End-of-Life University

Karen Wyatt MD

Dr. Karen Wyatt, hospice physician and author of "What Really Matters," interviews experts on all aspects of the end-of-life, including: caring for the dying, funeral and burial practices, planning for the end-of-life, conscious dying, grief and loss, caregiver support, afterlife, death and the arts, and community initiatives to improve end-of-life care. Access more interviews at www.eoluniversity.com

  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Ep. 531 Sacred Wild: Soul Connections with Our Pets in Life and Death with Miki Jacobs

    Learn about the spiritual bond between humans and their pets and how it continues after physical death.

    My guest Miki Jacobs is an internationally acclaimed medium, speaker, and author who shares wisdom and teachings from the spirit world with audiences worldwide. Her lifelong love of animals led her, along with her husband Clayton, to create a sanctuary for rescued animals on their ranch in Southern California. In her book Sacred Wild: The Spiritual World of Animals, Including Pets, and its Interconnectedness with Ours – she explores the spiritual nature of animals and the sacred bond they share with humans, which we discuss in this episode. Learn more at her website:

    mikijacobs.com

    Get the book here

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • How Miki developed her connection with animals and with the spiritual realm
    • We can all teach ourselves to communicate with “the other side” if we choose to and do the necessary spiritual work
    • How mediumship helps with the fear of death
    • Animals are capable of unconditional love because they don’t have an ego
    • For humans our true selves can be obscured by the energy of the ego
    • Animals can detect our wellbeing and recognize when someone is dying
    • The pets we have are meant to be with us if we are open to that – we have “soul contracts” with them
    • Why Miki believes that our animal companions have a spiritual existence after death and continue to accompany us
    • Signs that our departed animal companions might send to us in everyday life or dreams
    • Spiritual growth is hard but the benefits are beautiful – we grow through challenges
    • How connecting with a pet could be the pathway to spiritual growth, including teaching us about impermanence

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my latest supporter Marion Folkemer. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    8 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 59 minutes 54 seconds
    Ep. 530 Six Pillars of Care for Palliative Care Providers with Meina Dubetz RN

    Learn about a training course for professionals entering the palliative care field to prepare them for the emotional and spiritual demands of this work.

    My guest Meina Dubetz is a registered nurse specializing in Palliative and Oncology Care and also a Certified Grief Educator and Reiki Master. She is the author of the book When Death Comes Knocking for Your Patients: A Guide for Nurses and Palliative Caregivers, which became a #1 bestseller on Amazon in the US and Canada. Recently she has developed a course for professionals entering the palliative care field in an institutional setting titled 6 Pillars of Care that we discuss today. Learn more at her website:

    meinadubetz.com

    Get her book here

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • How Meina was first called to work with the elderly and dying at the age of 17
    • How her path was shaped as well by the deaths of her father and her son
    • The healthcare system is not prepared or trained to cope with grief and help people at the end of life
    • Healthcare providers are affected by every death they experience whether they realize or not
    • The importance of our history with death, dying and grief when we serve others at the end of life
    • Why we should practice having difficult conversations before we engage in them
    • Why we need to share our struggles with our peers

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Kquasny who bought me a coffee and to everyone who has made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    1 December 2025, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    Ep. 529 The Dementia Deck: Preparing for Future Decisions with Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower

    Learn about a helpful conversation game that encourages discussions about advance care planning for dementia.

    My guests for this episode, Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower, are the co-creators of The Dementia Deck, a new card game to help inspire conversations about demential. Lisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Social Worker who previously created The Death Deck and The EOL Deck–conversation games that are changing the way we talk about death. Jamie is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief-tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She also runs Queer Grief Club (and I plan to have her back on the podcast to talk about her work!) They discuss how to use The Dementia Deck to overcome fears of dementia and help families prepare for future changes and decision-making. Learn more at their websites:

    thedeathdeck.com

    jamiethrower.com

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • What The Death Deck and The EOL Deck consist of
    • The story behind The Dementia Deck and its creation
    • How Jamie collaborated on the design of the deck
    • Why conversations and advance care planning are important for people with dementia
    • Many people fear dementia even more than death
    • Millions of Americans are impacted by dementia either as a patient or a caregiver
    • How to introduce The Dementia Deck to an individual
    • Tips for getting the most out of working with the deck
    • Why it’s important to “stack the deck” when you first begin talking about dementia

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    24 November 2025, 4:51 pm
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    Ep. 528 Sharing Our Stories to Preserve Our History with Stephanie Ford

    Learn how to discover and preserve our own and others’ stories to provide inspiration in challenging times.

