Barb Phillips - Thanadoula
Hello, my name is Barb Phillips, and I am a Thanadoula.
For almost two decades I have had the honour and privilege of assisting friends, and acquaintances, through the difficult conversations relating to preparation and planning for pre and post death care. In 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, I have been privileged to support and guide families through home deaths, residential hospice deaths, and family directed home funerals.
I have been a volunteer with Hospice since 2000; and I was honoured to have served as a Director with the first residential Hospice in Northumberland County "The Bridge Hospice" located in Warkworth, Ontario from 2012-2015.
This topic is not an easy conversation to begin. Befriending death, and allowing its presence to be felt, reveals a truth to us all.
Let me help begin the conversation.
I started on a personal journey when I became close friends with one of my older adult fitness students. At the time, neither of us realized that I would eventually play a key role in the planning, and preparation, of this friends dying and death time. Being present, and a witness to his death, was a life-changing experience for me. Participating in the planning process, was an amazing privilege, that taught me a lot about how people come to this place called death. Having endless conversations, recalling life events, lessons learned, and how to die when it is our time – all these experiences together brought to focus what life and living was all about. I was inspired to learn more.
Let’s begin the conversations and discussions of personal preferences about our end of living care, and help minimize the fear, by embracing the truth for all of us. Having the opportunity to be actively involved in decision making about our end of living, is a gift, and this website outlines some of the ways that I can assist you with the process of planning and implementing those decisions.
Feel free to browse through my website pages, and I would welcome the opportunity to meet and talk with you about the various Thanadoula services, and family-directed home funeral options I can assist with. I look forward to hearing from you.
I consider it an honour, and privilege, to be able to offer my support to individuals facing illness and death, and to their families, in whatever form they find most meaningful.
Sincerely,
Barb Phillips