Thanatological Consultations
Thanatological Consultations
Expert Guidance Through Thanatology
Thanatology—the study of death, dying, grief, and loss—intersects with nearly every field, and every lived experience. Whether you're a licensed professional, a creative being, a public figure, or an individual navigating loss and looking for a new way to look at, understanding your work, project, or experience from a thanatological perspective can transform you.
Thanatological consultations are one-on-one, non-clinical sessions that offer clear insight and grounded guidance rooted in the academic and applied field of thanatology. These are not therapy sessions and do not include diagnosis, assessment, or treatment. Instead, they provide high-level, research-informed support for those moving through something significant.
Creatives, Artists, anD WRITERS
If you’re creating work that touches death, grief, or loss—a book, film, TV series, musical composition, or fine art—and you want it to be emotionally accurate, ethically grounded, or simply more real, I can help.
These sessions are ideal for:
Writers, producers, and screenwriting teams
Musicians, composers, and visual artists
Publishers, editors, and directors
We begin with you telling me about your project, what you're wrestling with, and why you reached out. We meet via Zoom (or occasionally in person if near Los Angeles), talk it through, and I follow up with insight, direction, and resources. This is subject-matter expertise delivered with warmth, discretion, and a deep understanding of grief's emotional terrain and the texture of loss.
Public Figures & Professionals Seeking Insight
Loss changes you. And when your life happens in public—as an artist, performer, activist, or leader—it can be even harder to process privately. These sessions are for those carrying invisible weight or facing personal grief while managing high visibility.
If you're:
A musician, actor, creator, or influencer navigating loss
A political, corporate, or public figure seeking clarity on a grief-related decision or experience
In need of subject-matter guidance or a private sounding board rooted in expertise
These consultations offer confidential, deeply private conversations where your story is heard and held with care. I offer perspective informed by my 15+ years of experience across deathcare, end-of-life, spiritual care, grief, media, education, and cultural commentary. These sessions help you reconnect with meaning, direction, and self—outside of the spotlight.
Career Seekers AND Path Shifters
You're already working in a field like social work, funeral service, education, healthcare, or coaching—and then you discover the word "thanatology" or hear about becoming a death doula. You want to know what it is, whether it's right for you, and how to thoughtfully integrate it into your work or career path.
In these sessions, I:
Learn about your background, what is and isn’t working for you professionally, and what you envision next
Help you discern whether pursuing thanatology is the right move (and sometimes recommend not pursuing it)
Offer recommendations and steps tailored to your strengths and situation
Follow up with a personalized summary email
These are clarifying, strategic conversations rooted in experience and honesty. They are particularly helpful if you're feeling drawn to end-of-life or grief work and want expert insight before making a major shift.
What This Is (and What This Is Not)
I am not a grief counselor or grief therapist, and I do not provide clinical grief support. My work is non-clinical and does not include assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Thanatological consultations are rooted in research, grounded in experience, and offered as meaningful, insight-driven conversations that help you move through life’s most difficult and transformative moments.
Case Study:
MoMA
When the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) sought to deepen the public's engagement with themes of grief and remembrance, they hired me to contribute to what became several key projects. As a subject-matter expert, I was honored to provide interpretive commentary for adults and children on Georg Kolbe's sculpture Grief, helping reframe how audiences of all ages might encounter sorrow and mourning in visual form. My interpretation was featured as part of MoMA's official audio tour, broadening access to emotional context and historical relevance beyond the visual alone.
In their Coursera course Artful Practices for Well-Being, I served as an expert voice, guiding learners through an exploration of grief in art. Through this collaboration, I helped link emotional intelligence, death awareness, and cultural reflection in a format that was accessible, insightful, and rooted in rigorous scholarship. Additionally, I contributed to a published MoMA Magazine piece exploring grief across the collection—offering language and perspective that allowed both institutional curators and everyday visitors to engage with grief more fully and meaningfully.
Consulting with a thanatologist offered MoMA something unique: a lens that honored the emotional weight of the subject while expanding interpretive depth. By weaving thanatological insight into curatorial practice, public programming, and digital learning, our collaboration brought a new kind of attentiveness to how grief lives within art—and how audiences might see themselves reflected in it.
What’s a way I can deepen my songwriting by exploring themes of loss and remembrance? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can create art that honors grief without being cliché? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can develop a character who is grieving in a more authentic way? Ask a thanatologist.
What if my depiction of a story about loss might be offensive to another culture? Ask a thanatologist.
How can I adapt my career into one that works more with loss and grief? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can write about loss without retraumatizing myself or my audience? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can bring more emotional depth to my performance by understanding grief? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can use music to help people process loss in a meaningful way? Ask a thanatologist.
Aside from working with a grief counselor, what’s another way of looking at my loss and grief? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can create a film or stage production that engages with grief responsibly? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can write a novel that portrays grief in a way that resonates? Ask a thanatologist.
What’s a way I can design a museum exhibit with better grief and loss sensitivity? Ask a thanatologist.
What should I do with my grief behind the scenes, while I still have to live life in the public eye? Ask a thanatologist.
How do I share my loss and my grief with the world? Ask a thanatologist.
What are small ways our company can provide better bereavement support to our employees? Ask a thanatologist.
How can our marketing and social media strategy include and embrace loss rather than avoid it? Ask a thanatologist.
If any of these questions echo something you’ve been carrying, a thanatological consultation may be exactly what you need. This is a space for reflection, inquiry, and deepening—with someone who can walk with you into these themes and return with meaning.
Why Work With Me
I’m a triple-credentialed thanatologist whose work has been featured in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Netflix, MoMA, RadioLab, Ologies, and on the cover of American Funeral Director Magazine. I have taught mortuary students, led courses for the largest international deathcare association, and served as board president of a historic cemetery. I’m a clinically trained chaplain and teach people in more than 30 countries about death, dying, grief, and loss. My consulting spans family-run funeral homes, multinational companies, creative professionals, and everyday people seeking clarity after loss.
For more than 15 years, I’ve helped individuals and institutions navigate death, grief, and transition with integrity and meaning. I’ve also navigated traumatic personal loss behind-the-scenes, and lived to tell the tale. Whether you’re a writer exploring grief in your next novel, a CEO handling organizational loss, or someone simply trying to figure out what to do next, I bring both expertise and compassion to the conversation.
Book a Session.
Every session includes:
Pre-session review of your background, project, or grief experience
60-minute private consultation via Zoom
Follow-up email with insight, resources, and recommendations
Confidentiality
Investment
Starting at $450 (custom pricing available for larger or ongoing work)
In Person meeting available at your location for additional travel fee.