Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Why Workplaces Need to Show Up for Grieving Employees
Fifty-one percent of grieving employees leave within a year. A death doula and former retail manager on what actually supports a grieving coworker.
The LibraryBylines19 pieces
Michael Hawley
Death Doula
Walking alongside the dying since the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Committed to one thing: that no one dies alone, and no family is left without a guide.
19 pieces published with Otherside Life.
GriefFamilies
Michael’s practitioner profileEverything by Michael Hawley
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
What Is a Death Cafe? (And Why Attending One Isn't Morbid)
A death cafe is people talking about death over tea and cake. A death doula on where the model came from, how it works, and who should go.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
How to Ask an Aging Relative About Their Life Without Making It Awkward
Questions that ask about a life, not a death. A death doula's practical guide to getting aging parents and grandparents talking without it feeling morbid.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
The Family Storykeeper: Why Every Family Needs One
Every family has someone who fields the "who was that?" calls. A death doula and genealogist on why to claim the storykeeper role on purpose.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Reconnecting Gen Z and Youth to Family History in a Digital Age
Teenagers who ignore family history aren't uninterested, just early. A death doula and genealogist on timing, and how to be ready when the questions come.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
"I Feel Resentful": Unpacking the Unspoken Emotion of Long-Term Caregiving
Caregiver resentment is a predictable signal, not a flaw. A death doula on why it shows up when demand outpaces support and how to handle it honestly.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Grieving in Installments: Why Dementia Loss Starts Long Before Death
With dementia, you grieve at every loss of function, diagnosis or not. A death doula on his mother's decline and why most cases are never formally diagnosed.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Don't Freak Out: How to Respond When a Dementia Patient Is Confused
When someone with dementia says they don't know who they are, stay calm. A death doula on what to say and do, drawn from a real moment with his mother.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Why Caregivers Need Their Own Advance Care Plan Too
Caregivers plan every detail of someone else's death and skip their own. A death doula on why that's backwards and how to do it in ten-minute pieces.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
How a Death Doula Helps You Actually Talk About Death
Some families love each other and still can't find the words. A death doula on how he steps in as a communication facilitator before a crisis does.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Why Every Legal Adult Needs an ACP (Yes, Even in Your 20s)
Advance care planning isn't an elderly person's document. A death doula on the CDC data showing why the youngest adults carry the most sudden risk.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
What Makes Life Worth Living? 5 Discovery Questions to Ask Before Writing Your ACP
Skip the form until you've answered these. A death doula shares the five discovery questions he walks clients through before anyone touches a directive.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Full Code vs. Quality of Life: What Are You Actually Asking For?
Full code can mean broken ribs and odds far below what most people assume. A death doula on what the CPR data says and how to decide if it's right for you.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
How to Choose a Healthcare Proxy (And Why They Don't Make Decisions For You)
A healthcare proxy isn't a power of attorney, and proxies guess wrong about one time in three. A death doula on how to choose one and prepare them.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
The Skill That Eases the Fear of Dying
Talking about death is a skill, a habit and a choice. A death doula on how practicing it eases the fear of dying, and how to start this week.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Why Advance Care Planning Fails Without Real Conversation
Signed advance directives fail when nobody talks about them. A death doula on the three parts of advance care planning and why the form is the easy one.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
The Unspoken Realities of Long-Term Caregiving: Resentment, Grief, and Burnout
Caregiver resentment and dementia grief are normal, not failures. A death doula on the data, the stacked-caregiving trap, and why caregivers need a plan too.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
The Family Storykeeper: How to Capture Legacy Before It's Lost
Family stories vanish faster than you think. A genealogist and death doula on why to start capturing them now, without waiting for a deathbed.
Having Uncomfortable ConversationsSep 29, 2026
Normalizing Death Literacy: How Honest Conversations Change How We Live
Only 27 percent of Americans are comfortable discussing their own death. A death doula on death cafes, workplace grief, and getting out of your own way.
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