Shows
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastDignity in Dying: Its Not what You ThinkPreserving dignity in death is beyond human means! Medical Aid in Dying legislation is heralded as Death with Dignity. Is this really true? Christian end-of-life doula, Laurel Nicholson goes beyond the Christian claim, "Thou Shalt Not Kill" (Exodus 20:13) when defending the Christian ethic against premature death for terminal patients. Chapters00:00 Introduction to End-of-Life Care and Doula Training02:11 Exploring Medical Aid and Dying05:03 The Concept of Dignity in End-of-Life Decisions08:54 Christian Perspectives on Dignity and Death11:10 The Theology of the Cross and Human Worth
2026-06-1614 minThe Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastNourishing the Soul: Music Therapy at End of LifeLaurel Nicholson and her husband Ed meet in conversation again, this time to discuss the importance of Music Therapy in end-of-life care. Ed works as a music therapist in a local hospice and shares how music has a unique ability to reach people in ways that words often cannot, offering comfort, peace, and connection during life's final chapter. In this episode, Laurel & Ed explore the profound role of music therapy in end-of-life care, where familiar songs can awaken memories, evoke deep emotional responses, and bring moments of clarity—particularly for those living with dementia. Beyond its therapeutic benefits, music ca...
2026-06-0226 minThe Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastG.R.I.E.F. with Heather HortonIn this insightful interview, Heather Horton shares her journey from a successful tax attorney to a grief recovery specialist and podcast host. She discusses how faith, relationships, and understanding grief through a spiritual lens can transform pain into power, offering a unique framework based on the word 'GRIEF' to navigate life's challenges.The experience of back-to-back life-changing events sharpened Heather's understanding of God's plans and mercy. In invite you to listen as Heather shares her incredible story of loss and renewal revealing that peace and healing only come through letting go and letting Christ be your identity.00:00 Introduction to...
2026-05-2341 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastLove Beyond the Grave: A Widow's StoryMeet Gloria Massingill, a widow and hospice bereavement group speaker, sharing her inspiring journey through grief, faith, and service. Discover how faith transforms pain into purpose, the importance of hospice care, and the power of community in healing.Gloria joins the Death & Resurrection Doula podcast from Mobile, AL. She is a faithful Christian woman with a heart for ministry! She loves to serve God in helping shape the hearts and minds of the young and old. She is a retired preschool and kindergarten teacher, a mother and grandmother, and the widow of the love of her life...
2026-05-0535 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastA Song in Her Heart: Music, Memory, and Faith Across Generations — with Kathy DyeWhat does it mean to carry a song in your heart—even when memory fades?
In this inspiring conversation, Kathy Dye shares her journey as a writer of children’s books and Bible studies that emphasize hope, faith, and legacy across generations. With warmth and wisdom, Kathy reflects on her passion for aging gracefully, mentoring younger women, and using storytelling and music to nurture faith within families.
Kathy recounts the deeply personal story behind her children’s book A Song in Her Heart, inspired by her mother’s lifelong love of singing and the way music be...
2026-04-2128 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastThe Valley of Dry Bones: Stories of ResurrectionNothing is beyond the reach of God's spirit! In this podcast episode, Laurel & Ed Nicholson share their story beyond Laurel's initial end-of-life doula care for Ed's mom, Marilyn. Their marriage stems from a deep friendship culitvated through difficult valleys of divorce in thier first marriage. God's will is to heal us individually and collectively to experience God's design for marriage lived in freedom through grace. Beyond restoration of this sacred union, Laurel & Ed discuss their careers -- waiting on God's timing to build and restore what He calls us to for our families, our communities, and the world. No v...
2026-04-0725 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastThe Four Grief Personas with Sarah BaldwinToday on the The Death & Resurrection Doula Podcast,host Laurel Nicholson is joined by Sarah Baldwin, co-founder of Restfully and creator of the Grief Persona framework, to discuss how people experience and process grief.Sarah shares her personal journey into this work following the loss of her mother, and how her background in data analytics led her to identify patterns in the way individuals navigate loss. Together, Laurel and Sarah explore the four grief personas—the Open Heart, the Steady Hand, the Quiet Anchor, and the Seeker—offering a helpful lens for understanding the different ways people resp...
