WHO AM I?
Soul Midwife, Funeral Celebrant, Eternal Optimist and a big believer in open and honest conversations with a big bit of cake on the side.
Following a long career in care, I soon realised that End of Life care was where my heart and soul belonged. Being at someone's bedside as they took their last breath seemed the most natural thing in the world for me to do. This isn't just a job to me, this is part of who I am. I have vast experience in Domiciliary and Palliative care and as well as being a Soul Midwife, I currently work part time at my local hospice. I offer a wide range of End of Life support in the community, in Hospices, Care Homes and Hospitals and also for local businesses.
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My voice is my superpower, I speak from the heart in everything I do and I am truly committed to this work, before, during, and after Death. I am an advocate for choice and autonomy at end of life and am an active and passionate death educator in my community, and online. I do this through my social media channels and accredited death and dying education programmes and documents.
Having completed all my training at the Soul Midwives School in Dorset with Felicity Warner, I am Level 1 and 2 qualified and actively work around Sussex and the South East. I am also a Soul Midwife Mentor and TLC Trainer. I am also an Angelic Reiki Practitioner.
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I hold multiple qualifications including diplomas in End of life and Dementia care and The Care Certificate. I am 'Sage and Thyme' foundation level trained, I have Grief and Bereavement qualifications. Thanks to this work, and my previous 10 year career in Retail Management, I have advanced communication skills and extensive experience in team building, coaching, training, public speaking and personal development.
I completed my Independent Funeral Celebrant training and certification with The Academy of Modern Celebrancy in 2021.
I completed the Coffin Club Celebrant Plus course in May 2022
I became a member of The CPD Cerification Service and an accredited trainer and course creator, in Summer 2023.
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I have all relevant insurances, a full clean driving licence and DBS check..
Supporting the Dying
Honouring the Dead
Educating the Living
So what ‘qualifies’ me to support the dying, honour the dead and educate the living?
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Over 10 years experience in domiciliary/palliative/community hands on care
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7 years working for my local Hospice on the 'Hospice at Home' team
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Over 5 years as an actively working Soul Midwife (having completed all 3 levels) and Mentor
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Extensive knowledge and understanding of working alongside other Heath care professionals
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Expert information about different services, agencies and organisations
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Vast understanding of GP’s, district nursing and community support including forms, funding and paperwork
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Multiple recognised qualifications in End of life Care, Dementia care, Grief/Bereavement counselling, First aid, Manual Handling, Advanced Communication skills, to name a few (there are MANY more hours of CPD)
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Angelic Reiki practitioner
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Qualified life coach
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15 years previous training and experience as a Retail Manager involving motivating and developing large teams as well as 1:1 coaching (and at one time managing a store of £8 million turnover with 80 staff)
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Completion of multiple ‘Train the Trainer’ courses
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My natural ability to talk, connect, listen, engage and support.
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Authenticity and integrity
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A genuine passion for this work and offering the best end of life care possible.
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A hugely valuable ‘qualification’ I bring to everything I do, is that I have sat with, and supported, HUNDREDS of souls, and their families, before, during and after their deaths.
THIS CAN BE A DIFFICULT TIME,
HERE IS SOME INFORMATION THAT MIGHT HELP WHEN IT COMES TO FUNERALS...
WHAT...
A funeral can also be known as a 'Celebration of Life' or Memorial service. It depends on the style and tone of the service you are wanting to create. A funeral can be held before someone dies if they wish so they can attend. A funeral is an opportunity, a moment, a symbolic event. It is a time for family and friends to gather and share in the love and respect they all have for the person that has reached the end of their lives. Some people opt for a 'direct cremation/burial' and have no service. Some chose to do it directly but have the biggest celebration afterwards, the choice is yours. I can help you understand your choices and options. Because trust me, you have many!
WHERE...
There will be a cremation or burial in a crematorium or burial ground. The service/celebration/readings can be held ANYWHERE. You can hold services on beaches, in halls, social clubs, hotels, gardens, pubs, at home, even arenas and sports grounds. The possibilities are actually endless. A celebrant can conduct your funeral and read your loving script or eulogy ANYWHERE. Where you hold a funeral can add to the personalisation of such an important occasion. The location, venue and surroundings can comfort and support you in many ways.
HOW...
If you have chosen to use a funeral director, they can find you a celebrant or you can get in touch with me directly. I will liaise with them, you don't need to worry, then I come to meet you (or we meet via zoom) This is where I get to hear all the wonderful memories, funny stories and interesting moments of your loved ones life to create a script to read for everyone on the day. We chose readings, poems, music and any other elements you would like to add. I get to know them, and you, and make it as YOU want it as best I can for the bespoke service you are hoping for.
WHO...
Some people may have bought and paid for funeral plans, you will need to contact the companies they have used to get the ball rolling. Some plans may include a celebrant. You can still chose to use a different one and call me if you wish, we can figure it out together. You may have used an undertakers who are often funeral directors as well. It does not matter if you have made no plans at all, call me and I can support you and signpost.
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Also think about this for a moment, who is the funeral for? By that I mean think about the person who has passed away and those attending? And of course, think about YOU.
WHEN...
After someone dies, you may wish to contact the funeral directors straight away, you may wish to wait a minute before you start to make your own arrangements, You might not know that there is actually no rush in those first few days. It can take a couple of weeks for a date at the crematorium/cemetery/burial ground and time and dates may be venue dependant. That's OK. Also, you do not have to have the cremation/burial on the same day as the service. You can have them separate and in different locations if you wish. The time in between is where we piece together the perfect service or ceremony for you, your family and friends. We can do this as quickly or as slowly as you like before the day arrives.
WHY...
We have funerals as a way to mark someones passing. We do it because it allows us the opportunity to say goodbye and emotionally, we hope it can offer some kind of closure. A funeral supports our grief. A funeral can give the deceased a chance to say their own goodbyes and some use it as a chance to be sure they are remembered exactly as they want to be. We do it because it's tradition. The truest and oldest reason for having a funeral is actually to deal with the body that is left behind after the soul has left. A funeral can be the start of a journey for many or it can be the end for some. We have funerals because we want to share our love and have one last chance to be with that person in some way. Because of all these reasons, how we do a funeral and having the right celebrant can make the world of difference.
© 2023 by Katie Costello - Soul Midwife and Funeral Celebrant. All right reserved.