Misha (she/he/they) is an Iranian-American death doula and grief tender whose work honors the sacredness of death and the political power of mourning. Their path into this calling began at the tender age of 20, when they were blessed with the gift of witnessing their mother’s death. Today, through Hafez Death Care, Misha offers culturally rooted, anti-imperialist support for dying people and their loved ones before, during, and after the dying process.

Death Out of the Shadows

A film by Genia and Russell Stemper

There are over 8 billion people in the world. Two people die every second. In the United States alone, over 8,000 people die every day. The time has come to bring death out of the shadows and break the cycle of fear and trauma. In this one-hour documentary, we talked to death doulas, grief counselors, doctors, and first responders to find out why people are afraid of this necessary part of life, and what we, as a culture, can do to improve our relationship with death.

There’s still time. The deadline for submitting registration materials is Monday, September 1. INELDA’s certification program is a comprehensive one-year cohort-based skills training program designed to support you through mentorship, peer review, and continuing education. As an extension of INELDA’s community of practice founded and guided by INELDA’s core competencies, the certification program engages and applies the INELDA Doula Approach throughout the yearlong process, culminating in the design and practice of the doula’s field specialization of choice. Reach out with any questions to: [email protected].

On September 8th from 7-9pm ET, INELDA is offering a gathering space for all members where community, grief, and healing can come together to sensitively hold the many crises on a global scale that we confront daily. As an organization committed to normalizing conversations around death, dying, loss, and grief; this gathering circle is created to provide space for these topics as we sit in company with one another. We hope to meet the issues of this time with a doula mindset. We will make space for feelings of sadness, rage, despair, anger, and inequities in a facilitated structure led by Amanda Faision, an INELDA-trained doula and co-founder of A&R Equity.

We are honored to support the premiere of The Last Ecstatic Days documentary on PBS. Join us in witnessing Ethan Sisser’s extraordinary journey, a powerful narrative on embracing community at life’s end. The film premiered August 5 on PBS Plus and is now broadcasting nationwide on your regional PBS station. Visit here to find a showtime in your region.

Japanese public TV network NHK is creating a documentary on the role that wind phones are playing as a tool for grief. If you have used or created a wind phone and want to be part of this documentary, reach out to Megan Devir.

Some of you may have received a phishing email offering you the opportunity to purchase our  member list. We are sorry you have had to deal with this scam attack. We want to assure you that INELDA neither sells nor shares our member contacts with other organizations. We are looking into all steps we can take to ensure your digital privacy and security. If you have further concerns, you can contact us directly at [email protected].

Join us for a fascinating look at the ways in which healing touch and presence can play a role in providing equitable deathcare for all, as well as the ways in which end-of-life doulas can understand this approach to care. Doulas will learn how to connect and vet palliative care massage therapists to support their clients.

One of my favourite rituals is to invite families to write a letter that they post on the door so that anyone entering their space steps in with specific intention. The doorway acts as an important threshold, and we can create a more ceremonial space by giving people clear directions and language to use (or not use) so that they can add to the sacredness of the space.

-Megan Sheldon, INELDA-trained doula

The Multicultural Death and Grief Care Academy, founded by Jóel Simone Maldonado, aka The Grave Woman, offers innovative, heart-centered, and culturally inclusive courses designed to empower deathcare and grief professionals. Whether you’re an embalmer, funeral director, death doula, end-of-life medical provider, grief care provider, or member of an organization looking to expand your cultural competence, the academy’s courses provide the knowledge and tools to enhance professional and personal practices.

Heart disease among adults in the United States has plummeted by two thirds in the past 50 years, according to a large-scale study published in Journal of the American Heart Association. Heart attacks in particular have become less deadly: By analyzing government data on heart disease deaths from 1970 to 2022, researchers found that heart attacks went from being responsible for 54% of all cardiac-related deaths in 1970 to 29% in 2022.

Tens of millions of Americans will face greater risks to their physical and financial health as a result of the domestic policy megabill that was passed in early July. Framed as a tax savings plan by the Trump administration, the bill will reduce federal support for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act initiatives. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will trigger more than 12 million people to be uninsured by 2034.

Physicians are an integral part of end-of-life care for many people who are dying—and they, too, are going to die. Research published in Palliative Care and Social Practice finds that doctors are likely to have considered their own EOL preferences, and that physicians lean toward avoiding aggressive treatment at end of life and prioritize a peaceful environment for dying.