Full Circle of Living and Dying
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    • Board of Directors >
      • Akhila Murphy, Founding Director, End-of-Life Doula, Death Care Midwife
      • Mary Good, End-of-Life Doula, Secretary of the Board
      • Jan Windz, NP PhD VP
      • Julie Bottini, Treasurer
      • Vivian Hodges, End-of-life doula, Reiki Practitioner
      • Rosie Mariani, Board Treasurer
      • Amanda Kenney, Death-Care Midwife, Board Director
      • Mary Jo Curtin, Board Director
    • FCLD Core Circle Volunteer Team >
      • Carolyn Seyler, Co-Chair President
      • Nancy Jacobsen, Treasurer
      • Sushila Mertens, End-of-Life Doula >
        • Spotlight Sushila Mertens
      • Bonnie McKeegan, LCSW, Past Vice President Board Director
      • Nancy Parraz, Death Care Midwife
      • Martha Turner, Midwifery, Past President
      • Linda More, End-of-Life Doula, Past Board Director
      • Donna Peizer, Past Treasurer
      • Nandi Szabo, Co-Founder
      • Rebecca Sengolu
    • Advocates for end-of-life choices and death-care rights
    • FAQ
    • What is an End-of-Life Doula or Death Midwife?
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      • Cuddle Cot 2021
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    • Our Education >
      • Our Final Passages Death Midwifery Training
      • Home Funeral Article by Jerrigrace Lyons
  • Home-based Funerals
    • Know your rights. Home death care is legal.
    • In-Home Death Care >
      • Sacred Death Care
    • Home Death Care in California Consumer Guide
    • What is "Lying in Honor?"
    • CALIFORNIA DEATH CERTIFICATE Instructions
    • Tattoo Preservation after Death
    • Symbolism of our LOGO
    • Donate Here
    • Pet Funeral >
      • Pet Euthanasia in the Home
    • Death Certificate Worksheet
    • Video: A Conversation about After Death Care
  • End-of-Life & Death Care Options
    • End-of-Life Care Options
    • Advance Directives, Dementia, Covid-19, Five Wishes
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    • California End of Life Option Act (MAID)
    • Video Options for End-of-Life
    • End-of-Life Doula
    • Crime scene & death cleanup
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss >
      • Support group: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
      • Cuddle Cot 2021
    • VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking >
      • VSED: Resources/Links
    • Sacred Bridges, Local End-of-Life Caregivers
    • Remembrances
    • Contributions
  • Green Burial
    • History of Natural Green Burial, Cherokee Cemetery, Nevada County >
      • Green Burial Video from GBC
    • Exploring Cemeteries
    • Natural Organic Reduction -Composting Human Remains
    • Natural Organic Reduction Amigo Bob's story
    • Rules for Scattering Ashes
    • Find A Grave (website)
    • Aquamation: Water Cremation >
      • Desmond Tutu: Aquamation
    • Cremation- Not so Environmentally Friendly!
  • Events & News
    • FCLD Newsletters Archive & Subscribe
    • Morning Altar April 2025
    • Legacy Letters Workshop March 2, 2025
    • Death Over Drafts Monthly, stay tuned!
    • Article: We Won our Lawsuit! 2024
    • June 26, 2024: Death Cafe March 27, 2024
    • The Art of Saying Good-bye April 27,2024: Pre-REGISTER Here
    • Upcoming Jun 2, Workshop "After the Last Breath"
    • Past Zoom Death Conversations Mar. 21, 2024
    • Past Class at Sierra College Feb. 21, 2024
    • Past November 19, 2023 Senior Nesting Options
    • Past Event October 19, 2023 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
    • Past Event -September 24, 2023 Event: End-of-LIfe and After-death Care
    • PAST EVENT Sept. 12, 2023 : Natural Organic Reduction - Register
    • PAST EVENT Aug. 27, 2023 MAID & VSED Explained
    • 2023 News >
      • California EOL Doula Lawsuit/Institute for Justice >
        • Death Doulas C&C Article Nov. 2021
        • California Death Doulas Fight
        • LA TIMES Article about Lawsuit Aug. 2022
        • PODCAST and links -Lawsuit EOL Doulas vs CA State Funeral Bureau
        • Article: Death Doula Lawsuit Dec. 2021
    • Past presentations June 6, 2023 Educational Series: AS YOU WISH: Creating a Beautiful End-of-Life
    • Past Presentation, Dementia Directives
    • Past Workshop: In-Home After-death Care April 30, 2023
    • Past event May 18, 2023 Death Conversations Event
    • Past Educational Series March, 2023: AS YOU WISH: Creating a Beautiful End-of-Life
    • Past event Aquamation Presentation Jan. 18, 2023 link to recording
    • 2022 Past Events >
      • Article: Pregnancy Loss Conversations Feb, 2022
      • Past Film Event: Jack Has a Plan Aug. 2022
      • Past Event June 24, 2022 Presentation Organ and Tissue donation
      • Past Event Apr. 28, 2022 After-death Care presentation
