Seeing Death Clearly

Send us Fan Mail Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen interviews Mel Bennett, founder of Life Forest in New Hampshire, a nonprofit cemetery and public arboretum where human and pet cremated remains are buried with newly planted trees. After caring for her mother through early-onset frontal lobe dementia, Mel received her mother’s ashes in a plastic bag and box, which pushed her to crea...

Send us Fan Mail Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennen hosts Jermaine on Seeing Death Clearly to explore how talking about death can lead to more conscious living.  Jermaine shares how a conversation revealed his mother did not understand how her 401(k) connected to real choices, which led him to help her intentionally live out long-held dreams through travel before she died suddenly fr...

Send us Fan Mail Death doula and funeral celebrant Jill McClennan hosts a conversation with Joy Jolie about how repeated loss, grief, and serious illness shaped Joy’s views on dying, healing, and end-of-life planning.  Joy describes multiple breast cancer diagnoses in her family, including her own, and shares how her mother declined chemo and radiation, while her sisters faced lasting harm and, in...

Send us Fan Mail Host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, talks with Jessica LeBeau-Richman, a South Jersey pet death doula, about the often overlooked grief of losing an animal and how people can stay connected through ritual, keepsakes, and conscious goodbyes.  Jessica shares how her rescue cat Sammy led her from years of nonprofit social services into end-of-life doula work for...

Send us Fan Mail Host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, speaks with Rae Dumont, a Belgian-born pediatrician turned family therapist, about caring for chronically ill children and why connection and honest, age-appropriate truth matter as much as clinical skill. Dumont discusses her novel, “In the Shadow of Silence,” about a father’s depression and suicide and the different ways...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jill McClennen speaks with Philadelphia-area researcher and photographer Edward Snyder about abandoned and forgotten cemeteries and what they reveal about dying, grief, legacy, and conscious living. Ed explains how his interest in cemetery art grew into decades of documenting burial practices and the death care industry, including stories of cemeteries destroyed,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode my guest Cristian Cibilis Bernardes, founder and CEO of Autograph and I explore how preserving memories can become a powerful part of legacy and end-of-life planning. The conversation highlights why hearing a loved one’s voice and stories can bring comfort, healing, and deeper understanding during grief. Autograph is a platform designed to preserve people’s life st...

Send us Fan Mail End-of-life doula Joy Rodriguez talks with me about death doula work and supporting people who choose medical aid in dying. Medical aid in dying is often misunderstood and can be hard to access even where it is legal, especially when it is difficult to find participating providers. Joy shares her path from hospice volunteering in Washington to serving as a volunteer client advisor...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, a palliative care physician explains how early support and thoughtful end-of-life planning can reduce fear, ease suffering, and improve quality of life for patients and families. Dr. David Casarett, chief of Palliative Care at Duke Health, describes palliative care as whole-person support that relieves symptoms and helps people make difficult medical decisions, ev...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, for Black History Month, Jill interviews her longtime friend Rashine Curry (Rah Rah), a mother of six from Atlantic City. Rah Rah describes how poverty, racism, and systemic bias shaped her life, including incarceration, untreated mental illness, and medical neglect in prison. She shares major losses: her daughter’s father was murdered when the baby was six months...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, speaks with Marcy Shrewsbury Lopez about her extraordinary love story and journey through grief.  Marcy shares her experience being married to her husband, who was 46 years older than her, and the deep connection they shared until his death at 98 years old.  She reflects on the chall...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly , host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, is joined by Ken Biery, a seasoned funeral director and founder of the Funeral Service Collective. Ken shares his journey from military service into the funeral profession and the experiences that shaped his commitment to innovation and family-centered care. Together, they explore h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m joined by Thomas Dixon, a Philadelphia native with a powerful and deeply personal story. Thomas shares his journey from working in psychiatry research to teaching middle school in South Korea, and the life-altering shift that followed a near-fatal accident in 2010. After being hit by a car, Thomas developed epilepsy and a permanent episodic memory disability t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Seeing Death Clearly,' host Jill McClennen talks with Christian Millward, a mother of six from Idaho, about her journey with grief and spirit communication. Christian shares how the deaths of her mother and seven-week-old daughter, Indi, led her to discover her spiritual connection and create the Indie Star Cards, a tool to help people communicate wit...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Michael Williams, the founder of Memoir Studio, discusses his transition from end-of-life planning to helping people write their memoirs. They explore the therapeutic power of storytelling, especially for older adults, and how sharing personal stories can offer emotional and historical value. Michael emphasizes the importance of acknowledging life's ups and d...

Send us Fan Mail In this end-of-year episode of Seeing Death Clearly, host Jill McClennen sits down with her husband Steven to reflect on three years of podcasting. As the year 2025 closes, they discuss personal and professional highlights, stoicism, aging, and emotional experiences with death and grief. They delve into broader societal issues like elder care in the United States and the balance o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode , I welcome back Barbara Karnes to discuss the journey of transitioning from 'we' to 'me' after her husband Jack's death.  Barbara shares heartfelt stories about her early days in hospice care, highlighting the value of understanding daily responsibilities and her experiences with end-of-life preparations, emphasizing the importance of disc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of 'Seeing Death Clearly,' host Jill McClennen, a death doula and funeral celebrant, welcomes Marni Blank, a former attorney turned entrepreneur and end-of-life doula. They discuss the emotional and logistical challenges families face regarding end-of-life planning. Marni shares her personal journey, including her mother's serious accident, which hig...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, Dave Roberts talks about his journey navigating grief after the death of his daughter, Janine. Roberts, an addictions counselor and psychology professor, shares his perspectives on spirituality, the afterlife, and the different ways he and his wife coped with their loss while supporting each other. He emphasizes the importance of maintainin...

Send us Fan Mail In this special Thanksgiving episode, Jill McClennen discusses the complex emotions of gratitude and grief that many people experience during the holidays. Early in the morning, Jill felt a mix of thankfulness and sadness and realized that she was not alone in these feelings. Holidays often amplify what we're already feeling, creating a paradox of joy and sorrow, especially w...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly , Jill McClennen sits down with Tolley Casparis, a death doula from Southern California, to explore the realities of supporting people at the end of life. They discuss the emotional challenges of caregiving, the importance of community, and how conscious preparation can create healing for both the dying and their loved ones. This conversatio...

Send us Fan Mail Jonathan Foster joins the conversation to share the story behind Indigo , his book about the life and death of his daughter, Quincy. This episode explores how a parent’s grief can reshape faith, deepen compassion, and reveal new ways to heal and live consciously. It offers an honest look at love, loss, and the courage it takes to rebuild meaning after tragedy. He explains how losi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, our guest is Princella Seymour, a social worker with decades of experience in geriatrics and dementia care. Princella shares how she was called into elder care work, why early planning is essential, and what families often struggle with when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.  Together, they explore the emotional, financial, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episodeI talk with Kimberley Mead, a grief therapist who transitioned from a career in the arts at age 40. Kimberley  shares her journey into grief therapy and the development of her game, Morbid Curiosity, which has sparked transformative conversations about death. She discusses the importance of storytelling in grief therapy and how her game fosters deeper connections an...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the podcast 'Seeing Death Clearly,' host Jill McClennen talks to Jo Beth Polly about her experiences with infertility and the death of her husband from brain cancer. Jo Beth shares how these profound losses shaped her life and career in helping others navigate grief.  They discuss the isolating nature of grief, the importance of genuine support, and ho...