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 our 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'm 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
I offer a range of services to support individuals and families before, during and after the end-of-life.
My primary focus is to support you and your family's needs and wishes, to 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 support you to communicate these with your loved ones or medical and support teams.
If you would like extra support, I can walk beside you and your family throughout the dying process, lending practical assistance, emotional and/or spiritual support and gentle reassuring guidance throughout the active dying phase.
As a funeral celebrant who 'does things differently' I can work with you to create a financially accessible, genuinely personalised and deeply meaningful TO YOU living celebration, funeral or memorial service.
About Me
Hi there, I'm Sherie
None of us will fail to die 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 20 years experience as a personal and executive coach, leadership and interpersonal skills trainer and HR consultant. Within this time I have spent my career helping people connect better and have important and courageous conversations that increase intimacy and nurture connections. 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 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 pure disgust (and a bit of rage) at seeing vulnerable families misinformed and led into long-term debt over things they didn't want or need but chose because the full suite of options weren't presented. 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.
