
There is a renowned leader in the End of Life field named Dr. Sarah Kerr, of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare in Victoria, British Columbia. Many of us in the field learn from and follow Dr. Kerr’s teachings. Her wisdom and generosity of spirit inspire all of us, and we strongly support her and her center’s mission. In her words, the center was “founded to help people meet death – and life – in ways that are more healing, and more whole. Our work is dedicated to the health and well-being of our collective past, present, and future.” Dr. Kerr offers many classes for those of us in the field (as well as for anyone interested in the death and dying experience), and she recently posted a YouTube video that is very near and dear to our hearts as the founders of the Edgewalking Collective.
In her short video, she describes her “ideal doula team.” It’s a mere 2 minutes, but when we watched it, we were elated with joy! She described the 3 ideal members of her team: first, a person dedicated to the important organizational aspects of end-of-life issues (including legal wills, advance directives and more). Second, a person holding space for the patient in their end-of-life journey, someone who cares for and supports the emotional needs of the person and their support community. And finally, a person to hold the more spiritual and energetic energy of the entire experience.
Her ideal doula team IS our Edgewalking Collective founding team!

First, we have Johanna (Munson) who beautifully, lovingly, and empathetically offers numerous end-of-life planning opportunities to ensure that you have the most control over your own experience as possible. She ensures that you, your family, and your support team have all the answers needed to be able to focus on your transition period, rather than worrying about all the legalities and documents required as a life ends.
Second, we have Danielle (Gordon), a death doula who provides emotional support and compassionate care to the person experiencing their end-of-life journey, and to the people surrounding them. She provides opportunities to create legacies and perform life reviews. As death nears, she helps hold the physical space of the patient by making it as personal, calming, and supportive as possible, and she sits vigil with the dying and provides love and companionship for all.
And third, we have Kathryn (Lafond), a renowned spiritual healer in her own right. She pays attention to the energetics of the space, and the people within it, and can access energies that we can not see. She helps those in their journey by creating profound meditations where a client can get in touch with their fears, anxieties, hopes or worries about their journey and transition. She is also an experienced officiant and creator of ritual experiences and ceremonies that make the end-of-life transition a deeply honoring occasion.
Edgewalking Collective was designed as the “ideal doula team” to meet your needs when you are ready. We recognize that there are additional arenas to explore, and have included an organizer, Melissa (Blanchard), as an integral member of our team. She is there for you when you’re overwhelmed with “stuff,” or you’re ready to downsize, or you need to clean out a loved one’s home.
If you have interest or questions in regards to the end-of-life journey, please give us a call.
This is important work that all too often gets missed. We would be honored to be of assistance.
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To connect with our collective: http://edge-walking.com / 206.825.9780 / edgewalking.transitions@gmail.com
To learn more about Dr. Kerr: https://sacreddeathcare.com/about/ To watch her original video: My Ideal Death Doula Team
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