Reason for Being
Sovereign Departures, was born out of a desire to support people in the reclamation of their sacred end-of-life journey. For the last 100 years, we have outsourced death to the medical and funeral industries and we are poorer for it, and not just financially.
Imagine if we approached our end-of-life phase and death with as much care, love, acceptance and preparation as we do for the arrival of a new baby.
Your end-of-life transition is as sacred as your birth.
I am here to help you understand your options, decide how you want things to be, support you in important discussions, advocate for your wishes, walk with and support you and your loved ones before, during and after death.
MY APPROACH
As a Professional member of ELDAA
(End of Life Doula Association of Aotearoa) I offer a wide range of services that can provide support to individuals, families and the community - before, during and after death.
My primary focus is to align with you and your family's needs, values and wishes, to advocate for and support the conversations that need to be had and to do whatever is practical, helpful, meaningful and needed - in each moment.
I can help you explore your options, record your wishes, establish plans and empower you to communicate these with your loved ones or medical and support teams as necessary.
If you would like companionship support, I stand ready to walk with you and your loved ones through the whole end-of-life journey from offering practical assistance, through to emotional and/or spiritual support and/or gentle reassuring guidance throughout the active dying phase.
As a funeral guide who 'does things differently' I can guide and support you to continue to care for your loved one at home after death and help to create an intimate, affordable, genuinely personalised and deeply meaningful family-led farewell, life celebration or memorial service.
ABOUT ME
None of us is getting out of this alive and when our time comes, we don't need meaningless platitudes, avoidant conversations and the peddling of expensive and unnecessary products and processes.
Down to earth, straight up, holistic and real is how I would describe myself. I have over 25 years experience as an executive coach, leadership development trainer and HR & Culture Consultant. Within this time I have spent my career helping people connect better and have courageous conversations. Through my experience of supporting dying friends and loved ones (and attending over 30 funerals), I've felt empathy for families who want to care for their dying loved one themselves but who lack the confidence or supports to do so. I've felt disappointed for families who experienced rushed and impersonal, cookie-cutter farewells that didn't authentically reflect their loved one. I've felt disgust (and a bit of rage) at seeing vulnerable families misinformed and led blindly into long-term debt over things they didn't want or need but chose because they were only presented with a curated list of options.
THIS IS NOT OK and IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!
So here I stand, with an open heart ready to help people talk about, plan for and experience an empowered end-of-life journey and more meaningful, affordable and authentic farewells.
DEATH SHOULDN'T BE PRICE PROHIBITIVE!
Enabling people to claim sovereignty over their end-of-life journey AND avoid funeral poverty are two things I am extremely passionate about, so joining the ranks of the "Death Without Debt" social movement was a no brainer for me.
The mission of the Death Without Debt movement is to:
"Make dying more affordable and ensure every NZ’er receives the dignified farewell they deserve."
Along with a growing team of volunteers across the country I offer public Death without Debt workshops in person and online and I am always happy to share my knowledge with individuals and families who want to do things their own way and/or have a DIY family led funeral