As we wrap up 2025, it’s a perfect moment for introspection. We deeply appreciate the insights we’ve gained from you—individuals and communities who have generously shared their experiences with advance care planning discussions. Throughout the…

This past year, I hosted Death Cafés at my college, Duke University. A death cafe is a community gathering where people come together to freely talk about whatever they want related to death and dying,…

Revising the What Matters to Me Workbook In 2021, The Conversation Project and Ariadne Labs published the “What Matters to Me Workbook.” Our goal was to create a resource for patients with serious illness that…

Gene Hackman was one of my favorite actors. I adored him in The Birdcage. It deeply saddens me to think about how he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away. For the past 20 years…

“Stage 4. Aggressive. 12–15 months.” These were the first few words my client shared with me at our initial evaluation. Though he was experiencing word finding issues due to aphasia — an acquired language disorder…

As medical professionals, few challenges rival delivering serious news to patients, especially when we lack straightforward solutions. We must delicately balance honesty with empathy. Too much blunt truth risks appearing callous; too much gentle reassurance…