Member Profile

Rev. Joelle Johns is a death midwife and spiritual caregiver who has walked alongside individuals and families at the end of life since 2009. Trained through both the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula program and INELDA, Joelle has served as a death midwife since 2018, bringing deep presence, practical wisdom, and compassionate support to those navigating dying, death, and grief.
With a Master of Divinity and board certifications as a Clinical Chaplain and Spiritual Counselor, Joelle’s practice is rooted in both pastoral care and pragmatic support. Her years of hospice chaplaincy are informed by earlier work as a psychiatric and geriatric social worker, geriatric care manager, elder guardian, and administrator within skilled nursing and community-based elder services. This comprehensive background allows her to bridge clinical, spiritual, and social dimensions of end-of-life care.
Joelle also holds certifications in Pastoral Thanatology and Grief Counseling and is committed to educating the wider community about death, dying, and the art of accompaniment. She regularly teaches death education workshops and is currently developing a unique curriculum for death doulas, which includes apprenticeship components and thoughtful attention to the complex, and sometimes difficult, realities of dying that are often left unspoken.
Through all of her work, Joelle remains guided by a deep belief in dignified, person-centered care; supporting not only a good death, but an honest and fully human one.