Hi, I’m Bec, the sparkly doula.

How did I end up in the death doula world, I hear you wondering. To paraphrase Ricky Baker in The Wilderpeople, you don’t choose the doula life, it chooses you.

Before becoming an end of life doula, I spent most of my professional life working as a graphic designer focused on book publishing and the not-for-profit sector (with a few forays into the private sector… hello chocolate and public transport!) Alongside my design work, I am also an artist and maker, a mum and a community builder.

The last decade or so has brought me several up-close experiences of sudden death and life-limiting conditions in my community and this has given me the opportunity to learn more about the end of life journey and also my own capacity to support people going through difficult times.

My life experience has taught me how to listen closely, hold stories gently, communicate clearly and to support people through moments of fear and uncertainty with kindness and care.

Amid the tumultuous technological upheaval of the last few years, creative industries have suffered and I found myself examining what meaningful work could look like. Retraining as a death doula felt like an obvious calling.

I call myself the sparkly doula because I don’t want my penchant for bright colours and sparkly things to be a shock when I turn up for our first meeting! I also believe in bringing light, creativity and a touch of sparkly kindness to most situations; especially those spaces that can feel heavy and difficult.

I am proud to have retrained with Preparing the Way doula training under the impressive stewardship of Helen Callanan, Jo Fuller and Jacqui Williams and am loving being part of the supportive and caring EOL Doula community.

I try to help people feel supported and a little less alone. It is my hope that an acceptance of death as a part of life leads to a deeper comfort around death and dying, which in turn helps to create a more connected and caring society.