The Implications of Holding Life
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025, 7pm – 8:30pm ET
Our February webinar is open to all INELDA members as part of membership benefits.
Please login to your INEDLA Account to access the recording:
Webinar Guests:
Amanda Marie Ellis King, CFSP | Embalmer and Funeral Director, INELDA Trained-Doula
Jackie Naginey Hook, MA | Spiritual director, Celebrant, and INELDA_trained End-of-life Doula at Koch Funeral Home
Webinar Moderator:
Kimberly Stravers | INELDA Educator, Celebrant, and Former Funeral Attendant
Webinar Guest(s):
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Zeyneb Sayilgan, Ph.D. | Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies (ICJS)
Please note that due to the Christmas holiday, our webinar schedule for December has been moved to the third week of the month. (This event typically meets on the final Wednesday of the month.)
Our September webinar is open to all INELDA members as part of membership benefits.
Wednesday, November 19th, 2025, 7pm – 8:30pm ET
Webinar Guest:
Marquita Straus | Founder of Imani’s Light Wellness, MSW, LICSWA
Webinar Moderators:
Nzinga Abudllah-Aziz | INELDA Educator
Greg Hedler | INELDA Educator
Omni Kitts Ferrara | INELDA Director of Education
With every life we invite into the world—whether through birth or adoption, so too do we invite the possibilities of loss. Nothing about life is promised. For many, death becomes known much sooner than anticipated. The loss of a child—whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or child-loss, carries a unique and ever-changing grief. This November, we were in conversation with Marquita Straus—founder of Imani’s Light Wellness, end-of-life doula, bereaved mother and perinatal grief & trauma therapist, as well as INELDA educators Nzinga Abdullah Aziz, Greg Hedler and Omni Kitts Ferrara. We discussed the implications of holding life, the experience of the death of a child, and how we as end-of-life doulas can support this unique grief and normalize these experiences.
*Please note that this webinar was the first of a three part series on child loss. We will be presenting the other two webinars in 2026.
**Due to technical difficulties, we had to re-record part of this webinar. We have included the new recording as well as the Q&A from the oroginal
Guest Speaker Bio:
Marquita Straus is a Perinatal Grief & Trauma Therapist, Death Doula, and founder of Imani’s Light Grief & Wellness Center. Marquita has over 15 years of serving BIPOC perinatal families. She has served as a full spectrum doula (birth, postpartum, and bereavement), breastfeeding peer counselor, childbirth educator, perinatal bereavement group facilitator, and is a trained midwife. She aims to inspire and empower people to show up authentically, while fiercely advocating for those navigating spaces that are not traditionally occupied by people of color.
She loves to travel, listen to records on vinyl, and spend time with her tiny humans. In her spare time, Marquita is also a digital storyteller, birth & documentary photographer, and content creator. Learn more at ImanisLightWellness.org or by following her on social media @ImanisLight.
The recording of this webinar is available to Tier 1, Tier 2, & 3 members as part of their INELDA membership benefits. Non-members who purchased access to the webinar may also view the recording.
Sign in to your INELDA Account to access a recording of this webinar the Friday after the webinar. [CLICK HERE]
ALL members can view this webinar as part of the INELDA membership benefits. [Members Register Here]
Non-members can purchase access to attend this webinar for $15 and will receive a link to view the recording following the event.
Tier 2 & 3 members can view this webinar at no cost as part of the INELDA membership benefits.
Tier 1 & Non-members can purchase live access to this webinar for $15 and will be able to view the recording following the event.
The recording of this September 2023 webinar has been made available to all members as part of your INELDA membership benefits. Non-members who purchased access to this webinar may also view the recording.
Sign in to your INELDA Account to access a recording of this webinar [CLICK HERE]
