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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli talks with Martha Shedden, Co-Founder and President of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA).

Together, they discuss what Social Security really is, how it works, and why it matters to every family. They talk about what Social Security covers beyond retirement, why it’s more stable than people think, and how understanding it can help you plan with less fear and more confidence.

Martha shares information that helps make sense of a system that often feels overwhelming. This conversation is for anyone who wants to plan ahead, support aging parents, or understand how Social Security fits into long-term financial security.

Key takeaways:

• What Social Security actually includes and why it’s more than a retirement check.
• How and when to claim benefits.
• The truth about funding and the “running out” myth.
• Why early planning helps ease stress later.

It’s a clear, grounded look at a system that touches nearly 69 million Americans and one that every family needs to understand.

Links/Resources

• Guest: Martha Shedden – www.narssa.org | www.rssa.com
• Host: Traci Arieli – https://www.comfortingclosure.com
• Social Security Administration – https://www.ssa.gov

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In this episode of Comforting Closure – Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli sits down with Isabelle Dekkers, a grief counselor, social worker, and artist based in Belgium. Together, they discuss how art can support people through grief when words feel unavailable.

Isabelle shares her personal journey, including how her daughter’s illness shaped her understanding of loss, caregiving, and creative expression. The conversation looks closely at how drawing, painting, repetitive movement, and working with the hands can support the body and mind during grief. Traci and Isabelle also discuss why many people feel pressured to “be okay,” how society limits space for mourning, and how art creates room for honesty, release, and connection.

Key takeaways include how creative expression can help regulate the nervous system, why you do not need to be an artist to benefit from art, and simple ways grieving people can begin creating without fear or judgment. This episode is relevant for caregivers, clinicians, end-of-life professionals, and anyone navigating loss.

Links and Resources:
Guest Website: https://www.isabelledekkers.be
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whenwordsfailartspeaks
Host Website: https://www.comfortingclosure.com

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli explores how adult children can talk with aging parents about senior living, safety, and future care. Joined by senior living consultant and author Shari Ross, they walk through the emotional and practical challenges families face when aging parents want to stay home, fear losing independence, or feel overwhelmed by planning.

Shari introduces her S.I.M.P.L.E. Method, including how to gather information, match the right community, prepare financially and legally, navigate memory care, and support parents with dignity. You will also hear what red flags to watch for, how to reduce guilt, and how to help parents stay engaged after the move.

If you are starting conversations with your own parents, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and tools that make the process easier for everyone.

Links / Resources

Guest:
Website – https://www.seniorlivingmadesimple.com
Book + Workbook – Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and linked from her website
Instagram – @seniorlivingwithshari
Facebook – @SeniorLivingSIMPLE

Host:
Traci Arieli – https://www.comfortingclosure.com

Resources Mentioned:
Red Flags Checklist – available on Shari’s website
S.I.M.P.L.E. Method Workbook – available on Shari’s website and on Amazon

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with fraud prevention expert Doug Shadel, Managing Director of Fraud Prevention Strategies, LLC. Together, they discuss how scammers use emotion, stress, and grief to manipulate even the most careful people, and what practical steps can help protect you and your loved ones.

Doug shares tips based on decades of experience studying fraud and interviewing individuals convicted of fraud. He explains what happens in the brain during moments of stress, why “urgency” is a scammer’s best weapon, and how to slow down and think clearly before responding.

Key takeaways include:
• How stress and grief can lower your defenses.
• The emotional tactics scammers use to build trust.
• How AI, phone, and online scams are evolving.
• Simple steps you can take right now to reduce your risk.
• What families and caregivers can do to help protect older adults.

This episode helps listeners understand how emotion impacts decision-making and offers grounded, practical advice for staying safe.

Links/Resources

• Guest: Doug Shadel – Email: doug@fraudpreventionstrategies.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-shadel-58260810
• Host: Traci Arieli’s Website – https://www.comfortingclosure.com
• Book Mentioned: Dangerous Dialers by Doug Shadel
• AARP Fraud Watch Network – https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli is joined by Ashley Mollison from the Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health Research Program at the Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria. Ashley is also a PhD candidate in the Social Dimensions of Health program at the University of Victoria, and her work centers on equity, exclusion, and structural vulnerability at the end of life.

Ashley has spent years walking alongside people who are dying without housing, without family, and often without a place to go. Together, Traci and Ashley discuss what it really means to die with dignity in systems that weren’t built to serve everyone.

