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN, who is an internationally recognized thought-leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. We are continuing our series of conversations on various… Continue reading Ep. 491 The Hospice Team and Whole-Person Care with Barbara Karnes RN

Learn why and how to share your end-of-life wisdom and stories by writing a non-fiction book. My guest Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She is also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international… Continue reading Ep. 490 How to Write Non-Fiction About Death, Dying and Grief with Joanna Penn

Learn from “Hospice Nurse Penny” how she started working in hospice and ended up being a viral influencer about end-of-life issues on social media. My guest this week is Penny Smith RN, known on social media as “Hospice Nurse Penny.” She discusses her journey to becoming a hospice nurse and her rise to fame on… Continue reading Ep. 489 Influencing Death: Teaching Hospice Care on TikTok with Penny Smith RN

Learn how talking about death and grief on a podcast can help us face tragedy and loss together. My special guest David Ferrugio is the host of DEAD Talks Podcast, where he hosts guests like Tony Hawk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Billy Carson, David Dastmalchian, Bryan Callen, Hospice Nurse Julie and many more over a growing… Continue reading Ep. 488 DEAD Talks Podcast: Life, Grief and the L.A. Fires with David Ferrugio

Learn about research being done in Canada to improve access to palliative care for marginalized populations. My special guest Dr. Kelli Stajduhar is is a professor in the School of Nursing and Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria and the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care, Aging and Community Health.… Continue reading Ep. 487 Addressing Inequity in Palliative Care with Dr. Kelli Stajduhar

Learn about a Top Ten Playlist of songs selected by hospice patients for their own end of life journey. We start out this new year with another episode our special series: Death & Grief in Pop Culture. This week my co-host Ben Kintisch and I will be reviewing the Top Ten Songs from an end-of-life… Continue reading Ep. 486 Death & Grief in Pop Culture: Songs to Die For with Benjamin Kintisch

Find out what you may have missed in 2024 if you haven't listened to every episode! In this solo episode I recap some of the episodes of this podcast that had the greatest impact on me personally and professionally! All of the interviews from 2024 were fantastic but if you missed any of these be… Continue reading Ep. 485 Highlights of 2024: The Best of the Best with Karen Wyatt MD

Learn from this special recording of a workshop with Drs. Sammy Winemaker and Hsien Seow from their book Hope for the Best Plan for the Rest. For this special episode I will share a few thoughts for everyone who has (like me) experienced a life-changing diagnosis during 2024. This holiday season will be different than… Continue reading Ep. 484 Navigating a Life-Changing Diagnosis During the Holidays (Special Episode)

Enjoy this very first conversation with my friend Barbara Karnes as we get to know one another and discuss our hopes for the future of hospice care. This episode is a replay of my very first interview with Barbara Karnes RN that appeared on the EOLU speaker series but not on the podcast. Barbara is… Continue reading Ep. 483 ENCORE: The Evolution of Hospice Care – Our First Interview with Barbara Karnes RN

Learn how a college student investigating death and dying is starting student-run Death Cafés on her campus. My guest Jenna Yeam is a senior at Duke University who is investigating what it means to die well anyhow we can help people die better. As part of her thesis she interviewed 67 death doulas to learn… Continue reading Ep. 482 Talking About Death on College Campuses with Jenna Yeam

Learn about effective, personalized grief support that arrives via text message and how this innovation is a game changer for caregivers, healthcare workers, and the bereaved. My guest Emma Payne is the founder and CEO of Help Texts, which provides private grief, caregiver, or mental health support via personalized text messages. On this episode, Emma’s… Continue reading Ep. 481 Help Texts: Text-Based Grief Support with Emma Payne

Learn about palliative medicine from a physician who is also a popular content creator on social media. My guest Dr. Matthew Tyler is a board certified physician in internal medicine as well as hospice and palliative medicine. He is the creator of How to Train Your Doctor, a coaching platform designed to help patients and… Continue reading Ep. 480 How to Train Your Doctor with Matthew Tyler MD

Learn about a helpful book for grieving teens by grief counselor and thanatologist Dr. Korie Leigh … and why you should have it on your bookshelf. My guest Dr. Korie Leigh is a grief counselor and an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Thanatology Program at Marian University. She has spent 20 years working… Continue reading Ep. 479 A Teen’s Guide to Grief and Grieving with Korie Leigh PhD

