Death is certain. Dying with hope, dignity and cherished meaning is not.

Death midwife and end-of-life educator Jennifer O’Connell is on a mission to demystify the death process.

She will offer a four-part monthly series, “Befriending Death: A Holistic Approach,” that begins 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, and continues on Sundays, Nov. 5, Dec. 3 and Jan. 7 at Doing Grief Community Healing Project located at the Interfaith Chapel for Healing—The Church of the Palms, 14808 N. Boswell Blvd.

O’Connell will provide practical advice and healing wisdom for everyone–whether a person, friend or family member is actively dying or not.

“Jennifer helped me to face a reality I have long avoided,” said Sun City West resident Erica Hutchinson, who attended a past event. “Her presentation and materials lifted a veil from my eyes in a safe and caring environment.”

Doing Grief Community Healing Project provides programs to help participants adapt to losses such as death, broken relationships, aging or any loss that causes grief.

The Project’s motto is, “If you are looking for hope, cherished meaning, or a sense of belonging, you can find it here.”

Grievers, caregivers and professional healers come together to participate in spiritual care opportunities, healing through the arts and educational events, such as O’Connell’s “Befriending Death” series.

O’Connell helps people to imagine and prepare for their own death. She guides participants to communicate their wishes for before, during and after death, engage in biography work and write their own obituary, diminish death anxiety, heal relationships with loved ones who are living or deceased and consciously prepare for the death experience – including the possibility of enlisting the support of a death midwife or planning for a home funeral.

“Everyone has the right to have a home funeral,” O’Connell said. "The law supports families, so it’s important to know your choices. Home funerals are not only eco conscious and cost conscious but incredibly healing. They assist in bringing closure, nurturing healthy grief and normalizing the process of death for all members of the family, especially children.”

Participants are asked to RSVP for the series at Connect@DoingGrief.com or on the Healing Project’s website page at DoingGrief.com.

Suggested donations of $5 to $10 per person will be collected at the door, but no one will be turned away.

“After attending Jennifer’s ‘Befriending Death’ series, I completed my ‘Death File,’ that I call my ‘Death Wish File,’ ” Hutchison said. “I honestly could not have done this without her.”

For information about the “Befriending Death” series, call O’Connell at 480-347-7070 or email AZDeathMidwife@gmail.com.

For information on Healing Project programs, such as labyrinth walks, sound healing, drum circles, ArtShare Circles and grief support and education, visit DoingGrief.com or Connect@DoingGrief.com.