    My guest Stephanie Ford is the founder of Life Stories with Steph, a video storytelling service dedicated to preserving personal and family histories. With a background in caregiving, hospice and training as an end-of-life doula, she discusses the importance of sharing and recording stories to preserve legacies and histories of those who came before us. Learn more at her website:

    lifestorieswithsteph.com

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • How Stephanie became interested in this work
    • Why storytelling is important to society and especially to those facing the end of life
    • How ordinary lives contain remarkable resilience and hope that can be shared through stories
    • How to discover stories of our ancestors
    • The value of genealogy work
    • Using photos to inspire storytelling
    • How to capture small meaningful moments of everyday life
    • What services she offers and how it works
    • Who benefits from recording and sharing life stories with Steph

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to “Someone” who bought me 5 coffees and those who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    17 November 2025, 8:31 pm
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    Ep. 527 Transforming Veteran Care Through Stories, Art, and Theatre with Qwynn Galloway-Salazar PhD

    Learn about a powerful course and theatre initiative to redefine how we care for veterans at the end of life.

    My return guest, Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is an Army Veteran, end-of-life doula educator, and an advocate for redefining how nations honor and support veterans and their loved ones through the end of life. She is the creator of the course Caring for Veterans Through the End of Life and a new initiative We Hold the Line, which uses applied theatre to teach about veteran care through a story monologue. Today’s conversation focuses on the history and scope of Qwynn’s work and the importance of honoring and caring for veterans through aging, loss, and the end of life. Learn more at these website:

    intheirhonor.info

    psycharmor.org/caring-for-veterans-through-end-of-life

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • The widespread embrace of the Caring for Veterans course
    • Qwynn’s experience as a George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership Scholar
    • How Qwynn was inspired to bring this material to the stage
    • Why theatre is a powerful medium for sharing a message
    • Why we need collaboration now to change the way we approach the end of life in our society
    • How Qwynn followed her intuition to create this work
    • The importance of “taking the next right step” and saying yes to opportunities even when we can’t see or imagine the outcome
    • The concerning incidence of suicide for veterans

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    10 November 2025, 2:43 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Ep. 526 End-of-Life Planning: Small Steps to Complete the Work with Jennifer Tadjedin and Karen Callahan

    Learn how “peace-of-mind” planning starts with a few small steps that are doable and make a big difference.

    My guests this week, Jennifer Tadjedin and Karen Callahan, are the co-founders of The Heartwood Collective where they guide people through all facets of developing a death plan (other than financial and estate planning.) They discuss how their paths crossed as they began exploring new meaningful work around helping other people with planning and preparing for the end of life. Learn more at their website:

    theheartwoodcollective.com

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • The power of collaboration and synergy to create new ideas
    • Why we need to begin with death education and helping people get more comfortable with death before we can make other changes
    • How their workshops normalize talking about death
    • Breaking big tasks into small steps helps people actually get the work done
    • How planning ahead helps lessen stress and grief for loved ones
    • The biggest barriers to end-of-life planning for most people
    • Some people find it easier to discuss death as they get older
    • The benefits of working in a group on end-of-life planning
    • How to choose the best person as a healthcare proxy

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    3 November 2025, 4:58 pm
  • 54 minutes 53 seconds
    Ep. 525 Writing as a Lifeline Through Loss and Grief with Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn

    Learn about a beautiful memoir co-written by friends whose correspondence helped them both navigate a year of overwhelming loss and grief.

    My guests today are Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn, co-authors of a shared memoir from a year when they were both confronting loss and grief–the diagnosis a glioblastoma brain tumor and the death of a child by suicide. Through a series of emails the two long-term friends shared not only their grief but also the little moments of life’s wonder and joy. They discuss their newly released book Antiphon: A Call and Response in a Year of Grief and Renewal and how writing together helped them navigate overwhelming grief while offering support to one another. Learn more at the website:

    jane-flynn.com

    Get the book here

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • The long trajectory of friendship between Chris and Jane
    • Their personal grief that led to a year of email correspondence
    • Why they decided to share their writings in Antiphon
    • The waterfall metaphor for grief and how it applies to each of their stories
    • How writing helps us express complex and painful emotions
    • Why sharing our pain lightens the burden for both parties
    • How writing about the ordinary events of a day helps us stay in the present moment
    • The little joys that are present even within deep grief

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal, especially Austyn Wells! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    27 October 2025, 10:00 am
  • 57 minutes 59 seconds
    Ep. 524 Meeting the Challenges of End-of-Life Care with Cathy Yuhas RN

    Learn about a new book that addresses challenges faced by patients, providers, and caregivers at the end of life.

