Stars Beyond
Our Skin
End of Life Companionship & Community Education
Welcome
I'm Melissa – a companion, guide, and resource to support you and your loved ones in matters of end of life.
Conversations, Education & Community Collaboration
As an end of life companion & doula (meaning to serve), I offer a complementary partnership alongside family, friends, and other professional caregivers. It's a non- medical, but multifaceted role that includes help with practicalities and emphasizes emotional, spiritual, holistic support. I provide counseling and education empowering people to imagine a meaningful rite of passage for these experiences that touch us all.
This important work of preparation for death can begin at any time. I believe that the end of life deserves the same attention, respect, and honoring as all other sacred chapters and life celebrations.
Blessed be the ones who stay with the dying.
My services
All services are available in person and or through virtual support
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Deep listening
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Companionship
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End of life pre-planning
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Advocacy
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Bridging gaps in health care
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Tools for death anxiety
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Resources and education
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Legacy work/creative inspiration
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Life review
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Errands/community collaboration
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Support for loved ones and children
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Grief care
Complimentary Consultation
Please reach out today for a complimentary consultation.
Call, text or WhatsApp: 083 8872281
I don't put a price on my services or time but gratefully accept donations.
Melissa Murphy
Portrait photography: Kait Husmann
My Story
For as long as I can remember, I've been drawn to intimate spaces and conversations around death and dying. As a teen, I leapt at the chance to be a part of the "Life and Death" course offered at my high school. And I've always found meaning in exploring historic cemeteries at home or wherever I roam.
I was schooled in New York beginning my career as a professional Social Worker in California for 15 years with a focus on healthcare. Supporting those with chronic and terminal illnesses through hospice organizations is some of the most meaningful work I've experienced.
Just prior to relocating to Ireland in 2016, (the home place of my maternal Grandfather), I learned about the End of Life Doula or End of Life Companion as someone who can offer facilitation of necessary conversations and planning for the end of life, accompany people through life transitions as well as dying and is a resource for grief in the time that follows a death. Learning more about this process moved me deeply and has been a reminder of how we've organically supported one another this way in times gone by. I felt called to companion people through the life, death, and transitions we all face. Having the quality time to spend with individuals and their loved ones on their own terms and being lead by personal stories is what inspired my own transition to this role. I'm aware of how our society spends so much time planning for other marked occasions (such as births and weddings). Why wouldn't our final chapter be given as much thought and attention- particularly when reflecting on one's legacy as no other? I aspire to support people at any stage of life as I believe it deepens our ability to love more fully with compassion and thoughtfulness.
I've been actively engaged in related self-reflection, learning, peer support and have offered public events such as Death Cafes in the community for the past several years. I've completed training (and am a member of) the International End of Life Doula Association in the U.S. (2017), Red Tent End of Life Doulas UK (preparatory course in Ireland 2019), and the Elisabeth Kubler Ross Foundation, Mexico (online in 2020). Other highlights include a study with the Institute of Birth Breath and Death where I've completed multiple certificates on Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss and abortion.
My primary intention is to provide a safe space, inclusive and welcoming of all beings and the unique experiences we bring. I hold a deep wish to reach those with unspoken or unrecognized grief and to lift up the voices of marginalized people. Learning from other cultures brings me great joy and invokes humility.
My hope is also to connect with people well before death is on their doorstep. I also envision being a part of inspiring communities to bear witness and accompany one another. Such seeds are already there- perhaps all that's needed is the reminder that we know how to do look after each other when it comes to life and death.
Please feel welcome to connect with me regardless of where you are on this journey of mortality!
