Holding Sacred Space through

Life’s Final Transitions.

A person walking on a sandy beach toward a distant island, during sunset or sunrise.

My Personal Journey

For me the path to becoming a Death Doula began not in a classroom, but beside my sister’s hospital bed.

“My work is not just about death, but living consciously, lovingly, and with reverence.”

Aerial view of a river flowing through rugged, snow-covered mountainous terrain with dark rocky slopes and patches of snow.

When I was 19 years old, my 29 year old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. After she failed treatment, I took a leave of absence from school and went to take care of her and her 3 young children. She died 2 weeks after my 21st birthday. I returned to nursing school while experiencing the depths of grief.

Studying grief academically became a natural extension of attempting to survive my own pain.

Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to work in a major medical center. Johns Hopkins Hospital offered me a position….in the last place I wanted to work - Oncology. After a year of diving into the depths of cancer care, I knew that my life’s path was unfolding.

Not only did I feel a certain passion for expanding my knowledge around relieving suffering; I found I had a spiritual connection to my patients and their families and I was able to hold people in a special way during unspeakable experiences.

I pursued a Master of Science in Nursing at Johns Hopkins University and during that time studied Hospice care extensively - including policy, practice, and administrative perspectives.

After moving to the rural Eastern Shore of Maryland, I began teaching at Salisbury University. I quickly realized that there was a high cancer rate and very few resources for people navigating the complexities of care during a cancer diagnosis. I began to receive calls and helped individuals and families navigate the complex systems of care. Together with some other dedicated cancer survivors and professionals, we then founded the first rural chapter of what is now known as The Cancer Support Community - Gilda’s Club. I also then served on the National Board, helping to guide non-profit cancer support services for the country. Through all of this, I continued my connections to our local hospice community and became an unofficial resource for family and friends.

The End of Life Doula Movement was in its infancy at the time, but was the perfect model for not only what I thought every person approaching the end of life should have - but what I craved when I was caring for my sister, and what I had been providing for friends and family over the years. I pursued Official Training from the International End of Life Doula Association and then worked to bring the model to my local hospice.

My combined background in Medical Systems, Spiritual Connection, and Holding Space for clients allow me to offer Clarity and Deep Compassion during life’s most profound transitions.

I now reside in both Maine and Maryland and support individuals and families in both places physically and virtually.

“It is an intimate and sacred honor to be of service to those approaching, preparing for, and experiencing the end of life transition and their loved ones.”

Reach Out for More Information

My Professional Experience and

Community Leadership:

  • University of Delaware, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BSN

    Johns Hopkins University, Master of Science in Nursing, MScN

    International End of Life Doula Association, (INELDA), End-of-Life Doula Training

  • The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Oncology Nurse

    Salisbury University School of Nursing, Faculty

    The Cancer Support Community - Delmarva, Founding Board Member

    Talbot Hospice Foundation, Doula Volunteer

    Hospice of Southern Maine, Volunteer

  • Worcester County Youth & Family Counseling, Berlin, MD

    Atlantic General Hospital Foundation, Berlin, MD

    Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Salisbury, MD

    The Cancer Support Community - Delmarva, Salisbury, MD

    The Cancer Support Community - National, Washington, DC

    Talbot Hospice Foundation, Easton, MD

    The Gunston School, Centreville, MD

What My Clients have to Share.

  • I have known Alice for over 10 years and she is a qualified hospice nurse with a caring, humane demeanor that will serve your family with a professional dignity that is so needed.

  • Alice has amazing skills being a deep listener. She engages with others with presence and this allows for others to open up, process, and allows for internal reflections that enable a person to arrive at clear insight.

  • Alice is deeply skilled in the realm of transitioning, dying. Personally, she helped guide me in the care of my mother when she died this past September.

  • Alice brings clarity to those she is sitting with. This gives space for connecting with fears, sadness, joy - all the emotions that surface in life’s challenges.

  • Alice is deeply caring, able to connect fully, and attend gently and caringly to emotional and spiritual concerns and needs of those she is with. Alice has a true gift of warmth and caring combined with medical knowledge and deep connection.

Contact Me.

I support individuals and families with everything from symptom and care-planning to emotional support and legacy work. Whether you're facing an immediate transition or preparing for the future, I’m here to guide with clarity, warmth, and deep compassion.