    My guest Cathy Yuhas is an RN and certified end-of-life doula who founded Dying Matters, LLC to advocate for conscious, compassionate end-of-life care. She is also the author of a new book: Walking Each Other Home: Guiding Caregivers and Community Through the Sacred Passage of Death. Learn more at her website:

    dyingmatters.llc

    Get the book here

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • Cathy’s journey from being an RN to becoming an EOL doula
    • What inspired Cathy to write Walking Each Other Home
    • The importance of honest patient-provider communication when serious illness is diagnosed
    • How our medical system currently fails patients and their families when the end of life is approaching
    • The “caregiver starter kit” Cathy created and why it is essential to care for those who care for others
    • Shifting healthcare from an outcome-driven approach to one guided by values instead
    • The aging population and the growing shortage of end-of-life care options for seniors

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    20 October 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 15 minutes
    Ep. 523 Humanizing Healthcare: The Good Listening Project with Jenny Hegland

    Learn how deep listening and poetry are helping transform healthcare and provide an antidote to burnout.

    My guest Jenny Hegland is the Executive Director of The Good Listening Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to humanizing healthcare through the healing power of poetry and compassionate presence. We discuss the work of TGLP and the power of sharing our stories and having them reflected back to us in the form of poetry. Learn more at the website:

    goodlistening.org

    Read the poem The House Medicine Built here

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • The origin story of The Good Listening Project
    • The power of poetry to reflect our deep stories
    • Why being heard by someone else is deep medicine
    • The synergy between the storyteller and the listener poet
    • How TGLP works
    • Why grief is the number one concern of healthcare providers served by TGLP
    • You don’t have to be skilled at poetry to become a “listener poet”
    • The crafts of listening to and writing poems for others can both be taught
    • The quality of listening can actually affect the quality of sharing that happens
    • How both community and mystery support us when we hold space for others
    • What it involves to become a “listener poet”
    • How “Caregiver Haven” supports caregivers

    We give the gift of staying with; there is nothing to fix. -The Good Listening Project

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    13 October 2025, 10:00 am
  • 12 minutes 7 seconds
    Ep. 522 BONUS: Introduction to Wild and Holy

    In this special episode I’m sharing with you the Introduction to my new book Wild and Holy! I hope you enjoy listening to this brief excerpt and that you’ll consider backing the Kickstarter campaign where you can receive many wonderful bonuses for your support. Wild and Holy has been named a “Project We Love” by Kickstarter, which is an amazing honor I’m happy to receive. Check it out and reserve your copy – available now only through Kickstarter!

    Go to this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2136452733/wild-and-holy

    Thanks in advance if you choose to support the campaign!

    Listen here:

    10 October 2025, 8:38 pm
  • 1 hour 32 seconds
    Ep. 521 Caring House: A Residence for Hospice Care with David Zartman and Joanna Franco

    My two guests this week are administrators of Caring House, a non-profit residence for hospice patients in Torrance, California. David Zartman is the Executive Director of Caring House having previously been a successful entrepreneur. Joanna Franco is the Director of Operations with many years of experience as both a caregiver and a residential care coordinator and manager. They discuss the history of Caring House and how residences like this are essential for communities that want to fully support end-of-life care for their people. Learn more at the Caring House website:

    yourcaringhouse.org

    Watch on YouTube

    Listen here:

    This episode includes:

    • The history of Caring House
    • The long journey of establishing an Omega Home as a residence for hospice patients
    • What services are provided by Caring House and similar homes
    • Who qualifies to reside there
    • The benefits of “death in community” where several patients and families are experiencing the end of life in the same facility at the same time
    • How staff processes grief after the death of a patient
    • Rituals and traditions followed after a patient death
    • How care is paid for at Caring House

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially Deborah Ward and thank you to Kathleen Lynch, Christina Holbrook and Alan Dulit, Chantal Kersten, and Ann Kenworthy for making donations on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

    6 October 2025, 3:30 pm
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