2026-03-2440 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastResurrection Hope: A Death & Resurrection Doula Training Conference HighlightIn this episode, Laurel Nicholson explores the Christian perspective on death, resurrection, and end-of-life care, emphasizing the importance of hope and spiritual preparation alongside practical planning for a good death.
For believers, resurrection is our greatest hope and shapes how we approach death. Join us as we explore the practical steps involved in preparing for a good death—one rooted in spiritual peace and the comfort of community support. As Christians, we proclaim Christ’s victory over death, transforming our view of dying and the afterlife from a terrifying prospect into the promise of God’s eternal love.
2026-03-1038 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastDeath to Control, Resurrection into FreedomIn this episode of The Death & Resurrection Doula Podcast, Laurel Nicholson shares the profoundly personal story behind the creation of her Christ-centered end-of-life doula training program.Raised in a Christian home, Laurel quietly battled body image struggles, disordered eating, over-exercising, and an unrelenting drive for control that spanned decades and led to deep physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. She found that no amount of affirmations, discipline, lifestyle change—or even marriage and motherhood—could bring lasting freedom. After reaching a breaking point in her early forties, Laurel experienced a profound turning toward the gospel. At the same time...
2026-02-2421 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastWhen Care Becomes CallingIn this deeply personal episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by her husband, Ed Nicholson, to share the story of Ed’s mother’s end-of-life journey—a path marked by complexity, faith, and ultimately, peace. Laurel reflects on her unique role as both a Christian end-of-life doula supporting Ed’s family and later, as his wife, offering a rare and honest look at how professional care intersects with family responsibility.
Together, Laurel and Ed recount the realities many families face: caring for a loved one with advancing dementia while navigating their unsafe living conditions and coordinating care across long dis...
2026-02-1056 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastYou’re Not Meant to Walk AloneIn today's episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by her friend and colleague Matthew Currin, CEO and founder of Convene Communities, for a conversation about resilience and the communities that people truly need when life hits a rough patch.
Matt shares his remarkable background as a pilot across a variety of exciting fields—but explains why his deepest calling has always been convening people around shared stories. He reflects on the defining loss that shaped Convene’s vision, the tragic death of his close friend in a helicopter crash, and how this devastating event eventually grew into his broa...
2026-01-2841 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastCommissioned to Serve: the First Annual Certificate CelebrationIn this special episode, Laurel gathers trainees, faculty, and community members to celebrate a historic milestone: the first certification cohort of the Death and Resurrection Doula Training Program. What unfolds is a warm, communal conversation reflecting the heart of the program—rooted in a shared calling and Christian hope.Laurel revisits the vision behind the training, responding to a growing crisis in end-of-life care by equipping believers to offer compassionate, non-medical, spiritually grounded support to the dying and their families. Certified doulas and trainees offer personal reflections, many describing how their calling emerged through seasons of loss an...
2025-12-201h 04
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastFaith That EnduresIn this deeply moving gathering at the Café, Laurel hosts a safe space for the sharing of testimonies as three special guests join the conversation to share their lived experiences of loss, caregiving, and clinging to faith in the darkest of times.Through listening to their stories, we're invited into an honest exploration of grief—not as something to be rushed or resolved, but as a place where God’s steafast presence is revealed over time. These moving stories testify to a hope that holds firm even in doubt and a faith anchored in the loving power of Je...
2025-12-191h 18
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastFrom Womb to Tomb: A Christian Vision for Doula CareIn today's conversation, Laurel is joined by Brittany McCardle, founder of the Biblical Birth School, to explore the shared calling of Christian birth doulas and end-of-life doulas. Together, they reflect on doula care as an act of faithful servanthood—rooted in a biblical vision of life, dignity, and presence from beginning to natural end.Drawing from the opening chapters of Genesis, Laurel and Brittany discuss how Christian theology shapes our understanding of birth, death, pain, embodiment, and human worth. They also address the growing tension many believers face as doula training programs become increasingly secularized—and in some...
2025-12-1857 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastThe MAID Roundtable: A Global Christian ConversationIn this extended International Fellowship Café conversation, Laurel Nicholson facilitates a global, faith-centered discussion on Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), joined by Megan, a British journalist researching proposed MAID legislation in New York. Participants from the United States, Canada, and Australia bring pastoral, ethical, and deeply personal perspectives shaped by their real-world experiences in end-of-life care.
Together, the group explores how MAID intersects with Christian beliefs about suffering, dignity, free will, and hope. Several end-of-life doulas and caregivers share firsthand accounts of situations where MAID was offered—or subtly pressured—even when pain was manageable or other suppor...
2025-12-171h 19
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastMemory Cafés, Caregivers, and the Power of CommunityToday on The International Fellowship Café Podcast, Laurel is joined by Carole Klinger, CEO and founder of LIFE, a dementia-friendly nonprofit offering free weekly Memory Cafés for people living with dementia and their care partners. Carole shares how the global Dementia Friends movement empowers everyday people to take simple, meaningful action, and how LIFE’s Memory Cafés create welcoming spaces through music, meals, art, routine, and caregiver support.
The conversation also touches on dementia directives and end-of-life wishes, beforfe diving into the real-life tensions families face when navigating care decisions. A Q&A session follows their...
2025-12-1658 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastSacred Hospitality at the End-of-LifeIn this powerful conversation, Laurel sits down with Miles Gloetzner, RN and founder of Inhora Home, a Christian social-model hospice home in downtown Albuquerque. Miles shares his remarkable journey through VA nursing—spanning med-surg, street outreach with homeless veterans, and a season of spiritual restlessness that ultimately led him to answer God’s call to create a home for the dying.
Miles offers an inside look at how Inhora Home serves alongside local hospice agencies by providing what families often long for but cannot offer themselves: a peaceful, home-like setting, 24/7 caregiving, nourishing meals, a chapel, and space for...
2025-12-151h 04
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastTell the Next Generation: A Conversation on Christian LegacyIn this inspiring conversation, Laurel welcomes Candy McCune—lawyer, Christian conciliator, and family legacy coach—to explore how God uses every chapter of our lives to shape our calling. Candy shares her unexpected journey from law to Christian mediation, revealing how her own seasons of hardship deepened her desire to help others restore relationships and preserve their stories of faith.Together, Candy and Laurel dive into legacy work as a biblical practice, rooted in Deuteronomy 6’s call to remember God’s faithfulness and “tell your children” what He has done. Candy explains how genealogy and family storytelling opened her e...
2025-12-121h 00
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastEco-Friendly After-Death CareIn this illuminating episode, Laurel is joined by Naomi Bjorgan, a licensed midwife, end-of-life doula, and funeral director whose work bridges both the beginning and the end of life. Naomi offers a rare and compassionate look into water cremation (aquamation)—a gentle, eco-conscious alternative to traditional cremation. She shares how her calling in birth work naturally expanded into funeral care, and how her commitment to holistic, family-centered support shapes every step of her practice.Naomi explains how aquamation works, its environmental benefits, and what families can expect throughout the process before walking listeners through the Aqua Terra fa...
2025-12-111h 07
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastHope at My Mother's BedsideIn today's episode, Laurel is joined by Becky Joosten, one of the first of Laurel's students to train as a Death & Resurrection Doulas, she is also a licensed massage therapist and co-founder of Refiners Gold Ministry with her husband, Larry. Drawing on decades of nursing, inner healing ministry, and hospice work, Becky shares the deeply personal story of her mother’s unexpected injury and resulting ventilator dependence and difficult decisions that followed.Throughout their conversation, Becky reflects on how God met her family in the midst of their shock and anticipatory grief—bringing reconciliation, courage, and peace as h...
2025-12-1053 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastSupporting Aging Parents with GraceJoining Laurel today at the Cafe is her husband, Ed Nicholson, to share a personal case study from Ed’s family that many will find relatable: the tender and often complex journey of supporting an aging parent whose needs gradually increase over time. As Ed and his brothers faced difficult decisions about their mother’s living situation and care needs, Laurel’s guidance as an end-of-life doula provided their family with clarity and steady support.
Together, Laurel and Ed reflect on the practical and emotional steps involved—assessing living conditions, organizing essential documents, exploring care options, initiating hospice...
2025-12-051h 06
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastLeaving a Legacy of FaithIn today's episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by Jill Yuen, a certified Death & Resurrection Doula whose calling centers on helping others create meaningful legacy projects rooted in faith and hope. Jill shares how God led her to a Christian training program and how her own experiences shaped her desire to support individuals and families as they preserve treasured values and memories for future generations.Laurel and Jill go on to explore the spiritual significance of legacy work—from written blessings and family Bibles to creative keepsakes inspired by biblical memorials such as the stones at Gilgal. Their co...
2025-12-031h 02
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastExploring Traditional Christian BurialsIn this episode, host Laurel Nicholson is joined by Stephanie Moore, an Orthodox Christian and certified Death & Resurrection Doula, for a thoughtful exploration of ancient Christian burial traditions. Stephanie shares her spiritual journey into Orthodoxy and the profound meaning she discovered in practices that emphasize simplicity, humility, and returning the body to the earth in a prayerful way.Join Laurel and Stephanie as they look at the historical roots of Christian body preparation and burial, the role of communal rituals, and the growing interest in natural or “green” burials. They also discuss how illness and isolation can crea...
2025-12-021h 07
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastFrom Mourning to Ministry: How God Redeems Our Deepest SorrowsIn this deeply moving episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by India Rice and Tara Marrow, two certified Death & Resurrection Doulas whose personal experiences with profound loss have shaped their ministry of compassion. Together, they share how faith sustained them through the heartbreak of child loss and how God transformed their grief into a calling to walk alongside others in their most vulnerable moments.India reflects on her journey through depression and renewed purpose as a hospice nurse and doula, while Tara recounts the loss of her son and the long, courageous process of healing that followed. Their...
2025-12-0154 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastUnderstanding the Funeral IndustryIn this episode, Laurel Nicholson is joined by Josh Slocum, former executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, for an eye-opening conversation about the funeral industry and the realities families face when planning final arrangements. Drawing from years of advocacy work, Josh offers insight into consumer rights, the surprising freedom families have in conducting home funerals, and the importance of transparency when navigating funeral costs and services.
Together, Laurel and Josh reflect on how cultural practices surrounding death have evolved and the emotional impact of modern funeral rituals, as well as the need for compassionate guidance during...
2025-11-281h 01
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastBridging the Gaps: How Doulas and Hospice Support End-of-Life CareJoin Laurel Nicholson as she sits down with Kate Daniels, a hospice professional whose experience offers a valuable window into the shared work of hospice teams and end-of-life doulas. Together, they walk through a real case study involving a sixty-year-old man in Virginia facing a terminal diagnosis—an example that reveals both the challenges and the profound opportunities present in end-of-life care.
Their discussion highlights the profound impact that timely hospice involvement can have on quality of life, emotional support, and meaningful connection during a patient’s final season.
Laurel and Kate also explore the prac...
2025-11-2734 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastBuilding a Christian Doula MinistryIn this episode, host Laurel Nicholson is joined by Lisa Bennion, a hospice nurse and end-of-life doula whose professional experience and renewed Christian faith have shaped a deeply compassionate approach to caring for the dying. Lisa shares her journey from pediatric cardiac intensive care to hospice work, reflecting on how God guided her back to the Church and into a ministry that honors both the body and the soul at life’s end.Together, Laurel and Lisa discuss the development of the Death & Resurrection Doula Practitioner Curriculum, a program that blends theological formation with the practical wisdom ne...
2025-11-2510 min
The Death and Resurrection Doula PodcastEmbracing Mortality and Resurrection in Christian MinistryConversations about death are often avoided, yet they hold some of the deepest opportunities for healing, faith, and spiritual clarity. In this episode, host Laurel Nicholson is joined by Chad Bird—former pastor, author, and Scholar-in-Residence at 1517.org—for a thoughtful exploration of why end-of-life ministry is essential for the Church today.
Together, Laurel and Chad reflect on the sacred work of walking with the dying, as well as the freedom that comes from embracing our mortality because of the hope that anchors every Christian in the promise of resurrection.(00:04) End-of-Life Ministry in Churches(12:42) Hope...
2025-11-2216 min