What services do you provide? End of Life Support, End of Life Vigil Services
Languages spoken: English
I provide a doula service for a diverse range of life’s transitions – relational, identity and embodied. I take a client-directed approach, listening and supporting your personal needs and individual preferences. I am an empathetic, compassionate and considerate communicator, offering a calm and peaceful presence, with capacity to hold space for important conversations with care, integrity and dignity.
I work with folks navigating grief, loss and change relating to their relationships, bodies, capabilities, identities and opportunities, especially the process of making meaning and coming into oneself. Some of the issues we process include:
• IVF, miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth and infant death
• Suicide and sudden, unexpected death
• Animal, pet and familiar end of life
• Mastectomy, hysterectomy and reproductive grief
• Mental health and neurodivergence
• Medical or social gender affirmation
• Health diagnoses, chronic pain and chronic illness
• Relationship separation, friendship breakups and family estrangement
• Matrescence and menopause
• Changing names, occupations and identity
I use a range of tools to invite discussion about people’s needs, including the Death Deck and Grief Cards. A herbal tea enthusiast, I often share tea with people as a gentle facilitator of complex conversations. I came to doula work through animal deaths – I have had the privilege of fostering, adopting and caring for many rescue animals and providing palliative care towards the end of their lives. This work has been an incredibly touching experience that has taught me that it is possible for death to be done well. My journey was also prompted by the many people in my life undergoing significant changes such as gender affirmation, managing chronic pain and illness, processing mental health diagnoses, navigating sex work and identity, undergoing IVF and experiencing miscarriage and post-partum depression.
As a doula, I provide non-judgmental support and information. I love holding vigil and co-designing elaborate rituals with clients. I especially enjoy facilitating the design of art and legacy projects to honour and commemorate. These include blood vials, placenta prints, breastmilk jewellery and cremation ink. I am passionate about finding communal ways to process shock, trauma and grief, support one another and ground ourselves.
Some of the ways I can provide personalised support include:
o Listening to understand your needs and preferences
o Processing shock and understanding grief
o Designing art and legacy projects
o Creative visualisation and guided meditation
o Therapeutic touch and aromatherapy
o Holding vigil and performing rituals
o Death literacy
o End of life and transition planning
o Attending appointments and taking notes
o Coordinating care networks
o Providing resources, information and referrals
o Bereavement support
o Washing and dressing bodies
o Sharing a tea with you
South East Queensland, QLD
Phone: 0409 226 576
Email: zahra.stardust@gmail.com
Completed Training: 2023