~Michelle Kolling~

Life changes in an instant. That instant came for me in November of 2010 when a large tumor was discovered in my partner’s abdomen. The next 85 days were a blur of doctors, hospitalizations, medications, anxiety and hope for one more day. It was also 85 days of small miracles, unexpected beauty, deep love and the opening of a new realm never before experienced. Such is the dichotomy of the human experience.

The years since my husband’s death have been a time of great discovery and transformation. In looking for a way to heal from my loss, I made a study of grief, death and dying, and in so doing the gifts of living were revealed. We are the creators in our own lives, and we can create the life we want until our last breath.

I started volunteering with hospice in the Spring of 2019, and in September 2019 completed formal End of Life Doula training with INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association). In addition, I have earned a Proficiency Badge from NEDA (National End of Life Doula Alliance). I am a member of both organizations, and I serve as Secretary for the Minnesota Death Collaborative. In addition, I am Certified through IntraAwareness as a Life Coach, Leadership and Communication Coach, ONLP Practitioner and Hypnotherapist, and a Certified Grief Educator through David Kessler Training.

In my experiences accompanying the dying, I came to realize that I already knew how to do this work; we all do if we can open ourselves to it. The formal training I have received has given me tools and resources to help in the practice of being a doula, as well as a community of like-minded, like-hearted people who are also committed to this work.

In the words of Ram Dass, “we are all just walking each other home.”

I look forward to walking with you.