Stefanie Green, MD, was one of the first providers of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada, when it became legal in 2016. Her book, This Is Assisted Dying: A Doctor's Story of Empowering Patients at the End of Life, chronicles her first year working in the field of MAID. In our conversation, Stefanie reflects on what has changed in her work in the past eight years, the people she’s met and how she created a national organization for physicians working in this field. She also shares how this work has shaped her own life and thoughts about death.

You can learn more about Stefanie’s work and her book at https://www.stefaniegreen.com/

Claire Bidwell Smith knows grief well. When she was 14, both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Her mom died when Claire was only 18, and her dad died when she was 25. After getting her master's degree in clinical psychology and becoming a therapist, she worked with hospice. She's also written five books about grief, including her latest, Conscious Grieving: A Transformative Approach to Healing from Loss. In a culture that avoids sad feelings at all costs and where bereavement leave is severely inadequate, Claire gives us the tools and a map for embracing grief and incorporating it into life.

You can learn more about Claire’s work and her books at https://clairebidwellsmith.com/

Julie Metzger has been teaching families about puberty for over 30 years. Her book, “Will Puberty Last My Whole Life?” and her course, Great Conversations, are amazing resources to help teens and families recognize and navigate the important transition to adulthood. In conversation, Julie and I draw parallels between puberty and death. Both are sacred experiences and periods of great transformation for our bodies and communities. We dig into the use of ritual, the importance of language when it comes to talking about the sacred, and a really fascinating thought exercise about what it means to be an adult.

You can learn more about Julie’s work at https://greatconversations.com/