Honoring a Decade of Doulas
by Douglas Simpson
Excerpts from executive director Douglas Simpson’s speech on December 9, 2025, at INELDA’s 10-year celebration.
As of today, INELDA has had the privilege of engaging with 9,678—nearly 10,000—human beings that made the choice to learn with us about becoming an end-of-life doula and seeding deathcare within communities throughout the United States and 56 countries across the world.
Many of these doulas have gone on to make significant contributions in the field from education—advocacy—to direct care and support for people everywhere.
We honor the support you have given and the voice you have led with in advancing the role of end-of-life doulas.
As end-of-life doulas, we are trained to support the autonomy of those we serve—to honor their choices and affirm their humanity even as independence fades. We walk beside them as they navigate meaning, what they leave behind, and the emotional and spiritual landscape of letting go.
While those of us steeped in this work are encouraged to see how conversations have grown around death and dying over this past decade, far too often I speak with individuals who have never heard of an end-of-life doula and the positive outcomes we offer to those navigating mortality, death, and loss. This keeps me energized to continue expanding the necessary public awareness.
We know the profound impact a doula can have for the dying person and their circle of care. And that is why our organization’s vision is that all individuals have accessible, equitable, and compassionate deathcare that holistically affirms one’s humanity and supports end-of-life choices.
I am thankful for the relationships and partnerships we have built together. These partnerships have allowed the unhoused community to begin to receive dignified care at end of life, they have created increased encounters and person-centered care within hospices, and they have been able to provide end-of-life doula care in rural upstate New York. These models not only provide the necessary care but also create opportunities for doulas to be part of the delivery.
Other partnerships are serving to educate, from Nielsen Media—a change maker—offering end-of-life doula benefits to their employees, to creating programming with the National Funeral Directors Association, to education offerings being co-created with the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation, to our longstanding relationship with Citizen Film and GroundSpark putting the film Prognosis in living rooms across America next year through PBS.
I would like to personally thank all of the team members past and present at INELDA. From each of you I have learned something, and the organization has evolved because of you.
Due to systematic structures, disconnection with the dying process, and the lack of deathcare literacy, those dying amongst us are too often left without a voice and knowledge about choices and options at end of life. An end-of-life doula advocates for self-determination and imparts psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, and practical care to empower dignity throughout the dying process.
As our advisory board member Pastor Corey Kennard shares, “It takes time to spend with a person who is dying.” We know that delivery care systems are over burdened or nonexistent in some regions. We understand that caregivers are burned out. And that as the current aging population balloons, there are not enough providers to meet the nonmedical needs of the dying.
So how do we do it? Doulas have time—we love time. Time to sit with you, time to listen to you, time be with you.
Doulas are here to walk through advance care directives; we share community resources; we create environments where stories can be shared; we understand the importance of the dying person’s autonomy throughout their end-of-life journey and want to provide dignity at the end. No matter where someone is dying, from the street to the hospital to their own bed.
As we step into the next decade, we envision INELDA-trained doulas everywhere delivering deathcare. We need doulas everywhere, on every deathcare team that plans for end of life that supports dying and death and that cares for the body and loved ones post death in every community.
This is a pivotal moment to test innovative approaches and prepare for the surge in need ahead, expanding the number of individuals who can access end-of-life care rooted in dignity, choice, and humanity.
INELDA is resourced with a powerful community of active doulas, global thought leaders, strong partnerships, and our Doula Approach. The time is now, and our call to action is to mobilize our end-of-life doulas and to fund and reshape deathcare. This need has always existed and today has gotten greater and in a few years will be larger than we can imagine if we don’t take steps today.
As of today, INELDA has had the privilege of engaging with 9,678—nearly 10,000—human beings that made the choice to learn with us about becoming an end-of-life doula and seeding deathcare within communities throughout the United States and 56 countries across the world.
Many of these doulas have gone on to make significant contributions in the field from education—advocacy—to direct care and support for people everywhere.
We honor the support you have given and the voice you have led with in advancing the role of end-of-life doulas.
My ask is that you each consider how you will invest in shaping the now and future of deathcare. Is it the time to talk to your loved one about your end-of-life wishes, become a doula. or make an impactful donation today?
As INELDA seeks out and organizes greater investment along with strategic collaborations, we also are focused on building the infrastructure required to lead the next decade of growth for the end-of-life doula field. Strengthening our core capabilities will allow us to scale responsibly, expand access to culturally affirming care, and equip communities worldwide with the skills, support, and compassionate presence that every person deserves at the end of life.
These 10 years have fueled our commitment to foster and create compassionate deathcare in communities globally. INELDA stands poised with you to shift how we deliver deathcare.
Posted 12/16/2025