RICHELLE MASSENGALE MS
DEATH DOULA . END-OF-LIFE PLANNER . SPEAKER TRAINER
Compassionate Support for Life’s Final Chapter
SERVICES PROVIDED
Living Well (Pre-Planning)
Organizing your final wishes to give your family peace of mind AND Capturing stories and creating ceremonies that celebrate a life well-lived.
The Transition (Bedside Support)
Compassionate doula and vigil support for the dying and their loved ones.
The Aftercare (Estate & Grief)
A safe, non-judgmental space to navigate the journey of grief.
Custom Care Packages Available
Helpful for those who feel overwhelmed and need help with various tasks or planning.
ABOUT YOUR DOULA
What is a Death Doula?
My Approach
I bring a grounded, empathetic presence to end-of-life care. Driven by the experience of losing my own grandparents, I work to ensure families have the guidance I wish mine had. My goal is to bridge the gap between clinical care and soulful transition, offering the emotional tools and practical guidance you need from pre-planning to aftercare.
I offer compassionate, non-medical, non-legal, and non-clinical (not counseling support, including advance care planning, vigil sitting, legacy projects, grief support and non-legal administrative aftercare for families. Whether you are facing a terminal diagnosis or exploring death midwifery, I provide a safe space to navigate this transition with dignity. It is my honor to help your family find peace of mind through planning, presence, and legacy. Let me carry the weight with you. Call today for support through this transition.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Death Doula?
A death doula is a trained professional who provides holistic, non-medical support to individuals and families during the transition of end-of-life. Much like a birth doula supports the entry into life, a death doula guides and supports the departure from it. My role is to offer consistent emotional, spiritual, and physical comfort, helping to restore a sense of agency, dignity, and peace to the dying process.
What Does a Death Doula Actually Do?
I provide personalized care tailored entirely to your unique needs, wishes, and values. While every situation is different, my services typically include:
Advance Care Planning: Guiding you through healthcare directives, values worksheets, and documenting your final wishes.
Legacy Projects: Helping you archive your life story through letters, audio recordings, memory books, pillows, quilts, or art.
Vigil Planning: Designing the sensory environment for your final days, including preferences for music, lighting, touch, visitation schedules and readings.
Bedside Presence: Offering continuous companionship, deep listening, comfort measures, and caregiver respite during the active dying process.
Early Grief Support: Helping family members process the immediate aftermath of loss and organizing early memorial rituals.
What are the Limitations of Your Care?
It is important to know that my role is strictly non-medical, non-legal, and non-clinical.
I do not administer medications, change dressings, or perform any clinical tasks.
I do not provide formal medical or legal advice.
I do not replace the vital medical care provided by hospice nurses, doctors, or social workers. Instead, I work alongside your medical team to fill the gaps in continuous emotional and practical presence.
I do not act as a professional counselor, although I am trained and licensed as such. I will refer to grief counselors when appropriate.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Richelle is great with clients and has helped many individuals cope and heal from the impacts of anxiety, depression and trauma. In my interactions with her, it is evident that she cares greatly for the work she does and her clients' healing.
Shannon Atherton
MS LPC LMHC
Richelle is an asset to our local therapy community. Personable, engaging, generous, and always working for the best interest of her clients. Recommend.
Boyd Allen
MS LPC CSAT CMAT
Richelle's firsthand understanding of burnout, chronic illness, and caregiving through lived experience means that she knows and lives the skills to address these issues. She's practical in her approach, offering real solutions you can use immediately.