End of Life Planning Course
Before Death | During Death | After Death
A series of workshops exploring the full spectrum that surrounds end of life planning
October – November 2025
This will be a life and death changing experience!
A Learning Experience Like None Other
Join us for the opportunity to explore, define and craft your end-of-life plans and your living legacy as we contemplate our mortality within a community of care. Hosted by two end-of-life care providers, we’ll focus on what truly matters ~ the ripples we create while living and the stories we leave behind.
Who Should Join?
We welcome people of all ages and stages of life who want to contemplate their mortality and approach end-of-life topics with care and compassion. This is ideal for those who have started to approach these topics but are uncertain what to do next or how to carve out intentional time and space to have these important conversations. This inclusive, brave space is designed for people who want to live intentionally while also preparing for their own death.
What To Expect?
We begin with a virtual workshop to connect, share and contemplate the topics we’ll be exploring together. We’ll then host three virtual workshops exploring what to consider before death, at the time of death, and after a death. You’ll be invited to create a more holistic advance care plan, craft your living legacy, plan your own funeral or celebration of life, and consider the role of ritual and ceremony in your personal end of life plans.
Why It's Needed?
Most people try to ‘get their affairs in order’ in a legal setting and fail to recognize the myriad of emotions and experiences they will have to navigate. By coming together as a community to explore these topics, you will not only get your practical and emotional affairs in order, you will also be gifted the opportunity to consider what you need and want surrounding your own end-of-life experience as well as of those you love.
Your Hosts
This course is co-created by funeral celebrant & end-of-life doula Megan Sheldon and funeral director & death educator Christa Ovenell , who have thoughtfully designed this virtual experience, drawing on their knowledge, experience and wisdom as end-of-life care providers.
Megan Sheldon
A Cultural Mythologist, Humanist Celebrant and End-of-Life Doula who designs rituals and ceremonies surrounding grief and loss.
Christa Ovenell
A Funeral Director, End-of-Life Doula and Death Educator who offers informative end-of-life workshops and trainings.
An Overview
This course connects the head with the heart when considering the end-of-life. During our time together, we’ll invite you to reflect on your values, share your stories, and create the legacy you want to leave behind. Together, we’ll explore the role of ritual and ceremony in life and in death, and leave feeling empowered when it comes to end-of-life planning.
The Workshops
We’ll begin with a virtual gathering to connect as a community. We’ll reflect and share where we are each at in our own end-of-life planning. This will be followed by three weekly workshops exploring the important things to consider before a death, during a death, and after a death. A detailed syllabus will be shared with each participant closer to the date.
Dates & Times
The Connection Workshop: Oct 4th 10am – 12pm PT
The Before Workshop: Oct 18th 10am – 12pm PT
The During Workshop: Oct 25th 10am – 12pm PT
The After Workshop: Nov 1st 10am – 2pm PT
Who Is This For?
This virtual retreat is designed for anyone wanting to approach their own end of life planning with care and compassion. We will meet you where you’re at, offering accessible tools and meaningful approaches to consider your values, craft your legacy, and define your wishes as you plan and prepare for your own death.
Investment
The cost for this 6 week course experience is $425 USD ($425 CAD for Canadians). This includes access to all live workshops + video recordings, prepared notes and slides, and worksheets + resources. Be Ceremonial members receive 10% off. We have 3 partial scholarships for marginalized people (prioritizing BIPOC, LGBTQS2+ and people living with disability), as well as small subsidies for anyone facing financial barriers.
Over the course of the training, there will be different workshops and guided conversations surrounding topics such as Holistic Advance Care Planning, Sitting Vigil, Caring for a Body After Death, Planning Your Own Funeral and Writing Your Legacy. There will be time for intentional reflection and community connections.
End of Life Planning Course ~ Application
FAQs
We’ll begin each virtual session at 10am PT and wrap at 12pm PT. The first gathering will focus on connecting and sharing our stories, including where we are each at in our own end-of-life plans. The next three workshops will focus on a specific time surrounding the end of life: The Before Workshop explores what we can do ahead of time in terms of planning for own death. This is ideal for people of all ages, as we believe it’s never too early to start planning for the end of life. The During Workshop invites us to consider the moments that can surround the end of life and how to bring more intention and meaning to them. The After Workshop invites us to consider the different body disposition options, what we imagine our own funeral could look like, and what we want our legacy to be. Each participant will move at their own pace, completing their own holistic end-of-life plan on their own terms and timeline.
Prices are in USD but can be paid in CAD by Canadian residents if paid via email transfer. Full payment is requested to secure your spot. Payments are non-refundable as you will have access to recordings, slides and resources we share in our virtual classroom for up to three months following the course.
To make our course more accessible, we offer three 50% scholarships with a priority for marginalized communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ2S and people living with disabilities. We will reach out to those who apply for a scholarship during our application process to determine eligibility. We also offer small subsidies for anyone facing financial challenges.
Members of Be Ceremonial with an active subscription are offered a 10% discount.
Absolutely! We welcome those who are able to offer an extra scholarship to a participant in need. Please reach out if you have the means to add to our scholarship program.
While we encourage everyone to join all four workshops, we recognize that life happens and that’s not always possible. We will record the workshops and group discussions, but the breakout sessions will not be recorded. You will have access to the recordings + slides if you miss a session or want to review a workshop.