      • PAST March 26, 2022 Cemetery Field Trip
      • Past Event March 17, 2022 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
      • Past Event Jan 20, 2022 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
    • PAST EVENTS 2021 >
      • Review: 2021 City of Hope, End:0f-Life Symposium December
      • Presentation Dec. 9th : "There's No Place Like Home." Home funeral Basics
      • Past Event: Nov. 2021- Medical Aid-in-Dying Update
      • Past Event: Natural Organic Reduction - Register
      • Past Events 2021 : June 18 -Field trip to Cherokee Cemetery
    • Newsletters
    • KVMR Podcasts: Featuring End-of-LIfe Doulas
    • PUBLISHED ARTICLES >
      • Article from The Order of the Good Death
      • Article: California's End-of-LIfe Option Act
      • Article Amigo Bob -Natural Organic Reduction Human Composting
      • April 2020 Ventilators in times of COVID-19
      • Union Article Caring Cradle Sept 2019
      • Giving Back After Tragedy, September 2019 The Union
      • Article The Union May 2019 New nonprofit
      • Article The Union August 2019 HBO Documentary
      • Choosing When to Die
      • Home Funeral Visitation
    • PAST EVENTS 2019/20 >
      • Past Event Oct 7 & 8, 2020 Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss
      • Death & Grieving around Corona Virus March 26, 2020
      • Past Event: Jan 26, 2020 Your Life, Your Choice, Your Plan
      • End-of-Life Doula Training with Inspired Endings - Oct 2019
      • June 9, 2019 Short Film & Death Conversation
      • Mar, Apr, May 2019
      • SEPT 2019 EVENT: Advance Directives + Dementia Directive
    • 2018 Past Events >
      • A Matter of Life & Death: Workshop Series Sept. 22, 2018
      • Nandi's Cancer Support Group September-October 2018
      • Past Events: 2018
      • Event May 20, 2018- Creating a Death Care Plan: Exploring Unconventional Options
      • Event: July 22, 2018 Death Cafe
    • 2017 PAST Events: August 27th -Understanding California's End-of-LIfe Option Act >
      • Deathwalker Training with Zenith Virago Sept 2017
      • Past Event: Film screening: Zen & the Art of Dying August 13, 2017
      • PAST Event: Film screening: Zen and the Art of Dying June 11, 2017
      • Past Event: Death Salon, A Gathering of Community to Discuss Death -MAR 26
      • Past Event - Exploring After Death Options: What Happens to our Bodily Remains? Feb 19, 2017 2-4pm
      • Going Out Green: Learn about Eco-friendly Home Funerals and Green Burial Cemetery JAN. 8, 2017
      • International Death Doula Training 2017
    • 2016 Events Planning Your Own Send-off May 1, 2016 >
      • Stephen Jenkinson Comes to NC March 14, 2016
      • Education, Presentations, Death Cafe
      • Event: Sunday Aug 28 2-4pm Home Funerals & Green Burial
    • EARLY YEARS 2013-2015 EVENTS
  • Resources
    • Bereavement Support in Nevada County
    • Links and Resources
    • Advance Directives, Dementia, Covid-19, Five Wishes
    • Write a Good-bye Letter
    • LEGACY VIDEO Options for End-of-Life
    • MAiD/California End of Life Option Act + Update SB 380 >
      • Links for California's End-of-Life Option Act
    • Bereavement Support in Nevada County
    • Hospice of the Foothills, Nevada County
    • Senior Outreach Services, Nevada County
    • One Source Empowering Caregivers
    • American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying >
      • ACAMAID: Mixing medications
    • What is an Irish Wake?
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss >
      • Cuddle Cot 2021
      • Union Article Caring Cradle 2019
    • Support group: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
    • End-of-Life Plan of Care
    • Pharmacy, Compounding
    • Body / Organ Donation
    • Threshold Choir
    • 5 Regrets of the Dying
    • People in the Death Trade & Training
    • Holding Space
  • FAQ
  • Help after Suicide death
  • Companions for Pregnancy Loss
    • Cuddle Cot 2021
  • Death Related YouTube
  • Beauty of EOL Study
  • Bardo, Buddhism and the Art of Dying
  • Accomplishments
  • Remembrance donation
  • Kids Sit Vigil with their Granny
  • Sharon's End-of-life days
  • Nearing Death Awareness
  • After-Death Care of my Mom by Akhiila Murphy
  • Archive Video FCLD Collective
  • A Remembrance Gathering for Mom?
  • Marina Bokelman Legacy
  • EOL Doulas fight for Rights
  • Rites and Rights, EOL Doulas 2024 Article
  • VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking
  • Creating a Caring Circle Community
  • Altar Show 2023 Sushila Mertens
  • Event: The Art of Saying Goodbye
  • Taphophilia: Fascination with Cemeteries & Tombstones
  • At the Threshold: Dying & Beyond
  • Blog
  • Poems
  • Bereavement Support in Nevada County
Health and Wellness  |  Health    News
From Public News Service
Why you can trust Public News Service

