Grief and Death Care

“Our grief—our feelings, as words or actions, images or practices— can open up cracks in the wall of the system.” — Cindy Milstein

Grief and loss, death and dying. I believe that these are processes which can be communal and collaborative, loving and creative; spaces of living, at the end of life, in which we continue to enact our values and our dreams. But many of us have been denied the knowledge, time, money, resources to tend to ourselves and our people through transition and transformation. What happens when loss— individual and collective— outpaces our ability to mourn?

Grief of grappling with a loved one’s death; grief over anticipated future losses; grief with ambiguity and no answers; chronic grief; stubborn grief; grief that is denied, dismissed, diminished by others; grief whose expression is criminalized, disenfranchised; grief of living through genocides, pandemics, colonization, climate disasters; grief of being deemed defective, crazy, undignified, unworthy of care; grief of ongoing, disproportionate loss as a result of systems that produce violence and neglect and premature death for our people. I see organizing, too, as a practice of collective grief: to acknowledge loss, and then to struggle to transform the material conditions which produced that loss in the first place. 

All of these griefs are welcome here. In my practice, it is my honour to accompany you on your journey to know and feel and learn from your grief.

Offerings & Fees

Individual grief counselling

• 1-hr session: sliding scale from $60-120

Death doula services

• Personalized support for all, including those who are planning for their own deaths (with or without a terminal diagnosis), those caring for someone who is dying, or those who have experienced death and loss. 

• This may include but is not limited to:

  • Navigating admin and paperwork

  • Support with end of life planning 

    • e.g. living wills, power of attorney, advance care directives

  • Support and presence for those with a terminal diagnosis

  • Memorial and legacy work

  • Guidance, support, and respite relief for caregivers

  • Support in co-creating individual or communal rituals

  • Support in vigil planning and funeral arrangements

  • Ongoing grief support for loved ones and community, before and after death

• Hourly rate on a sliding scale from $40-150 (this range is meant to offer a starting point for conversation and clarity, the agreements we come to will depend flexibly on the details and scope of our work together— please reach out to talk further!)

Grief and death support for groups, collectives, organizations (e.g. discussion spaces, arts-based workshops, grief education, organizational consulting)

For all of these services, I offer a limited number of sliding scale and low/no cost spots, with priority to 2SLGBTQIA+ and sick/disabled people. I am also always open to discussing options for trades or exchanges that work for us both. 

Please contact me at jodyr.chan@gmail.com to discuss your needs in more detail, and how we might work together— it is important to me that your access to wealth/resources should not determine your ability to access care.