Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

Greetings! I’m Francesca—community doula and fellow mortal. I’m the author of numerous death lit books: Cultivating the Doula Heart: Essentials of Compassionate Care (a guidebook), Map of Memory Lane (a picture book), The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared (an interactive workbook), and My Death Journal (a lined notebook).

I’m a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab and I run a program for Death Literacy Educators. My goal is to encourage people to hold one another’s hands through life’s intensities. I live in rural Vermont with my family in a most beloved village.

I believe nature is good medicine, allyship is a verb,
and the potential for healing exists beyond the hope of a cure.

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Professional Presentations

Featured Presenter/Speaker/Educator:

Vermont-based: Death and Dying Symposium, Center on Aging Gerontology Symposium, Osher Lifelong Learning, Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Access Community Classes, Village Deathcare Citizen Course, University of Vermont undergraduate and medical school classes, Summit Street School, UVM Health Network hospice volunteer training programs, Interstitial Lung Disease Support Group, Springfield Area Parent Child Center, library workshops

National/Global: The Omega Institute, The Art of Dying Institute’s Integrative Thanatology Certificate Program, “Before I Die” AZ, City of Hope End of Life Symposium, Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross México Centro, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation, “Doulapalooza” by the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, “Let’s Talk about Health: Caring for Seniors in Rural New York” Conference by the University of Rochester, Vet VOICE National, International Doula Life Movement, End-of-Life Doula Association of Canada, The Funeral Consumer Alliance of Maine, The Hospice Heart: “At the Bedside” Class, “Healing in Community Conference” Older Adult Behavioral Health Network, Lifespan Doulas, Death Doula Network International, Death Doula LA, Conscious Dying Collective

Press & Publications

Death Doulas: end-of-life education at UVM – The Vermont Cynic

Press Release: Community Death Literacy Project – Compassion and Choices

“Training Death Literacy Educators” Podcast Interview – EOL University

“Holding Hands Through Life’s Thresholds” Written Interview – Mystic Mag

StoryListening Workshop – Event Coverage

Book Review – The Farewell Library

Podcast Interview – Bevival: Exit Interview

“Helping Children Navigate Death, Dying, & Grief” Podcast Interview with Dr. G of Mourning Dove Medical

“End of Life Planning” Podcast Interview by The Heart of Hospice

Interview – University of Vermont

Book Club Author Visit – EOL University

“Becoming a Memory Holder” Podcast Interview by Alzheimer’s Speaks

“Sound Practice” Podcast Interview by the American Association of Physician Leaders

Living Fully & Dying Prepared – Below the Surface Podcast

Living Fully and Dying Prepared – The Death Dhamma Podcast

Author Interview – “Evidence Based Podcast” New Harbinger Publications

Podcast Interview – “Best Life, Best Death”

End-of-Life Planning – Vermont Edition (live) on Vermont Public

Author Talk “Living Fully, Dying Prepared” – Elisabeth Kübler Ross Foundation

Book Recommendation and Excerpt – International End-of-Life Doula Association

“About Health” Interview – Live radio show on KPFA

Developing a Direct Observation Measure of Therapeutic Connection in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy: A Feasibility Study – Research paper

Let’s Talk Death – HealGrief.org interview

Across the Fence – Live television interview

Protocol for a Scalable StoryListening Intervention for Grief-Related Loneliness During COVID-19 – Research paper

Who are death doulas and how do they help you cope with loss? – Zaborona (Ukraine)

The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared with Francesca Arnoldy – EOL University Podcast

“How to Talk about Grief and Loss with Children“- Grief and Happiness Podcast

Podcast Interview – Give Grief a Chance

The StoryListening Project: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Remotely Delivered Intervention to Alleviate Grief during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Research paper

A Hospice Chaplain Shares The Secret to Contentment – Mindful Magazine

Enriching the dying experience: End-of-life doulas help those who want to personalize their journey – The Westerly Sun

What are the stages of grieving with Francesca Arnoldy, Professional Pet Doula – Bark & Wag Podcast

What is a Pet Doula? – Bark & Wag Podcast

Author Series: Map of Memory Lane – Elisabeth Kübler Ross Foundation

Shape-Shifting as an End-of-Life Doula During COVID – MedPage Today Op-Ed

Conversational stories & self organizing maps: Innovations for the scalable study of uncertainty in healthcare communication Last Days – Research paper

Panel Discussion: Pediatric Loss and Grief – Contemplative Doula

Compassionate End-of-Life Preparation and Care – Ellementa Podcast

What is a Death Doula? How Trained Companions Help People Face Their Last Days – The National

A Search for Meaning – Vermont Medicine Magazine

Deathcare Roles Webinar – University of Vermont

Podcast Interview: MAP OF MEMORY LANE – The When You Die Project

Map of Memory Lane: A Grief Book for Children with Francesca Arnoldy – EOL University Podcast

Death Doulas Create Shift from Avoidance to Awareness About End of Life – UVM OutReach

‘Death Doulas’ Provide Aid at the End of Life – New York Times

Podcast Interview – The Heart of Healing: The Healer’s Journey

What is a Death Doula? What These Experts Offer – Today Show

What is a Death Doula? – Newsweek

End of Life Care for the 21st Century – The Hinesburg Record

Grief and Loss in Isolation – VPR Vermont Edition

Book Review – International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care

Grief Support Systems – The Verge

“What is a Doula?” guest blog – Lantern

Podcast Interview – Out of Curiosity

Podcast Interview – When You Die

Doula Program Info Webinar – University of Vermont

Podcast Interview – Death By Design

The Stream: The Death Positive Movement – Al Jazeera English

Panel Discussion – University of Vermont

Podcast Interview – EOL University

Death Wellness – Fast Magazine

End-of-Life Doula Movement – Today’s Geriatric Medicine

Public Radio Interview – Vermont Edition

Learning to Serve the Dying – AARP 

A Birthing Doula Shares the Significance of End of Life Care – UVM OutReach

Filling a Critical Gap in End-of-Life Care – UVM OutReach

UVM Pilots an End-of-Life Doula Program – Seven Days VT

Truth and Compassion Are at the Core of End-of-Life Care – UVM OutReach