Seeing Death Clearly

Seeing Death Clearly is a show that challenges you to think about your beliefs about death, dying, grief, and living life. I am your host, Jill McClennen, a death doula and end-of-life coach. As a death doula, I found through first-hand experience that the more I came to terms with my thoughts and feelings about death and dying, the more present I became in my everyday life and I hope to share that with you too, how you can live a better life by having a healthier relationship with death and dying. Each episode features a guest who shares their beliefs and stories about death and dying. These are honest conversations about a topic most of us avoided talking about our entire lives. I am on a mission to change that, one conversation at a time.

Seeing Death Clearly is a society podcast hosted by Jill McClennen, with 175 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jill McClennen hosts Seeing Death Clearly, a society show with 175 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #172

  The Gift of Being Prepared with Sonja S. Koenig

  Aug 16, 202652 min

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly , I’m joined by end-of-life doula Sonja Koenig for a conversation about grief, family, advocacy, and what it really means to prepare for the end of life. Much of Sonja’s perspective has been shaped by the death of her brother Juan, a Marine who lived with serious health challenges for 16 years, including kidney failure, dialysis, COPD, and heart problems. During his final hospitalization, Sonja and her mother found themselves advocating for his care while also trying to make important decisions and complete documents that should ideally have been addressed long before a crisis. After Juan died, Sonja was confronted with another difficult reality: how much had been left unfinished. Important paperwork, personal wishes, financial matters, and other details still needed attention at a time when the family was already grieving. That experience reinforced something Sonja now emphasizes in her work: end-of-life planning isn’t only for people who are elderly, seriously ill, or actively dying. Preparing ahead of time can make an enormous difference for the people we leave behind. We talk about practical steps such as organizing important documents, discussing healthcare wishes, completing advance directives, and making sure the people you trust know where to find the information they may someday need. Sonja also shares ideas for legacy planning, including writing letters or creating videos that allow loved ones to hold onto stories, memories, and messages long after someone is gone. Our conversation also explores Sonja’s changing relationship with death and grief, including how the death of a close friend helped her begin seeing death as a natural part of life rather than something to avoid talking about. We discuss how children experience grief, including Sonja’s experience supporting her young nephew after Juan’s death, and why honest, age-appropriate conversations can help children understand loss rather than leaving them to make sense of it on their own. Sonja also shares the work behind her “R U Ready? Prepare With Purpose” program, which encourages individuals and families to begin these conversations and organize their affairs before an emergency forces them to. Ultimately, this episode is a reminder that preparing for death isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about making our wishes known, reducing uncertainty, preserving what matters to us, and making things a little easier for the people we love when the time comes. 00:00 Facing Death Honestly 00:18 Meet the Host and Guest 01:32 Sonja’s Life and Family 03:13 Gardening as Healing 03:53 From Fear to Calling 10:17 Bugs Boundaries and Nature 17:44 Juan’s Illness Story 19:10 Getting Affairs in Order 22:30 Advocacy at the Hospital 25:29 Aftermath and R U Ready 26:36 Purpose Through Loss 29:28 Missing the Family Chef 32:52 Helping a Child Grieve 38:33 Legacy Beyond Money 40:45 Normalize End of Life Planning 43:54 Premarital Planning Gap 45:42 Book and Course Details 50:31 Final Resources and Farewell eolcareinstitute.org sfkoenig@eolcareinstitute.org Amazon END OF LIFE PEACE OF MIND FOR YOUR FAMILY: LEAVE A LEGACY YOUR FAMILY WILL REMEMBER https://a.co/d/00YVI7rD Support the show Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life . jill@endoflifeclarity.com https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com Instagram Facebook Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle LinkedIn TikTok

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  Episode #171

  Widowhood and Finding Your Way Forward with Mia Godfrey

  Aug 9, 202650 min

  Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly , death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen talks with life coach, author, and publisher Mia Godfrey about what it means to rebuild your life after profound loss. Mia's story is one of resilience, but it isn't a story of "getting over" grief. Instead, it's about learning to carry loss while continuing to move forward. Mia shares what it was like growing up in communist Romania, losing her father as a young adult, and struggling with alcohol and prescription pills as she tried to cope with overwhelming grief. She reflects on meeting her late husband during a mission trip, moving to the United States, and the devastating shock of becoming a widow at just 35 years old when he died unexpectedly from heat stroke at the age of 42. The conversation also explores Mia's experience caring for her sister during an 11-month battle with ovarian cancer before her death in 2023. That loss eventually led Mia to begin therapy, opening another chapter in her own healing journey. Together, Jill and Mia discuss how grief changes throughout our lives, why every loss is different, and how support can come from unexpected places. Throughout the episode, they explore the importance of community, the courage it takes to ask for help, and why comparing grief only creates more suffering. Mia shares how writing became part of her healing process, eventually leading her and her husband to start Scribble Pages Publishing, where they help others tell their own stories and preserve their legacies. Jill and Mia also talk about caregiving, self-care, holding space for someone who is grieving without trying to fix their pain, and why conversations about death and end-of-life planning are ultimately conversations about love. They discuss the value of legacy work, preparing loved ones for the future, and creating meaning even after life's most difficult experiences. Whether you've experienced the death of a spouse, parent, sibling, or another significant loss—or you're supporting someone who has—this episode offers compassionate insights into grief, resilience, healing, and finding hope after unimaginable change. 00:00 Grief Is Personal 01:30 Meet Jill And Mia 02:13 Sudden Loss Of Husband 04:57 Faith And Community Support 06:39 Starting Over Alone 13:19 Father Loss And Addiction 18:34 Orphanage Work And Education 19:28 New Life In America 21:33 Caring For Sister 23:37 Remarriage And Blended Family 26:10 Sister Loss Grief 27:29 Therapy To Book 28:52 Self Publishing Journey 29:53 Writing Routine Evolution 30:15 Books Two And Three 31:51 Lessons From Grief 35:05 Holding Space Better 38:42 Wellness Coaching Focus 42:02 Retreats And Courses 43:18 Where To Find Mia 44:08 Publishing Others Next 46:01 Unexpected Global Readers 47:21 Caregiver Self-Care 48:47 Podcast Closing Call https://www.instagram.com/miagodfreyauthor/ https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Not-Broken-Survival-Sisterhood/dp/B0G6Y12J29 miagodfrey.com Support the show Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life . jill@endoflifeclarity.com https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com Instagram Facebook Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle LinkedIn TikTok

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  Episode #170

  Grief and Finding the Right Support with Restfully Founder Sarah Baldwin

  Aug 2, 202650 min

  Send us Fan Mail When someone dies, the grief is only part of what families are carrying. Along with the emotional pain often comes a long list of decisions, paperwork, phone calls, family dynamics, and practical tasks that can feel impossible to manage while you're mourning. In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen talks with Sarah Baldwin, founder of Restfully, about why navigating loss shouldn't have to be so overwhelming and how better support can help people focus on what matters most. Sarah shares the deeply personal experience that inspired Restfully. After her mother died from lung cancer, she found herself facing the same confusing and fragmented system that so many families encounter after a death. Although her mother's death had been expected, nothing truly prepared her for the emotional weight or the practical responsibilities that followed. Drawing on her background in finance and operations, Sarah realized there had to be a better way to connect people with trustworthy resources during one of the most difficult times of their lives. Together, Jill and Sarah explore the reality that grief doesn't begin only after someone dies. Anticipatory grief can be just as profound, and even when families know a death is coming, they often feel unprepared for everything that follows. They discuss how logistical demands—finding hospice, planning a funeral, cleaning out a home, managing paperwork, or coordinating services—can leave little room to simply grieve. A major focus of the conversation is the importance of personalized grief support. Sarah explains Restfully's four grief personas—Open Heart, Quiet Anchor, Steady Hand, and Seeker—and how each reflects a different way people process loss and seek help. Rather than assuming everyone grieves the same way, these personas encourage a more compassionate, individualized approach to communication and support. Sarah also shares how Restfully is expanding beyond educational resources into practical tools designed to make help easier to find. The platform is developing a vetted vendor directory and a "solution database" that allows people to search by the problem they're trying to solve—whether they need a funeral home, hospice provider, death doula, estate attorney, home cleanout service, grief counselor, or another type of support. They also discuss scholarship opportunities and other efforts to make these services more accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to afford them. The conversation touches on the challenges of building a mission-driven business in the end-of-life space. Sarah talks openly about balancing the desire to provide meaningful support with the realities of sustaining an organization financially. Jill and Sarah also discuss how grief often shows up in unexpected ways, including anger expressed online, family conflict, or emotional reactions that may not immediately be recognized as grief at all. Throughout the episode, both emphasize that there is no single "right" way to grieve. People need different kinds of information, different kinds of support, and different timing. Meeting people where they are—with practical resources, compassion, and without judgment—can make an enormous difference during one of life's hardest experiences. Whether you're planning ahead, supporting someone who is seriously ill, grieving the loss of a loved one, or simply interested in improving end-of-life care, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into making death and grief a little less overwhelming and a lot more human. 00:00 Death Connects Us 01:21 Meet Sarah Baldwin 02:15 What Is Restfully 02:49 Why She Started 05:55 Losing Her Mom 08:43 Clearing Space To Grieve 09:36 Unexpected Logistics Stress 12:27 Building The Team 13:21 Four Grief Personas 17:14 How The Personas Formed 20:37 Sitting With Unknowns 22:55 Death Work And Cultural Shift 25:27 Evolving Doula Roles 26:59 Grief Fuels Online Anger 31:40 Personal Grief and Triggers 34:05 Breaking Comment Loops 37:14 Rounding Up on People 39:15 Charging for Care Work 42:17 Restfully Solution Database 48:32 Where to Find Sarah 49:24 End of Life Planning Offer https://www.restfullycare.com/ https://www.restfullycare.com/grief-personas sarah@restfullycare.com Support the show Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life . jill@endoflifeclarity.com https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com Instagram Facebook Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle LinkedIn TikTok

