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…

Tools to Ignite Impactful Conversations

While conversations about health care wishes are our special sauce, we always get questions about where to store documents (health care proxy, advance directives, etc.) once they have been filled out. Below are common scenarios…

As a death doula, someone who supports people through the dying process, I’ve walked beside many people during their final chapters. Some deaths were peaceful, tethered to clarity and intention. Others were messy — complicated…