about
ELDAA
Our story
The work of Doulas is not new… we have been caring for our sick and dying in this way, for centuries. However, over the last 100 years or so, things have changed. While some cultures have rich and deep ritual and acceptance around end of life, in western society we have lost our connection with death, and we have grown used to leaving the care of our sick and dying, to our health providers and medical teams.
But there is a tsunami of ‘baby boomers’, and an ageing population on the horizon, and our health system is already struggling to cope with demand. By working alongside health providers to ‘fill the gaps’ in the care of the sick and dying, Doulas can make a positive difference. We are already seeing the benefits of the Doula model of care in countries overseas where Doulas are more established.
As knowledge grows about this role here in Aotearoa, so does the interest in working in this space.
In February 2024, a small group of Doulas gathered for a Hui to create a vision for our future. We were hosted by the Farewell Trust, in the beautiful Marlborough Sounds, at the Poroporoaki retreat. And from there, the End of Life Doula Alliance of Aotearoa, was established.
ELDAA Committee
Left to right: Melanie Humphries-Connolly, Danielle Mahoney, Treza Gallogly, Sarah Carberry, Annie Meredith.
Treza Gallogly CHAIR
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I am an Irish Kiwi, living in Auckland, with 2 adult children who currently live in Europe. I am blessed to have family and friends both here, and in Ireland.
I started my work as an End of Life Doula after training at the end of 2021 and setting up my Doula practice as Swansong. I quickly realised how death-phobic we are in today’s society, and how much negative impact that has on our ability to live our lives well - with purpose and clarity.
I am passionate about accompanying the dying on their final life’s journey, in order to plan well for their death and afterwards, allowing them to live more fully during the time they have left. I am humbled and privileged to do this work.
I see a future where Doulas are an integral part of End of Life care in NZ, and around the world. This role will support, educate and mobilise our communities to take the care of their sick and dying back into their homes.
I am honoured to be on the steering committee of ELDAA with such beautiful wahine.
Annie Meredith VICE-CHAIR
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Kia ora, my name is Annie Meredith and I am fortunate enough to be living in the beautiful Tairāwhiti where Gisborne is my home.
I bring to ELDAA my desire to have a strong foundation of support for all End of Life Doulas in Aotearoa. I know this is important work and makes a difference to the dying person and their whānau.
As well as being an End of Life Doula, I am a funeral celebrant and Manaaki Mat Educator. I have an excellent relationship with my local hospice and enjoy facilitating workshops on a range of topics about death and dying.
Sarah Carberry
EDUCATION CO-ORDINATOR
Kia ora, my name is Sarah and I have been a Soul Midwife / End of Life Doula / Companion to the Dying for the last 8 years, in the beautiful Mahau Sound in Marlborough.
Our work at the Farewell Trust provides the support needed for people to die at home with care and dignity. Over the years we have grown and developed a group of volunteers within our Compassionate Community who help provide a much needed and well-rounded service for those at end of life, and their whanau.
We have an MOU with our local Hospice, and we work together for those who need support at home. We also work alongside our Assisted Dying doctors so although we are primarily involved with palliative care, we also provide a beautiful place for final days should this be the chosen route.
I have a vision for end of life care across Aotearoa to be brought back into our communities and homes, and for us all to reclaim the knowledge and wisdom that served the sick and dying so well for centuries, before death became medicalised.
ELDAA provides a trusted, reliable source to enable the growth of the Doula profession, in order to bring that vision to life.
Melanie Humphries-Connolly
TREASURER
I have over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse in palliative care, older adult mental health nursing, and dementia care.
Having spent some time working at Hospice in a variety of roles and knowing there was “something more” I could offer I began exploring and learning about the compassionate and heart centered role of a Soul Midwife or what is also known as an End of Life Doula.
Fast-forward to late 2023, when I took a leap of faith, followed my heart, and now offer doula services within the Wellington region.
I am passionate about empowering people and communities to do death better and become more aware of the choices they have both in life and death.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of ELDAA and work alongside other End of Life Doulas as we grow and develop the ELDAA community.