“Death Doulas” Fight for Right to Serve Families
​

Suzanne Potter, Producer
Tuesday, December 14, 2021   
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A case which could put so-called "death doulas" out of business gets a hearing this week before a federal judge in Sacramento.

Death doulas support families emotionally through the process of losing a loved one, educate people on their options and sometimes wash and dress the body and assist with home funerals or green burials. The state wants to require them to get a funeral director's license.

Jess Pezley, staff attorney for the nonprofit Compassion and Choices, which has filed an amicus brief to join the case, said the license would require doulas to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a funeral home equipped to embalm and store bodies.

"They don't embalm. They aren't transporting the body. They aren't offering crematorium services," Pezley outlined. "And they're not doing anything that would put themselves or others at risk of blood-borne viruses, things like that."

Two years ago, the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau ordered the doulas at Full Circle of Living and Dying in Nevada County to become licensed funeral directors or cease operations. The doulas sued, and a preliminary injunction allowed them to stay in business. The bureau declined to comment.

Pezley noted the state's order was spurred by an anonymous complaint.

"It would make sense that it was somebody in the conventional funeral industry who has this vested financial interest in dissuading people from home burials or green burials," Pezley contended.

Meagan Williams, a death doula and senior media associate with Compassion and Choices, said if the doulas are required to become funeral directors, it would effectively shut down the field and deny families an important option.

"Doulas can bring comfort and peace," Williams stated. "Knowing that they're not alone, knowing that there's somebody who is educated who understands the process, understands what's coming up ahead of them, and can help them plan."

This week both sides are asking for a summary judgment, and a decision is expected early next year.


Disclosure: Compassion and Choices contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Health Issues, Senior Issues, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.

