MOVING THROUGH

I am an End-of-Life Guide.
I help people make sense of dying. Whether you have a terminal illness, know someone in transition or want to assist your family with planning ahead, I help you and your loved ones move through the transition with grace and reverence.

As a Deathworker I want to empower people to take ownership of their life journey, to move through what can be a beautiful process.

Our society doesn’t place enough value or significance on the dying. Death should be a sacred act. It should be honored and approached with intention. It should be celebrated the way birth is because death, in a way, is similar to birth.

Together, we can plan ahead (to the best of our ability) so when the time comes, there is less stress, less fear, greater acceptance, and more familiarity.

EXPERIENCEO

SERVICES

Moving Through is an End of Life - Death Doula service. Death Doulas are trained to assist in the non-medical aspects of the dying and their care circles. We create a holistic container for all the different aspects of the end of life experience.

In the sacred space, I offer compassionate companionship through this transitional phase. I provide emotional and spiritual support, legacy creation, living funerals and ritual guidance. Embracing the belief that death is a transition, not an end, I facilitate meaningful observances, fostering an environment of support and connection. Whether it's crafting personalized rituals, assisting with practical arrangements, or simply being a comforting presence, I am here to honor each unique passage with grace and reverence.

Services include (but not limited to):

Companionship in person or by phone
Death Education (visits with family)
Legacy Work and Story-keeping
Living and Home Funeral Guidance
Resource and Logistical Support
11th Hour Care and Sitting Vigil
Bedside Ceremony (Sacred Ritual Guidance and Tending)

NOPE

PORTFOLIO

THE PRACTITIONER

Hi! I'm Selena a certified End of Life Guide/Death Doula. I help people navigate and move through the dying process. I assist the dying and their loved ones through a difficult time so they can create meaningful celebration and be in deeper connection with each other. I am a hospice volunteer and I sit bedside with actively dying patients for the 11th Hour program at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in San Diego, CA. I also hosts a free monthly Death Cafe discussion group where people are encouraged to come talk openly about death and dying in a safe environment with no agenda.

My inspiration to become a Death Doula comes from a lifetime of walking alongside death and my experience with the death of my father. In 2019 he suffered a brain aneurysm and had to be taken off life support. Although he was unconscious during our last interaction, the social worker handed me the phone and I was given the opportunity to say a few last words to him. I felt inspired to lead a meditation guiding him through the portal into his next life. I knew he could hear me and feel my energy. I knew he felt safe and loved even though I was not physically next to him. He died a few hours later. The next few days were hectic and stressful as I attempted to navigate his disorganized life. I had to rush to cremate him and wasn’t able to hold a celebration due to time constraints. I wish I had given him a green burial. There were so many things I wish I did differently. My father's death, along with experiencing the death of my mother at age 12, has inspired me to help empower people to take the process into their hands, to plan ahead, and to be prepared. Death can be ugly and messy and that's ok. Dying can also be a beautiful and sacred event. I'm here to steer the bus so all you have to do is be responsible for your emotions and feelings.

If you’re curious, feel free to contact me and we can chat. Even a conversation is the beginning of empowering yourself and your loved ones during this tough time. You don’t have to do this alone. Deathwork is community work.

“The grace in dying is in the acceptance of death as part of life, not as its failure. Dying is not the end of wisdom; it’s the seed of it.”
– Stephen Jenkinson, author of Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul.