What I really think of funeral directors and deathcare professionals.

Unlike any other industry I’ve ever encountered, the people who are called this line of work do it for one reason: to serve families and individuals dealing with death. The funeral directors, crematory managers, funeral home desk clerks, afterhours answering services, death doulas, hospice providers, cemetery grounds keepers, officiants, embalmers, grief therapists — all of them — have been committed to making the process of loss easier on their clients and they are willing to do what it takes to meet those needs.

Deathcare professionals are on-call at all hours of the day, night, weekends and holidays. They customize their services to meet the unique needs of their clients, and work tirelessly to understand and accomodate those needs. Even when they aren’t directly providing grief counseling services, deathcare professionals are encountering grievers and accompanying them through incredible challenges.

The best part: deathcare professionals really, really love this work. I know, because I’m one of them.

Most people would assume that a natural burial advocate would cringe at the thought of applying chemical cosmetics after a death, or an advanced planning specialist would be critical of someone’s decision to entirely forgo their estate planning. Deathcare professionals are different.

I’m an independent funeral consultant, which means a big part of my job is helping families and individuals find the right service providers. Yes, I am in a position to evaluate the quality of professional service provided by a funeral home or memorial park, but that doesn’t mean I’m critical. I believe that the right fit funeral service provider or deathcare professional is exactly that — the right fit for the family that needs it, which is why I never take fees or payment from the providers I recommend.

If you’re looking to find the right fit funeral service provider, end of life transition specialist, death doula or other deathcare professional, I’d love to help. Contact me and let me know what you’re looking for.