 
References:  
Lawsuit Compassion and Choices 11/19/2021
Amicus brief Compassion and Choices 11/19/2021
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  • Home
    • Donate Here
  • About us/Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Testimonials
    • Board of Directors >
      • Akhila Murphy, Founding Director, End-of-Life Doula, Death Care Midwife
      • Mary Good, End-of-Life Doula, Secretary of the Board
      • Jan Windz, NP PhD VP
      • Julie Bottini, Treasurer
      • Vivian Hodges, End-of-life doula, Reiki Practitioner
      • Rosie Mariani, Board Treasurer
      • Amanda Kenney, Death-Care Midwife, Board Director
      • Mary Jo Curtin, Board Director
    • FCLD Core Circle Volunteer Team >
      • Carolyn Seyler, Co-Chair President
      • Nancy Jacobsen, Treasurer
      • Sushila Mertens, End-of-Life Doula >
        • Spotlight Sushila Mertens
      • Bonnie McKeegan, LCSW, Past Vice President Board Director
      • Nancy Parraz, Death Care Midwife
      • Martha Turner, Midwifery, Past President
      • Linda More, End-of-Life Doula, Past Board Director
      • Donna Peizer, Past Treasurer
      • Nandi Szabo, Co-Founder
      • Rebecca Sengolu
    • Advocates for end-of-life choices and death-care rights
    • FAQ
    • What is an End-of-Life Doula or Death Midwife?
    • Sign up for Newsletter/send email
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss >
      • Cuddle Cot 2021
      • Support group: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
    • Gallery
    • Donate Here
    • JOIN OUR TEAM
    • Our Education >
      • Our Final Passages Death Midwifery Training
      • Home Funeral Article by Jerrigrace Lyons
  • Home-based Funerals
    • Know your rights. Home death care is legal.
    • In-Home Death Care >
      • Sacred Death Care
    • Home Death Care in California Consumer Guide
    • What is "Lying in Honor?"
    • CALIFORNIA DEATH CERTIFICATE Instructions
    • Tattoo Preservation after Death
    • Symbolism of our LOGO
    • Donate Here
    • Pet Funeral >
      • Pet Euthanasia in the Home
    • Death Certificate Worksheet
    • Video: A Conversation about After Death Care
  • End-of-Life & Death Care Options
    • End-of-Life Care Options
    • Advance Directives, Dementia, Covid-19, Five Wishes
    • Resources for Medical Aid in Dying support
    • California End of Life Option Act (MAID)
    • Video Options for End-of-Life
    • End-of-Life Doula
    • Crime scene & death cleanup
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss >
      • Support group: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
      • Cuddle Cot 2021
    • VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking >
      • VSED: Resources/Links
    • Sacred Bridges, Local End-of-Life Caregivers
    • Remembrances
    • Contributions
  • Green Burial
    • History of Natural Green Burial, Cherokee Cemetery, Nevada County >
      • Green Burial Video from GBC
    • Exploring Cemeteries
    • Natural Organic Reduction -Composting Human Remains
    • Natural Organic Reduction Amigo Bob's story
    • Rules for Scattering Ashes
    • Find A Grave (website)
    • Aquamation: Water Cremation >
      • Desmond Tutu: Aquamation
    • Cremation- Not so Environmentally Friendly!
  • Events & News
    • FCLD Newsletters Archive & Subscribe
    • Morning Altar April 2025
    • Legacy Letters Workshop March 2, 2025
    • Death Over Drafts Monthly, stay tuned!
    • Article: We Won our Lawsuit! 2024
    • June 26, 2024: Death Cafe March 27, 2024
    • The Art of Saying Good-bye April 27,2024: Pre-REGISTER Here
    • Upcoming Jun 2, Workshop "After the Last Breath"
    • Past Zoom Death Conversations Mar. 21, 2024
    • Past Class at Sierra College Feb. 21, 2024
    • Past November 19, 2023 Senior Nesting Options
    • Past Event October 19, 2023 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
    • Past Event -September 24, 2023 Event: End-of-LIfe and After-death Care
    • PAST EVENT Sept. 12, 2023 : Natural Organic Reduction - Register
    • PAST EVENT Aug. 27, 2023 MAID & VSED Explained
    • 2023 News >
      • California EOL Doula Lawsuit/Institute for Justice >
        • Death Doulas C&C Article Nov. 2021
        • California Death Doulas Fight
        • LA TIMES Article about Lawsuit Aug. 2022
        • PODCAST and links -Lawsuit EOL Doulas vs CA State Funeral Bureau
        • Article: Death Doula Lawsuit Dec. 2021
    • Past presentations June 6, 2023 Educational Series: AS YOU WISH: Creating a Beautiful End-of-Life
    • Past Presentation, Dementia Directives
    • Past Workshop: In-Home After-death Care April 30, 2023
    • Past event May 18, 2023 Death Conversations Event
    • Past Educational Series March, 2023: AS YOU WISH: Creating a Beautiful End-of-Life
    • Past event Aquamation Presentation Jan. 18, 2023 link to recording
    • 2022 Past Events >