Danielle Mahoney
SECRETARY / MEMBERSHIPS
Passionate about the importance of education, community support and autonomy in life until the very end, I am honoured to be involved with ELDAA and the movement to build a death positive culture while providing comradeship for End of Life Doulas in Aotearoa.
My role as a soul care therapist assisting others as they walk through life’s highs and lows has naturally evolved to include end of life care and doula services. To better help people facing their own deaths, as well as those mourning a loss, I have trained as an End of Life Doula, Deathwalker and Soul Midwife, deepening my understanding of the journey through life from birth to death.
I formally began offering these services in 2021 after the unexpected yet beautifully supported death of my dad. I host Death Cafes and volunteer for Amitabha Hospice.
Jenny Garing
COMMITTEE SUPPORT
Kia ora, my name is Jenny Garing. I am a linguist, traveller, food writer, teacher, business owner and work for two charitable trusts as an administrator.
One of those is The Fare-well Trust based where I live in the beautiful Mahau Sound. I have been a be a part of this evolving, world-leading organisation, as both a Trustee and also the Administrator- where I work on the day to day running of the Trust, making sure we meet all regulations and requirements and also trying to keep us viable by applying for grants when needed.
With the formation of ELDAA I am excited to now be able to help out this incredibly talented group of EOL Doulas to form a first in Aotearoa- a not-for-profit society that provides support and guidance in this growing field of work.
When not helping with the Fare-well Trust or ELDAA I can be found cooking, writing, taking photographs, walking my dogs Grace and Frankie, or fishing off the jetty.
Our Patrons
We are grateful for the support of the following Patrons:
Professor Allan Kellehear
Professor in Health & Social Care
Northumbria University (UK)
Allan Kellehear is Professor in Health and Social Care at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. He is widely recognised as the founder of the international public health palliative care movement, also known as the health promoting palliative care, or compassionate communities approach to end of life care.
"Doulas play an essential role in modern public health in relation to end-of-life care. Not only do doulas provide quality support for dying people and their families but also they create partnerships with the social networks that support these people too.
In community terms then, doulas are navigators and facilitators for wider community involvement and support at the end of life. Although they can and should work in with existing healthcare staff, their role is greater and more socially significant for the encounter with death and loss because that encounter is fundamentally about social relationships, not clinical ones.
Doulas are front line workers for a health-promoting palliative care."
Liese Groot-Alberts
Palliative care, Grief, Loss and Bereavement Trainer & Presenter (NZ)
Liese Groot-Alberts is Wâldfrysk. She was born in Lippenhuzen in Fryslân, part of the Netherlands, has been living in New Zealand since 1981 with her family. She is mother to 2 daughters and a son, a grandmother to 4 granddaughters.
In 1972 her eldest daughter, aged nearly 3, died suddenly 2 days after the birth of her son. Hope and despair, joy and sorrow! Out of this life changing experience came her passion for healing grief, loss and bereavement and she has worked for over 45 years as a grief therapist, international public and keynote speaker, palliative care educator and mentor for Healthcare Professionals.
From 1988 till 1993 she had the tremendous privilege to work with and for Dr. Elisabeth Kübler -Ross as a workshop leader and staff member, conducting multi-day workshops on loss, grief and bereavement in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Africa and Europe.
Liese continues to conduct trainings and presentations worldwide.
She is an APHN & Hospis Malaysia Faculty Member, Advisory Council Member of EKR Foundation Global.
“I am honoured to be able to support the work of the End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa.
I believe the doula can bring further support in end of life care for the dying person and their loved ones.
Being neither medical nor clinical they can provide a knowledgeable link between medical staff and hospice care, working all together, to create a meaningful end of life journey for all concerned.”
Richard Egan
Associate Professor in Health Promotion, Otago University (NZ)
Richard Egan is a co-director of the Social and Behavioural Research Unit, former director of the Cancer Society Research Collaboration, and an Associate Professor at the Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
His background includes five years working as a mental health promoter in a Public Health Unit and five years of secondary school teaching. Richard's Master's thesis examined spirituality in New Zealand state schools, his PhD thesis explored spirituality in end-of-life care, and he has qualifications in theology, English literature, religious studies, and public health. Richard has over 80 peer-reviewed publications.
