Who is Christine?
She is a mother, wife, retired nurse and friend that found her life’s calling as an End-of-Life Doula and Reiki Master.
Christine has been a caregiver since she was young, starting out as a young teen, taking care of an elderly woman with dementia. Providing respite care while her daughter, who was her primary caregiver, could take the much-needed breaks she deserved for taking care of her mother 24/7. “I loved taking care of this woman, we sang old gospel songs together, drank tea and ate cookies while listening to her stories of early childhood. She helped me grow as a person and see that the value of time, of spending time listening, was a beautiful tool for connection.”
After graduating high school, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant, where she cared for hundreds of people. Oftentimes holding hands of the patients who were actively dying, when family members were not able to be present. She considers being present at the end of life for someone as being the highest honor and a truly sacred gift.
Christine became a licensed vocational/practical nurse in her early 20’s as an oncology nurse and finished her career with hospice nursing. Helping people and their loved ones navigate the unknown waters of end of life has been her greatest calling and she is grateful to be able to support those now who are willing to allow her to bear witness to such a sacred final rite of passage and assist those to have a softer landing.
“Caring for people at that stage in life is an honor, one that I will always be grateful for the experience. It is when we deeply connect with those are facing their own mortality, do we learn about truly living”
Her father passed away several years ago, due to a short illness that shocked the family. Christine did not leave his side and was present at his passing at a hospice unit. She was reading her favorite book to him, The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho, and playing his favorite songs by Willie Nelson when he passed, a moment she will never forget. She later cared for her aging in-laws and mother who also passed away with the support of hospice at home. “My mom got to die on her terms, in her own bed, listening to her favorite music and loved ones close by. I wish that for everyone.”
She had a curiosity about energy healing, but it wasn’t until she developed some physical ailments that limited her ability to work, that she was forced to be still and move inward for self-exploration. She began exploring Reiki as a complementary therapy to the traditional medicine she was already receiving, but discovered she healed in ways that were completely unexpected, including the emotional and spiritual body.
Christine began exploring her own intuitive gifts, following her heart, and set out on her own healing journey. She realized that we are more than just our physical bodies, we are beautiful spiritual beings having this human experience. Dying is no different. Christine feels that the dying process is not a medical event, but is in fact, a human experience.
“I love helping people in a more holistic way, helping to guide their own healing journey at whatever stage they are at. Healing can occur at any stage of life, even at the end of life. We only have so much time on this beautiful planet and we need to make each moment count while we are here. Helping to guide someone along this journey is a gift. I have had the honor to walk beside many people on their healing journey and have held space for many lovely souls and their families at the end of life. I have been blessed in many ways, but helping people is a gift that I treasure the most.”
