Her Story
About Shanice
I got into death doula work because of losing people I loved and not knowing how to deal with it. I wanted to be better prepared for those hard moments and to be a better source for other people when they're going through these things. I've had friends who've lost loved ones, and I didn't know what to say or do, and I just wanted to be better prepared. Losing someone really pulls my heartstrings. The specific moment that inspired me to become a death doula was after my mother-in-law passed away. I kept having this dream where she was saying 'no one came to get me, no one came to get me,' and it stressed me out so bad. I lit a white candle with the intention that someone would come help her, and after the candle burned out, I had another dream where she said 'they came and got me, I'm okay now.' That experience made me realize that if I could help people on that side just by being myself on this side, how much more could I help people who are still here and who are about to transition. I work independently with people in the community and nursing homes, taking on one client at a time and working by word of mouth. All of my death doula services are free, which is different from most death doulas who charge for their services. Full-time, I work as a life insurance specialist because I realized my methodology involves working with the living to help better prepare them for death as a preventative measure. I want to better understand life insurance, wills, living wills, do not resuscitates, and palliative care so I can be a better death doula. My most notable achievement has been learning end-of-life Reiki, which helps make the transition more peaceful when someone's body is ready to go but their soul or spirit isn't. I'm finishing my Master's in Consciousness and Human Potential from Maharishi International University, and I'm planning to pursue additional certification in grief work after I graduate.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shanice
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the fact that I am supported by my higher power and that I'm a hard worker. I think that whenever it comes to life, we have to meet our higher power halfway. That's not saying that our higher power doesn't have the ability to do whatever they want to, but you have to do your part. You can sit and wallow, or you can get up and take action, and throughout the course of it, you're going to get some kind of intervention. It's like the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I honestly would say the best career advice I received was the career advice I gave myself, which was trust yourself. Because I kept getting career advice that didn't resonate with me, and it left me confused. The moment I said, I'm going to trust myself, things just started to fall into alignment.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be sensitive. Don't ever, ever lose your sensitivity or your whimsy, because you need those to keep going. You never want to be out of touch with the person you're helping. You never want to ever, ever, ever go through the motions. It's never something that you go through the motions with. It's not a desk job. You have to be present at all times.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My biggest challenge right now is a lack of awareness. I am the only death doula in my region. The closest one to me is about an hour and 45 minutes away, and I'm not even sure if she's still active. I think it's a lack of awareness, because people don't know that death doulas are available to help them. And then also, because of that lack of awareness, there are death doulas out there right now in my city who don't even realize the work that they're called to, because they don't know that it exists.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My morals are most important to me. I never want to compromise my morals or my ethics. I think that's very important when you're dealing with people at the end of their lives and when they're trying to purchase life insurance. Those are two of the most delicate and vulnerable times that you can have with someone, and I think it's very important to be a good person.
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