About Us
Meet your End-of-Life Doula & Life Transition Professional
Hello, I am Heather Reynolds and I am glad you are here! I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself. I am originally from a small farming community in Illinois, but was incredibly curious about what the world held beyond my small town. After heading north to continue my education, I spent much of my adult life in Southeastern Wisconsin. My career has taken me all over the country, including a brief stint living in Colorado. Ultimately though, I decided that the East Coast was where I belonged. Shortly after settling in the Museum District of Richmond in 2021, I met my husband, Jason.
Good fortune has allowed me to visit over twenty countries, and I have nearly reached my goal of visiting all fifty states. While my desire to broaden my perspective through the places I visit and the people I encounter has remained, my focus has turned to cultivating friendships within my community. Together Jason and I enjoy exploring the history the city has to offer and having local adventures with our friends. When we aren’t out and about, you will most likely find me lovingly tending to my overflowing garden.
Professionally, over my twenty-five-year career, I have worked in multiple facets within medical equipment and construction industries. Some examples include solutions consulting, project management, team development and leadership, workflow design and process efficiency, as well as the creation and implementation of new business segments.
Throughout this cumulative work experience, I have always worked to exceed expectations through adaptability, drive, and resilience. Combined with self-discipline, persistence, and leadership skills solidified by my years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve, I have been able to successfully navigate between unrelated but equally complex professional industries.
My aptitude for analysis, prioritization, and defining clear strategy has served me in managing elaborate projects with sensitive timelines. Integrated with my ability to simplify intricate details into relatable terms for effective communication, my professional experience has provided me with an invaluable foundation for my role as an End-of-Life Doula, Life Transition Professional, and Grief-Informed Organizer.
To provide the most comprehensive support and services possible, I have focused on continuing my education. I am a certified End-of-Life Doula through Lifespan Doulas and have completed Advanced Care Planning Facilitator training through Five Wishes and Hospice Foundation of America. After earning my Professional Organizer Certification, I furthered my knowledge in the specialty of Grief-Informed Organizing with an advanced certificate through the National Alliance of Productivity & Organizing Professionals.
Additional training has been completed through the Professionals of After Loss Services organization and I am commissioned as a Notary Public through the Commonwealth of Virginia. More information about my qualifications and training is available in Frequently Asked Questions. I am confident that my robust combination of work, educational, and life experiences has enhanced my unique qualifications to serve you with compassion, competence, and professionalism.
Why I became an End-of-Life Doula & Life Transition Professional
The news that my mom’s cancer had returned came the day after I had resigned myself that something needed to change in my career trajectory. Despite always having found a strong sense of identity in professional success, a persistent sense of unfulfillment lingered. The crushing reality of what lay ahead for our family seemed to magnify its intensity. I knew it was time to focus on what truly mattered. Soon a significant chapter of my life would close.
As her illness progressed, my mom began to downplay its seriousness and her obvious pain. Worried that her optimism did not align with somber reality, we gently discussed the actuality of her prognosis. While she had been determined to fight through the pain, she had not fully accepted that few options remained. It felt like betrayal to rob her of the hope that had sustained her. I encouraged allowing me to help plan for the heartbreakingly inevitable outcome, but she was not ready.
Naively, you always think there is more time. Regrettably, cancer had its own agenda. All too quickly the inevitable was upon us and we found ourselves assessing the best of the bad remaining options. After one final operation, the doctors transferred her into a hospice facility. I had hoped we would spend her final days peacefully, finding ways to reflect and say goodbye. Unprepared for what lay ahead, we quickly learned to navigate anticipatory grief, caregiver burnout, and the challenges of getting affairs in order. Each day seemed more emotionally exhausting than the last.
Balancing being present in her final days and increasing pressure to complete necessary obligations seemed an increasingly impossible feat. The long list of wished-for loving last gestures gave way to frantic phone calls and endless paperwork. The warm laughter of sharing memories gave way to dimmed lights and lowered voices to ease her terminal agitation. As the days slipped by, family remorsefully returned home. My heart ached realizing the last opportunity for a heartfelt goodbye was stolen by the medication necessary for her escalating pain. While I am confident that we did our best with the knowledge we had, I carried regret. I wished we had been better prepared, or at least understood the complexities involved.
We had barely finished wrapping up my mom’s estate when our family was dealt another blow. My aunt’s husband passed away somewhat unexpectedly. While the circumstances were vastly different, they brought a whole new set of unexpected challenges. In their forty-year marriage, she had not been involved in their financial matters and had no idea where to start. I recognized that my recent experience gave me the knowledge and ability to ease her burden. With virtually no record keeping and insufficient documentation to guide us, getting her back on solid footing took months. Unfortunately, the combined pressure of her financial uncertainty and our individual grief took its toll on both of us.
Throughout all the challenges, I wondered if any of us had the opportunity to truly grieve amidst the flurry of administrative duties. While the trying circumstances we experienced are unique to us, the pain and confusion surrounding the loss of a loved one are universal. I felt like there had to be a better way to help families cope with loss. Through research I found there were related professions to provide guidance, but with clear gaps in scope, a disproportionate amount of effort was required to tie them all together. As more friends and acquaintances approached me to provide insight into their own approaching losses, my perspective began to shift.
As I processed the darkness of those moments, I came to recognize the light that radiates from the experience. I realized that I could create a conduit to streamline the process and ease the burden of others. By becoming the person that I needed then, I discovered a calling to support others on their journey. The long elusive puzzle piece fell into place and I knew it was time to start the next chapter. If I can ease one person’s burden by lighting the path, I will have fulfilled my true purpose.