Key takeaways include:

• Why “You can’t die here” is more than a logistical problem
• What happens when palliative care ignores people pushed to the margins
• How harm reduction and outreach workers become informal end-of-life caregivers
• The emotional toll and grief carried by peer support workers
• Why equitable care requires rethinking who caregiving is for and who provides it

This episode invites you to examine the hidden assumptions built into palliative care and offers a powerful reminder: dignity at the end of life is a reflection of how we show up for each other long before that moment comes.

Links/Resources

• Palliative Approaches: https://palliativeapproaches.uvic.ca
• Ashley Mollison’s Profile: https://www.uvic.ca/research/groups/palliative/our-team/uvic-team/profiles/mollison-ashley.php
• Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health: https://www.facebook.com/uvic.institute.on.aging
• Host Traci Arieli’s Website: https://www.comfortingclosure.com

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, Traci Arieli speaks with Samantha Rose, New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter, writing coach, and author of the newly released and award-winning memoir Giving Up the Ghost. Together, they explore what it means to navigate grief after suicide while still finding a continued relationship with the one who died. They discuss the silence that often surrounds suicide, how writing became a path to healing, and the courage it takes to reclaim one’s voice after loss.

Samantha shares how her mother died by suicide just three weeks before the 2020 lockdown, how she and her sisters each grieved differently, and why transparency with her son became a necessary part of breaking generational silence. She also reflects on the moment she realized she could no longer remain “a ghost in her own life” and how claiming authorship of her own story became an act of visibility, truth-telling, and deep personal restoration.

This episode invites listeners to normalize open conversation around grief, writing, and emotional healing - whether you are a caregiver, grieving family member, or someone who is simply trying to understand what love looks like after loss.

Links/Resources
Guest Website (Yellow Sky Media):https://www.yellowskymedia.com
Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samantharose_writer
Host Website: https://www.comfortingclosure.com

Book Mentioned
Giving Up the Ghost - Samantha Rose
https://www.yellowskymedia.com (book available through guest’s site)

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with multidisciplinary artist and podcast creator Andee Kinzy to explore how fiction, humor, and storytelling can make end of life conversations feel more approachable.

Andee is the creator of the audio fiction series “Kicking the Bucket,” a thoughtful and often funny story about an aging couple facing terminal illness, autonomy, and the emotional realities of planning for the end of life. Through the characters of Dolores and Howard, Andee helps listeners reflect on real decisions families face every day and why talking about dying can ultimately help us live with more clarity and intention.

Together, Traci and Andee discuss medical aid in dying, dementia and cognition in decision-making, the role of humor in navigating heavy topics, intergenerational communication challenges, and how listening clubs are helping communities practice these conversations in a supportive way. Whether you are a caregiver, an adult child, a healthcare professional, or simply someone curious about death and dying, this episode encourages thoughtful dialogue, planning ahead, and embracing honest conversations while we still have the chance.

Links/Resources
Guest:
Kicking the Bucket website: https://improvedarts.org/kickingthebucketpodcast Use code: KTBPODCC for early access

Host:
Comforting Closure with Traci Arieli: https://www.comfortingclosure.com

Referenced Resources in Conversation:
The Conversation Project: https://theconversationproject.org
Information on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD): https://compassionandchoices.org

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In this episode of Comforting Closure - Conversations with a Death Doula, host Traci Arieli sits down with family physician Dr. Eleanor Tanno to talk about one of the most overlooked steps in end-of-life planning: discussing your advance directive with your doctor. Together, they discuss why the form itself is not enough, what to do before the appointment, and how to approach this conversation so your care truly reflects your values.

You will learn how to prepare, what to bring, and which questions lead to more meaningful medical guidance. Dr. Tanno offers a compassionate doctor’s-eye view of what makes these conversations effective and why having them before a crisis protects both patients and families. This episode is valuable for anyone who wants to avoid confusion and ensure their wishes are understood when it matters most.

Links / Resources

Guest: Dr. Eleanor Tanno

• Website: https://advancedirectivemd.com
• Course: https://advancedirectivemd.com/purchase
• Step-by-step guide: https://advancedirectivemd.com/step-by-step-overview-how-to-create-an-advance-directive

Host: Traci Arieli

• Website: https://www.comfortingclosure.com

Resources to Get Started

• The Conversation Project: https://theconversationproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ConversationStarterGuide.pdf
• Cedars-Sinai Advance Directive Guide: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/content/dam/cedars-sinai/patients/resources-and-patients/documents/advance-directive-step-by-step-guide-2021.pdf
• The Death Deck: https://thedeathdeck.com
• MyDirectives: https://www.mydirectives.com

If you find this conversation helpful, please like, share, and subscribe so more people can learn how to prepare before a crisis. Your support helps normalize these conversations and brings practical, compassionate guidance to more families.