Learn how grief is a major theme of Alexander Hamilton’s life as portrayed in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical Hamilton. Today I’m joined once again by my co-host Benjamin Kintisch for another episode of the Death & Grief in Pop Culture Series. Ben is a cantor, hospice and eldercare chaplain, music teacher, and the creator of Life Review: The… Continue reading Ep. 478 Death & Grief in Pop Culture: Hamilton with Benjamin Kintisch

Learn how an astrologer uses death charts to provide insights and solace for people who are grieving. My guest Moon Zlotnik is an astrologer who has been practicing and teaching astrology full-time for over 40 years. Her practice of modern astrology includes a focus on both psychology and spirituality. She discusses her discovery of the… Continue reading Ep. 477 Astrology as a Tool for Grief with Moon Zlotnik

Learn from an expert about the dynamics of the dying process and the most common concerns of caregivers as their loved one approaches death. This week I’m welcoming once again my recurring guest Barbara Karnes RN who is a hospice nurse, author, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. She… Continue reading Ep. 476 The Dying Process: What Caregivers Need to Know with Barbara Karnes RN

Learn about a beautiful, sustainable option for disposition of ashes after death at the base of a memorial tree. My guest Gillian Nye has served at the Forest Memorials Manager at Better Place Forests for the past 6 years. She helps families create meaningful, nature-centered ceremonies that honor their loved ones in a unique and… Continue reading Ep. 475 Tree vs. Tombstone: Better Place Forests with Gillian Nye

Learn about a unique postgraduate program in Scotland that offers a global and cultural context to end of life studies for a diverse group of students. My guest Marian Krawczyk is a medical anthropologist interested in the culture of health, illness and medicine, particularly in relation to the end of life. She is the Lead… Continue reading Ep. 474 End of Life Studies Postgraduate Program in Glasgow UK with Marian Krawczyk

Learn how a funeral director who is also an end-of-life doula merges “head and heart” in her work to help people prepare for the end of life. My guest Christa Ovenell is a licensed funeral director, an end-of-life doula, and the founder of Death’s Apprentice Education & Planning. She shares how she helps people think… Continue reading Ep. 473 Death’s Apprentice: Planning for Life, Death and After with Christa Ovenell

Learn why you should start a death collaborative in your community and tips for getting started. My guests this week are members of the Minnesota Death Collaborative and will share how the collaborative was created, including tips for others who might like to start a similar collaborative in their community or state. Michelle Kolling is… Continue reading Ep. 472 Creating a Collaborative Movement in Your Community with Michelle Kolling and Nina Guertin

Learn how death and grief are portrayed in pop culture through this new series that analyzes theater, film and music, starting with the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. Trigger Warning: This episode contains references to suicide and grief after suicide so use your own discretion if these are sensitive topics for you. If you are… Continue reading Ep. 471 NEW SERIES – Death & Grief in Pop Culture: “Dear Evan Hansen” with Benjamin Kintisch

Learn how a palliative clinician and a researcher are helping to create a social movement for improving the patient and family experience of serious illness. This week I’m welcoming Drs. Sammy Winemaker and Hsien Seow, creators of The Waiting Room Revolution and authors of the book Hope for the Best Plan for the Rest. Sammy… Continue reading Ep. 470 Transforming the Illness Experience with Hsien Seow PhD and Sammy Winemaker MD

Learn about some helpful episodes from the EOLU Archives that can show you how and why to start teaching others about death and dying. This week I'm sharing another “Podcast Playlist” which is a topic-focused deep dive into the archives of EOLU. I have created several anthologies of episodes that deal with specific subjects to make it… Continue reading Ep. 469 Podcast Playlist: Death Education with Karen Wyatt MD

Learn some tips and tools for offering support to family caregivers tending a loved one on hospice. My return guest Gabby Jimenez is a hospice nurse, end-of-life doula, death and dying educator, author and blogger. She is the author/co-author of numerous books, including Dignity Day and The Doula Tool Kit and the host of The… Continue reading Ep. 468 Supporting Family Caregivers: Notes from the Field with Gabrielle Elise Jimenez

Learn how a home funeral guide and an aqua cremation provider collaborate to help families care for a loved one’s body after death. My two guests this week are collaborators who work together to ensure that their clients can access family involved deathcare: Trina Wacasey is an end-of-life doula, home funeral guide and the founder… Continue reading Ep. 467 A New Twist on Home Funerals: Family Involved Deathcare with Trina Wacasey and David Perfito

