Why I Wrote Laboring Out of Life
We spend our entire lives preparing for birthdays, weddings, careers, retirement... but almost nobody prepares us for death.
After years as a registered nurse and Death Doula, I've sat beside hundreds of people at the end of life. I've watched families struggle because nobody taught them what dying actually looks like or what they could do to help.
I wrote Laboring Out of Life: A Death Doula Approach to Intentional End-of-Life Care to change that. Whether you're a family member, healthcare professional, or future death doula, this book will change the way you approach the end of life.
What You'll Learn
What actually happens as someone is dying
How to support a dying loved one with confidence
Why a death plan matters
The conversations every family should have
Common myths about death (and the truth)
How understanding death can help you live more fully
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. It's written for anyone who wants to better understand death and support the people they love.
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It's honest, but it's also practical, hopeful, and surprisingly funny at times.
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Absolutely. Many readers will find immediate guidance they can put into practice.
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Hi, I’m Kacie.
Kacie is a registered nurse, educator, and public speaker with nearly 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families through end-of-life care. Her work bridges clinical expertise with deep humanity, helping people navigate death with clarity, compassion, and dignity.
She is the founder of Death Doula School, an internationally recognized education platform training death doulas and care professionals around the world. Kacie is an active voice in the deathcare space, leading workshops, courses, and conversations globally that demystify dying and bring it back into the human experience.
At her core, Kacie is also a mother to three boys, a role that deeply informs her work and her philosophy. She believes that the way we show up for the end of life should inspire us to live more fully right now: to love harder, speak truth sooner, and make choices that our dying selves would be proud of.
Kacie’s work sits at the intersection of medicine, education, and meaning, inviting all of us to live with intention, and to meet death not with fear, but with presence, dignity, and care.
