Navigating a Good Death for Ourselves and Loved Ones with Suzanne O’Brien

Feel Good Podcast with Kimberly Snyder

PodcastOne

Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Education, Talk Radio, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 993 Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this conversation, Suzanne O'Brien RN discusses the profound themes surrounding end of life, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness, acceptance, and living well. She shares her journey as a doula for the dying, the phases of dying with dignity, and the significance of community support for caregivers. The discussion also touches on cultural perspectives on death, empowering conversations about end of life, and the need for planning and voluntary choices. It highlights the interconnectedness of life and death, encouraging listeners to embrace both with love and understanding.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to End of Life Care

02:47 The Journey to Hospice and Doula Work

05:58 Phases of Dying and the Importance of Forgiveness

08:55 Understanding Death Across All Ages

11:48 The Shift in Perspective on Death

15:02 The Spiritual Aspect of Dying

18:11 Practical Approaches to End of Life Planning

20:53 Living Well Aging Plans and Family Dynamics

26:58 The Burden of Caregiving

28:32 Quality of Life vs. Longevity

30:29 Living Wills and Quality of Life Decisions

32:46 Holistic Approaches to End-of-Life Care

34:35 The Essence of Life and Death

36:28 Lessons from the Dying

37:52 Choosing Love Over Fear

39:57 The Power of Presence and Service

41:44 Empowerment Through Knowledge

43:29 Voluntary Choices at End of Life

46:21 Dula Givers Institute and Community Support

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Feel Good podcast, which is all about heart-led living and wellness.
0:07.8	When we awaken the power of our hearts and let that guide us through our daily choices and decisions, through our four cornerstones, food, body, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth, we will experience the most incredible
0:22.8	results and create more vitality, health, strength, peace, abundance, and love in our lives.
0:32.0	I am your host, Kimberly Snyder, New York Times best-selling author, founder of Saluna,
0:39.3	creator of the research-based heart-aligned meditation, wellness expert, nutritionist, and international speaker. I am passionate
0:46.1	about supporting you on your unique heart and wellness journey. Let's get started. Welcome back, everyone, to our Monday interview show. I am so
1:00.6	excited for our very special guest here with us today, the lovely Suzanne O'Brien R.N. She has this
1:08.4	new book out, which I have read cover to cover, and I'll add it did make me cry
1:13.7	at parts, which we'll talk about in just a little bit. It's called the Good Death, a guide for
1:19.4	supporting your loved one through the end of life. Suzanne is the founder and CEO of the
1:24.7	Doologiver's Institute. in 2019. She was named humanitarian ambassador
1:29.8	for Oprah Magazine for her work to bring peace and comfort to those facing the end of life
1:35.3	around the world. Suzanne is also a founding member of the National Hospice and palliative care
1:42.7	organization's end of life Dula Council and a founding member
1:47.2	and former vice president of the National End of Life Dula Alliance.
1:52.9	Suzanne, thank you so much for being here with us today.
1:56.7	Thank you for having me.
1:58.2	And I love the title of your podcast and everything you talk about,
2:01.4	because really when we talk about a good death, we're talking about a good life.
2:05.2	They're not exclusive of one another.
2:06.7	So I just want to invite people to have an open mind for this conversation.
2:10.2	It's not going to be depressing.
	...

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