Meet Carol-Ann
Carol-Ann Courneya
End of Life Doula & Educator
I grew up in a small town in Ontario and my parents were best friends with the couple who owned the only funeral home in the town. As they lived in an apartment above the funeral home, and we were there with my parents off and on, I had no fear of the funeral home. In addition, since my parents were Catholic I attended many funerals of relatives and older townsfolk. All this to say, I grew up with a healthy, positive attitude towards death as a natural part of the life cycle.
I retired in 2023 from a wonderful teaching career in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. During the latter stages of my career I became drawn to the work done by my clinical colleagues in Palliative Care. I knew I wanted to have a non-clinical role in this area, so I completed my End of Life Doula training through Douglas College. It is in this practice I feel I can offer my strongest attributes: compassion, generous-listening skills, a deep desire to serve the community. I feel that the EOL Doula role is a perfect fit for who I have become.
I live under a canopy of red cedar trees on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia along with my husband. We spend most of our free time in the forest or in the ocean. My goal is to help you live well, while at the same time plan thoughtfully. I have found that for the most part these conversations are surprisingly uplifting. To use a metaphor from the natural world… you will choose the trail and we will walk along it together.
Experience
My teaching career in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC provided me with daily opportunities to meet and interact with students. Initially this was in a lecture or small group learning capacity. In the final decade of my career I transitioned to what was known as the Office of Student Affairs. In this role I spent hundreds of hours as an empathetic listener when students came to our office in distress. The issues they needed to discuss were emotional, raw, and they were often in a very vulnerable state. I was never more present and alive during my career as I was in this role. It was during this time I recognized the value of generous listening.
In 2019, I completed my training as an End of Life Doula and am now a fully accredited member of the End of Life Doula Association of Canada.
In 2020, I began my transition to the Sunshine Coast and underwent Orientation training to become a Sunshine Coast Hospice Volunteer. In this capacity I have done Advanced Care Planning, Companioning and Vigil work. The one-on-one interactions with Hospice clients brings me the most joy.
In 2023, I became certified as a Willow End of Life Educator™. This role combines my interest in end-of-life conversations with my passion as an educator. I offer educational group workshops on Advanced Care Planning, Legacy Work, and most recently, Navigating MAID.
“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
― Kahlil Gibran, artist and poet