Dead Funny Dead Serious Podcast
by Loren Talbot
Six-years ago, Mitzi Weiland worked in an assisted living facility before becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and opening Hourglass Psychotherapy in Seattle, Washington. Always torn between wanting to become a comedian and diving into grief therapy, she began to find laughter in the mundane experiences of residential caretaking.
Following graduate school and her certification in thanatology from the Association of Death Education & Counseling (ADEC), along with her doula training through INELDA, she started the Dead Funny Dead Serious podcast in March 2021. The first series “30 EOL Doulas in 30 Days” was just posted. Mitzi is turning her energies to “30 EOL Reviews in 30 Days” with a focus on films, books and media that all have a dying-focus at the core. It will air in early July. In the following series “30 Funeral Professionals in 30 Days” Mitzi will talk with funeral directors, lawyers, and others in the funeral industry as they share what led them to this work and the challenges they faced along the way.
The “30 EOL Doulas in 30 Days” is an insightful series of interviews with end-of-life doulas working in the U.S. and abroad. Mitzi’s four-question interviews usually run between 20-35 minutes and dive deeply into what it means to be called to do this work. Each doula shares their own experience and unique impetus for the work through answering the questions: Why, How, Challenges, and Hopes? These questions bring out the varied approaches to the work, as well as some of the challenges the doula has faced. The series reveals the breadth of approach and style to doula work, offers insight into the populations doulas serve, and provides information on the organizations with which they trained.
“I have loved meeting all these end-of-life doulas! I believe the work I do, psychotherapy and thanatology with individuals and families, has to be an interdisciplinary undertaking.” says Mitzi. “Learning about these wonderful 30 humans only cemented my belief that working hand in hand with EOLDs is a great way to support a family system at end of life.” Mitiz’s mission to elevate these doulas and the work that they have embraced gives the listener insight into the specific approaches and opportunities involved in launching a doula practice.
The podcast also serves as a great resource to learn about different teachers and resources that support these professionals. What surfaces from listening to the series is not just the unique experiences each doula brings to their work, but also the commonalities that unite us all together.
The podcast can be found on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean