Our culture has turned as far away from death as possible leading to denial which leads to a lack of knowledge to be prepared and at choice with our dying process. Our fear of death has caused us to be at the mercy of the medical system and our loved ones to make the decisions for us about how we die. This removal leads to much suffering for both the dying and those that love them. Bones and Breath Chaplaincy believes that if we meet death as a companion to serve our life, we may have more space to consider our wishes and dreams when it comes to the last chapter. What a sacred and precious gift that could be to end this journey in comfort and peace, awareness and empowerment.

Bones and Breath Chaplaincy offers end-of-life support to companion and care for all the parts of the death and dying journey so that you can live to the end with dignity and aligned with your core values. We can help you facilitate the hard conversations with your family and loved ones and support you to have all the resources you need to be comfortable. We are here to help you hold discernment along the journey from initial diagnosis to palliative care to hospice and in the death itself. We assist in your the tough choices such as whether to pursue Medical Aid in Dying or VSED.

This support can come at a time when:

• You may be someone that does not have many loved ones nearby, and you need accompaniment on the journey with someone that can hold you and be with you exactly where you are.  
• You are contemplating death whether or not you have a known diagnosis or illness you are confronting
• You might know that your end is near and you need to process the grief and loss, to get help moving through stages towards acceptance. 
• You may wish to explore, clarify and write out your end of life wishes, examine your fears, explore your legacy and honor your life with review and conscious reflection.  
• You may be full of existential questions, loss of faith, reclamation of faith or a desire to find a spiritual path to hold you at this threshold.
• You are a caregiver and you need support as you tend to your loved ones, or if you are anywhere along the phases of grief and loss for someone in your life.

Accompaniment on the Journey to Final Passage

These offerings may be tailored to the needs of the patient and family and payment to be discussed based on the needs, time frame and specific circumstances.

End of Life Planning Package: $555-$1,100

• Advanced Healthcare Directive
• Living Ethical Will support
• Final Disposition arrangements
• Celebration of Life/Memorial planning & facilitating

Hospicing Death and Beyond Package: $1,800-$3,300

• Legacy Work and Life Review
• Death Choices and Decisions including MAID and VSED
• Emotional and Spiritual Counsel
• Respite Care for Caregivers and Families
• Guidance for family, friends and beloveds
• Bedside Vigil
• Closure rituals and rites tailored to your faith tradition
• Assistance with “after-death” care and/or home funeral vigil

** Both in person within the Greater Bay Area and virtual support options **

Good Grief

Let your heart break. So your spirit doesn’t. -Andrea Gibson

Whether it’s a personal loss or grief on a collective scale, there is no person untouched by this wild ride of an experience called GRIEF. One thing is certain- we cannot and must not grief alone. We can and will get through the feelings that are a rollercoaster of emotions and sensations in our body when we can allow the support and loving care of our human and more than human world.

This is why Bones and Breath has chosen to partner with Beyond Liberty and Pregnant Mare Rescue to offer 1-1 grief counseling sessions and grief support circles with the support of the land, horses and one another. Nature is such a balm in times of pain and it offers up a way to ease the load we carry, compost what no longer serves us and remind us of our loved ones in our awe-filled magical world.

The horses at these places are at liberty and come to be with us when we are authentically ourselves and present with our feelings. They come to be with us and help us ground, open our hearts and drop deeper into our bodies to tap into the expansiveness of being alive as we are in the space of all that ails us.

1-1 Grief Counseling Sessions: $100/hour

Schedule a Grief Counseling Session with the Horses Here

---

Grief Group Circles: Donation-based

---

Queer Grief Group at The Diversity Center, Santa Cruz, CA- Donation-based

** If finances will inhibit you from receiving support, please reach out and we can find something that feels sustainable **