Anthea Grimason is a certified INELDA end-of-life doula and clinical counseling student specializing in existential psychology, psychedelic-assisted therapy, grief and addiction. Her work explores how altered states and our relationship with mortality can lead to deep healing and personal transformation. Originally from Ireland, she brings a global perspective shaped by years in Southeast Asia and her current home in California. Anthea is passionate about weaving ancestral wisdom into modern death care. She finds her own groundedness through yoga and meditation, amongst the trees and trails, in dancing and music.

“My path to this work was shaped by the death of my mother when I was only two years old. Growing up, I frequently contemplated death as a child with nowhere for my grief to go, and spent years as an adult navigating the effects of that loss, yet I also gained resilience and a deep wisdom about the fragility of life at a very young age. This and other early death experiences left me feeling strongly that we can do so much better in how we honor and support people through death and loss in Western culture where medical models and social constructs hide death and silence grief. Exploring Eastern approaches to mortality sparked a shift in my perspective, and the moment I knew about end-of-life doula work, I knew this was my calling. I am passionate about weaving ancestral wisdom back into our modern care, creating a bridge where we face our mortality with presence, truth and compassion.”

Anthea is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Saybrook University, with graduation set for 2027. Her background in holistic care is diverse, including training in somatic psychedelic facilitation and over 1,100 hours of yoga and breathwork training from Centered Yoga in Thailand. As a Reiki Master with additional studies in Ayurveda, brain health, and trauma-informed grief, she brings a multifaceted, heart-centered approach to those navigating life’s most profound transitions.