Why I Have Moved Towards Existential Integration (And How It Differs from Therapy)

From "Doing" to "Being"

For a while, my work as a Death Doula focused on the logistics of dying (mainly, the advance care plans and helping people manage the logistics). This work is sacred and necessary.

But over time, I noticed a deeper hunger in my clients.

They didn't just need help navigating the medical system. They needed help navigating the internal wilderness of mortality. They were grappling with a terror and a grief that no amount of logistical planning could solve.

My Roots in Somatic Practice

This shift towards "Being" is not new for me; it is a return to my roots.

For over two decades, I have been a facilitator of movement and meditation, working with diverse groups of all ages and life experiences. I have witnessed again and again that the body holds wisdom that the mind cannot access.

Whether I was working with young people or elders, I saw that true regulation doesn't come from talking about a problem. It comes from feeling safety in the nervous system. I bring this twenty years of somatic facilitation into every Existential Integration session. We are not just talking heads; we are breathing bodies.

Why "Existential Integration" instead of "Integrative Grief Support"?

Previously, I offered "Integrative Grief Support." While valuable, I realised this title created a barrier. It implied that you had to be actively mourning a death to walk through my door.

But what about the fear of your own death? What about the dread of a future loss? What about the spiritual crisis of simply being alive in a fragile body?

I pivoted to Existential Integration to cast a wider net.

• Grief Support is for when the loss has happened.

• Existential Integration is for the entire human experience of mortality.

You don't need to wait until someone dies to do this work. If you are feeling the weight of the unknown, the fear of the end, or the vertigo of existence, this space is for you.

"Is this Therapy?"

This is the most common question I get. Therapy (generally) focuses on your story. It looks at your past, your relationships, and your psychological patterns. It is top-down (mind to body). Existential Integration is often bottom-up (body to mind).

We work somatically. We don't just talk about your fear of death; we find where that fear lives in your ribcage. We don't just analyse your grief; we breathe into the shape of it.

This work is deeply complementary to therapy. Your therapist helps you understand your life; I help you land in your existence.