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  Episode #169

  End-of-Life Conversations: Death Doulas, Community Care, Hospice & Grief with Rev. Annalouiza Armendariz and Rev. Wakil David Matthews

  Jul 26, 202651 min

  Send us Fan Mail Death doesn't have to be a taboo topic. In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen is joined by Annalouiza Armendariz and Wakil David Matthews, interfaith ordained ministers and co-hosts of the End of Life Conversations podcast. Together, they explore how talking openly about death, dying, and grief can reduce fear, strengthen communities, and help people make more informed decisions about the end of life. Drawing from their work in funeral service, spiritual care, education, and end-of-life support, Annalouiza and Wakil share practical insights into preparing for death while also reflecting on the emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of living well. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including advance care planning, hospice, advance directives, medical aid in dying (MAID), voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED), grief, caregiving, and the growing need for stronger community support. They also discuss the unique challenges faced by people who are aging or dying without close family, why affordable end-of-life support is often difficult to access, and how mutual aid and neighborhood connections can help fill those gaps. Jill, Annalouiza, and Wakil also talk about teaching children to speak honestly about death, the importance of using clear language instead of euphemisms, and why normalizing these conversations benefits people of every age. They don't shy away from subjects that are often avoided, including the physical realities of dying, mental health, caregiver burnout, and the ways fear and silence can make the dying process more difficult for everyone involved. Whether you're planning ahead, supporting someone who is seriously ill, working in healthcare, or simply curious about how we can approach death with greater openness and compassion, this episode offers thoughtful perspectives and practical ideas that can help make these conversations feel less overwhelming. Talking about death won't make it happen sooner—but avoiding the conversation can leave families unprepared. By planning ahead, building community, and learning to have honest conversations, we can reduce anxiety, support one another more effectively, and ultimately live with greater intention. 00:00 Compassionate Caregiving 00:15 Meet the Hosts 01:57 How Their Podcast Began 03:35 Podcasting Lessons Learned 05:13 The Many Hats They Wear 07:07 Planning Class and Nonprofit 08:44 Aging Alone and Affordability 11:30 Rebuilding Community Support 13:23 What to Say in Grief 15:14 Saying Death Out Loud 19:53 Raising Death Literate Kids 23:17 Narcan and Hard Talks 24:44 Mental Health and MAID 28:18 Disability and MAID Ethics 30:55 Dying as Sacred Process 31:55 Caregiving Over Numbing 34:32 Hospice Story and Anxiety 38:29 Shame and Everybody Poops 43:54 Facilities and Community Options 47:29 Legal Risks and Compassion 49:01 Wrap Up and Resources 50:19 End of Life Planning CTA https://www.buzzsprout.com/2257447 https://endoflifeconvos.substack.com/ https://www.jaguar-journey.com/ Support the show Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life . jill@endoflifeclarity.com https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com Instagram Facebook Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle LinkedIn TikTok

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  Episode #168

  Death Doula Talk with Lori Goldwyn: Hospice, End-of-Life Planning and Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)

  Jul 12, 202650 min

  Send us Fan Mail Host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, speaks with Northern California end-of-life doula Lori Goldwyn about death doula work, grief, and end-of-life planning. Lori explains how childhood fear of death, her background in women’s health, and her mother’s death in 2010 moved her from birth doula work into hospice volunteering and then end-of-life doula care after training with INELDA in 2016. They discuss parallels between birth and dying, how advance directives can be hard to follow during medical crises, and the emotional weight of decisions like intubation and life support. Lori shares her first experience supporting a medical aid in dying (MAID) client, including the complex medication process and her initial guilt, and both emphasize informed choice, compassionate support, and the need to relieve families from managing these intense moments alone. 00:00 Families Shouldn’t Carry This 00:12 Meet Your Host and Guest 01:33 Lori’s Path to Doula Work 04:39 Birth and Death Parallels 08:09 When Plans Meet Reality 12:17 God’s Will and Medical Choices 15:49 VSED and Family Conflict 18:30 First MAID Client Story 22:05 MAID Protocols and Stress 24:10 Why Families Hire Support 25:23 Reaching Prescribing Doctors 26:00 Doula Credibility Gap 28:32 Questions Patients Should Ask 29:57 Why Doulas Fill Gaps 31:58 MAID Timing Pressures 33:17 First MAID Case Lessons 35:26 Aftercare and Adrenaline 38:02 Teamwork and Pricing 40:22 Making Doula Work Sustainable 47:45 Wrap Up and Resources 48:34 Vacation and Planning Offer https://MorituriDoulaServices.com https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567692093960 Support the show Support the show financially by doing a paid monthly subscription. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2092749/support Subscribe to Seeing Death Clearly and leave a 5-star review if you are enjoying the podcast. Don’t forget to check out my free workbook Living a Better Life . jill@endoflifeclarity.com https://www.endoflifeclarity.com/end-of-life-planning to learn more about End of Life Care planning and schedule a free 30-minute call. www.endoflifeclarity.com Instagram Facebook Facebook group End of Life Clarity Circle LinkedIn TikTok

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