Learn about a book of quotes gathered by a compassionate oncologist from deep conversations with her patients. My guest Dr. Christina Gomez is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the author of the book Stopped in My Tracks: A Physician’s Collection of Cancer Patients’ Quotes, which she discusses today.… Continue reading Ep. 466 Listening to Patients Near the End of Life with Christina Gomez MD

Learn all about end-of-life doulas from this comprehensive deep dive into the archives of EOLU Podcast! This week I’m sharing a new feature: the “Podcast Playlist” which is a topic-focused deep dive into the archives of EOLU. I’ve created several anthologies of episodes that deal with specific subjects that might interest you. This is to… Continue reading Ep. 465 Podcast Playlist: End-of-Life Doulas with Karen Wyatt MD

Learn about a guidebook that teaches how to offer appropriate nutrition for a loved one approaching death. This week I’m welcoming my recurring guest and friend Barbara Karnes RN, hospice nurse, author, thought leader and expert on end-of-life care and the dynamics of dying. Barbara is the author of Gone From My Sight, “the little… Continue reading Ep. 464 Nutrition at the End of Life with Barbara Karnes RN

Learn about a grief book that combines personal experience with expert advice and a touch of humor. My guest Dina Gachman is a Pulitzer Center grantee, an award-winning journalist, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Texas Monthly, Vox, and more. She wrote her second book So Sorry for Your Loss: How I… Continue reading Ep. 463 “So Sorry for Your Loss:” Learning to Live with Grief with Dina Gachman

Learn about the importance of sacred rituals and practices at the end of life. This interview was recorded several years ago with Kitty Edwards, a shamanic practitioner, public speaker, published author and master teacher. She served as the director of The Living and Dying Consciously Project and as the co-founder of The No Regrets Project. Kitty's… Continue reading Ep. 462 ARCHIVE: Creating Sacred Space for the Dying with Kitty Edwards

Learn about a helpful tool for organizing all your records and files for your later years and your loved ones. My guest Maria Fraietta is the founder of The Nokbox, which is a complete system that helps you organize all of your accounts, possessions, social media presence, communities, kids, pets, personal history, and estate plans.… Continue reading Ep. 461 The NOKbox: A Gift for Your Next of Kin with Maria Fraietta

Learn how this hospice doctor’s important research sheds light on the dreams and visions of the dying and why they are meaningful. In this interview from the archives of EOLU my guest is Dr. Christopher Kerr  who currently practices at Hospice Buffalo in Buffalo, NY. He is conducting a research project on the dreams and visions of… Continue reading Ep. 460 ENCORE: Deathbed Dreams and Visions with Christopher Kerr, MD

Learn more about the continuing bonds theory and various ways it is beneficial for grievers. This special episode is a follow-up to the previous interview with Dina Stander about the phone of the wind. I’ll take a closer look at the Continuing Bonds theory of grief to see how using a wind phone might actually… Continue reading Ep. 459 Continuing Bonds Theory of Grief: A Closer Look with Karen Wyatt

Learn how the “phone of the wind” can help us establish continuing bonds with our loved ones who have died. My guest Dina Stander is an end-of-life navigator, funeral celebrant and burial shroud maker. She is also the founder of the Northeast Death Care Collaborative, an author and a propagator of phones of the wind,… Continue reading Ep. 458 The Phone of the Wind: Connecting with Those We Grieve with Dina Stander

Learn how two creators each facing serious illness came together to produce an award-winning masterpiece. My guests Christina Holbrook and Walker Vreeland are joining me today to talk about their personal stories of serious illness and facing mortality in the midst of working on a creative project. Numerous synchronicities and little miracles came together to… Continue reading Ep. 457 Creativity and Serious Illness with Christina Holbrook and Walker Vreeland

Learn about a senior living community that is bringing end-of-life doula training to residents, thanks to the efforts of its chaplain. My guest Tom Waknitz is a chaplain and end-of-life doula who is working with Walker Methodist Senior Living Community to establish a unique end-of-life program for residents called Passages. He is certified by INELDA… Continue reading Ep. 456 Passages: An EOL Program for a Senior Living Community with Tom Waknitz