bluebird nest
tending to grief and death
Offerings
Tending to Grief
A belief that grief is present with death and through all of life's transitions.
Providing grief education and processing for individuals and groups. Understanding the complexity of grief and tending to our grief allows space to fully feel, witness, and learn how to flourish.
Death Doula
Assisting the dying person and caregivers in navigating the emotional, spiritual, and physical changes.
End-of-life is a roadmap of choices. Through the doula process, the dying and loved ones come together to honor the life of the individual, create a beautiful death, grieve, and come to understand death is an important natural role in one's life journey.
Ritual Creator
A way of making meaning
Creating rituals assists us in making meaning through honoring and witnessing. Rituals can be used in a number of ways, including but not limited to markers of time, life or death transitions, and ways to grieve. They can be spiritual or secular, simple or complex.
About
Birdie Cunningham, MA
Throughout my career, I've learned the art of compassion through advanced study in traditional and non-traditional spiritual and secular settings and how it applies to a wide spectrum of individuals. I'm a lifelong learner, and I've come to a place where I feel most called in helping people continue being the best versions of themselves through grief and death.
I have twenty years of experience in public health, developing and implementing programs, interventions, and outreach for health, wellness, and behavior change. I am currently working in hospice, assisting others in finding the beauty and love through the pain, unknown, and stillness that death and grief can bring. I received my End of Life Doula training through INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association), completed a six-month Greif Tending study with Francis Weller, and am an Interreligious Chaplain student at United Theological Seminary.
I offer a unique blend of health education to the grief experience and thrive in creating a holistic space for personal understanding and growth. I have created Bluebird Nest to curate offers as an independent contractor.
Death Duola Role
Death or End of Life (EOL) Doula's are adjunct to traditional hospice and palliative care resources
In broad terms, Doula's provide help to someone at the end of their life, just as birth doulas help at the beginning of life with the birthing process. EOL doulas are hired by patients or family members when a terminal diagnosis is given or death is nearing. Doula's often assist an individual in creating life meaning and a legacy project (small or large) such as story telling, art project, or writing letters to leave behind for loved ones.
A doula assist the dying person and caregivers navigate the emotional, spiritual and physical changes.
When people are nearing the end of their lives, a doula will visit and often sit vigil as they are dying. In addition to supporting the patient, doulas can also offer support to family members and caregivers by explaining the signs of death, processing grief, discuss burial and memorial options and create rituals. Doulas can stay with the person and their family through their death and beyond.
Through the doula process, the dying and loved ones come together to honor the life of the individual, create a beautiful death, grieve, and come to understand death is an important natural role in one's life journey.
Possible Doula Pathway
Pathways are customized to meet the needs of the individual and caregivers
1Complimentary Consultation
2Sounding Board
3Making Meaning
4Legacy Project
5Vigil Planning
6Memorial Planning
7Reprocessing Session
8Creating Rituals for Remembrance
Contact