He is a past president of the New Zealand Public Health Association and a past Vice-Chair on the Board of the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand. He is also an Honorary Research Consultant for Meaningful Aging Australia, a member of the Global Network for Spirituality & Health, and has worked with Hospice NZ on spirituality matters. Sarah (wife), Benji (son,), and Milo (dog) remind Richard about 'what matters most'.
“My support for the End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa is based on our common need, both as a society and as individuals, to ensure that everyone has the best possible end-of-life experiences in our country. While death is inevitable, a peaceful and compassionate death is not guaranteed. Achieving this requires the implementation of appropriate policies, the establishment of well-functioning structures and institutions, and the training of capable personnel. The emergence of the End of Life Doula profession represents a positive advancement as it offers much-needed support to individuals during their final weeks and days. This profession complements our existing provisions and enhances the overall care provided.”
Aditi Sethi
Executive Director, Center for Conscious Living and Dying (USA)
Aditi Sethi, MD, is a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and the executive director of the Center for Conscious Living & Dying.
She completed a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship in 2012 and served as the medical director of a 26-bed free-standing hospice facility until 2021. Additionally, she was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, teaching Hospice and Palliative Care Fellows at MAHEC in Asheville, NC.
In 2021, she founded the Center for Conscious Living & Dying, a non-profit organisation focused on community-supported end-of-life care. Aditi is featured in the film 'The Last Ecstatic Days' and is an emerging and influential voice in changing our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care.
She has lectured for various groups both nationally and internationally and recently delivered a TEDx talk in Asheville, NC, entitled "The Art of Dying Before You Die."
"Doulas serve as compassionate guides, offering emotional, spiritual, and even practical support to the dying person and their loved ones. They help bridge the gap between the often clinical, medical approach to death and a more communal, personalized experience that honors each individual's life. As we collectively remember the value of death and its place in the natural cycle of life, it's an honor to support the End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa (NZ)."
Our Friends
We are grateful for the support of these organisations, who align with our values, and are also committed to better end of life care for all. Many also provide valuable resources.
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Go with Grace
Comprehensive resources for End of Life Planning in Aotearoa.
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NPANZ Nurses Professional Association of NZ
Discount for members.
Provides union and insurance services.
Aratika Cancer Trust
Integrated and holistic care of those living with Cancer.
Fare-well Trust
Supported dying at home in the Marlborough Sounds.
Doula's of Aotearoa
A directory of Doulas across Aotearoa, to support you in birth, death and other life events.
Grief Centre
Loss and grief support for those experiencing any form of significant loss.
End of Life Choice Society
Supporting Assisted Dying in Aotearoa.
Manaaki Mats
Cooling resource for after death care.
Coping with Loss
Grief and loss education & courses.
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NZ Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy
Professionals enriching the lives of diverse groups of people in the community.
Te Atawhai Aroha
Compassionate Communities Rotorua Trust.
End of Life Doula Association of Canada
Canadian and International Doula support.
Honohono Tatou Katoa
Compassionate Communities, Auckland.
National Home Funeral Alliance
Supporting home funeral education.
Death Without Debt
Making funerals affordable.
Sweet Louise Foundation
Support for incurable breast cancer.
Palliative Care Collaborative Aotearoa
Gives a collective voice on the need for better, more equitable palliative care across all of NZ.
Holistic End of Life and Deathcare Australia
Membership organisation for professional holistic end-of-life and deathcare practitioners in Australia.
My Trove
A single place for people to be able to notify multiple organisations of a death and start the account closure process.
Legacy Lab
Transform life stories and photos into contemporary hardcover and digital books.
Our Sponsors
We sincerely thank our generous Sponsors and Donors.
The End of Life Doula Alliance of Aotearoa, is an Incorporated Society.
We are seeking financial sponsorship to enable us to build our organisation, effectively support the Doula and wider community, and to realise our goals of better end of life care for all.
If you would like to help, no matter how big or small the donation, it would be appreciated.
Please contact us here.
