Death Doulas, Grief Work, and Ocean Legacy

At Blueprint Ocean Legacy (BOL), we believe grief is not something to “get over” it’s something to move through with care, connection, and meaning. That’s where death doulas come in.

Most people are familiar with birth doulas, those who support new life. Death doulas offer similar non-medical, compassionate guidance for individuals and families as they face the end of life.

What Is a Death Doula?

A death doula (sometimes called an end-of-life doula or soul midwife) is someone trained to support individuals and families emotionally, spiritually, and practically during the dying process. They are not medical providers. They are guides, witnesses, and steady hands through one of life’s most profound transitions.

Death doulas may help with:

• Advance care planning and vigil preparation

• Emotional and spiritual support before, during, and after death

• Legacy projects or memorial planning

• Holding space for families before clinical or funeral professionals arrive

• Provide support through bereavement

Their role complements, but does not replace hospice or medical care.

How Death Doulas Fit Within Blueprint Ocean Legacy

Blueprint Ocean Legacy was founded to support families through ocean-based legacy work, helping people honor loved ones through memorials that can bring awareness to and support marine ecosystems. Our work is grief-informed by design. And we believe that death doulas are natural allies in this space.

Here’s Death doulas fit in with BOL:

• Grief Navigation: Doulas walk alongside families through loss. We walk alongside them with accessible memorial options that support environmental impact like our Grief to Reefs initiative.

  
  

• Legacy Support: Death doulas often help families reflect on a loved one’s values, beliefs, and wishes. Our memorial offerings provide options that reflect love for the earth and for the ocean.

  
  

• Family Connection: Doulas and BOL both support families emotionally, logistically, and ethically, helping them feel grounded and empowered during uncertain times. This often includes helping families consider healing spaces like our future grief retreats.

  
  

• Community & Education: We welcome death doulas into our growing network and provide resources to help them educate families about ocean-friendly memorials and conservation efforts that align with their values and legacy wishes.

  
  

Death Doulas and Ocean-Based Legacy Work

Grief can become meaning. Legacy can be both personal and planetary. Ocean-based legacy work is one way families can express love, remembrance, and care, not only for the person who has died but for the larger world they leave behind.

Death doulas are at the heart of this bridge.

Whether they are supporting vigil planning, offering ritual ideas, or simply listening, doulas are uniquely positioned to introduce eco-conscious memorials that align with a loved one’s life and values.

Interested in Partnership?

We invite death doulas to:

• Explore our Founders Circle a referral and partnership program

• Access grief-informed and ocean-focused resources

• Participate in co-hosted events or educational opportunities

• Join a like-hearted network of legacy workers, conservationists, and care providers

  
  

To connect with us: hello@blueprintoceanlegacy.org