      • Article: Pregnancy Loss Conversations Feb, 2022
      • Past Film Event: Jack Has a Plan Aug. 2022
      • Past Event June 24, 2022 Presentation Organ and Tissue donation
      • Past Event Apr. 28, 2022 After-death Care presentation
      • PAST March 26, 2022 Cemetery Field Trip
      • Past Event March 17, 2022 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
      • Past Event Jan 20, 2022 Death Conversations- Breaking the silence
    • PAST EVENTS 2021 >
      • Review: 2021 City of Hope, End:0f-Life Symposium December
      • Presentation Dec. 9th : "There's No Place Like Home." Home funeral Basics
      • Past Event: Nov. 2021- Medical Aid-in-Dying Update
      • Past Event: Natural Organic Reduction - Register
      • Past Events 2021 : June 18 -Field trip to Cherokee Cemetery
    • Newsletters
    • KVMR Podcasts: Featuring End-of-LIfe Doulas
    • PUBLISHED ARTICLES >
      • Article from The Order of the Good Death
      • Article: California's End-of-LIfe Option Act
      • Article Amigo Bob -Natural Organic Reduction Human Composting
      • April 2020 Ventilators in times of COVID-19
      • Union Article Caring Cradle Sept 2019
      • Giving Back After Tragedy, September 2019 The Union
      • Article The Union May 2019 New nonprofit
      • Article The Union August 2019 HBO Documentary
      • Choosing When to Die
      • Home Funeral Visitation
    • PAST EVENTS 2019/20 >
      • Past Event Oct 7 & 8, 2020 Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss
      • Death & Grieving around Corona Virus March 26, 2020
      • Past Event: Jan 26, 2020 Your Life, Your Choice, Your Plan
      • End-of-Life Doula Training with Inspired Endings - Oct 2019
      • June 9, 2019 Short Film & Death Conversation
      • Mar, Apr, May 2019
      • SEPT 2019 EVENT: Advance Directives + Dementia Directive
    • 2018 Past Events >
      • A Matter of Life & Death: Workshop Series Sept. 22, 2018
      • Nandi's Cancer Support Group September-October 2018
      • Past Events: 2018
      • Event May 20, 2018- Creating a Death Care Plan: Exploring Unconventional Options
      • Event: July 22, 2018 Death Cafe
    • 2017 PAST Events: August 27th -Understanding California's End-of-LIfe Option Act >
      • Deathwalker Training with Zenith Virago Sept 2017
      • Past Event: Film screening: Zen & the Art of Dying August 13, 2017
      • PAST Event: Film screening: Zen and the Art of Dying June 11, 2017
      • Past Event: Death Salon, A Gathering of Community to Discuss Death -MAR 26
      • Past Event - Exploring After Death Options: What Happens to our Bodily Remains? Feb 19, 2017 2-4pm
      • Going Out Green: Learn about Eco-friendly Home Funerals and Green Burial Cemetery JAN. 8, 2017
      • International Death Doula Training 2017
    • 2016 Events Planning Your Own Send-off May 1, 2016 >
      • Stephen Jenkinson Comes to NC March 14, 2016
      • Education, Presentations, Death Cafe
      • Event: Sunday Aug 28 2-4pm Home Funerals & Green Burial
    • EARLY YEARS 2013-2015 EVENTS
  • Resources
    • Bereavement Support in Nevada County
    • Links and Resources
    • Advance Directives, Dementia, Covid-19, Five Wishes
    • Write a Good-bye Letter
    • LEGACY VIDEO Options for End-of-Life
    • MAiD/California End of Life Option Act + Update SB 380 >
      • Links for California's End-of-Life Option Act
    • Bereavement Support in Nevada County
    • Hospice of the Foothills, Nevada County
    • Senior Outreach Services, Nevada County
    • One Source Empowering Caregivers
    • American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying >
      • ACAMAID: Mixing medications
    • What is an Irish Wake?
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss >
      • Cuddle Cot 2021
      • Union Article Caring Cradle 2019
    • Support group: Pregnancy and Infant Loss
    • End-of-Life Plan of Care
    • Pharmacy, Compounding
    • Body / Organ Donation
    • Threshold Choir
    • 5 Regrets of the Dying
    • People in the Death Trade & Training
    • Holding Space
  • FAQ
  • Help after Suicide death
  • Companions for Pregnancy Loss
    • Cuddle Cot 2021
  • Death Related YouTube
  • Beauty of EOL Study
  • Bardo, Buddhism and the Art of Dying
  • Accomplishments
  • Remembrance donation
  • Kids Sit Vigil with their Granny
  • Sharon's End-of-life days
  • Nearing Death Awareness
  • After-Death Care of my Mom by Akhiila Murphy
  • Archive Video FCLD Collective
  • A Remembrance Gathering for Mom?
  • Marina Bokelman Legacy
  • EOL Doulas fight for Rights
  • Rites and Rights, EOL Doulas 2024 Article
  • VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking
  • Creating a Caring Circle Community
  • Altar Show 2023 Sushila Mertens
  • Event: The Art of Saying Goodbye
  • Taphophilia: Fascination with Cemeteries & Tombstones
  • At the Threshold: Dying & Beyond
  • Blog
  • Poems
  • Bereavement Support in Nevada County