Member Profile

Vanessa Johnston has been an End-of-Life Doula in the Denver metro area since 2017. She completed training with INELDA, holds a NEDA Proficiency Badge, and has served as the NEDA Rocky Mountain regional facilitator. She is the co-founder and former Vice-President of the Colorado End-of-Life Collaborative nonprofit organization. She has facilitated local Death Cafes, volunteered with area hospices, and currently serves on the Advisory Council for both End-of-Life Options Colorado and Compassion & Choices. She often gives presentations on many facets of the Death Positive Movement to any receptive audience.

As a death doula, Vanessa offers individualized emotional, spiritual, and informational support for those with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones. Her passion is to help those who are dying approach their final milestone with love and meaning instead of fear and anxiety. She seeks to be a compassionate companion and serve as a witness in sacred service to honor the final chapter in others’ stories. She specializes in providing guidance and supportive assistance for those choosing MAID (Medical Aid in Dying) or VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking). She is a death educator and shares her knowledge about sustainable death care practices such as green burial, water cremation, and natural organic reduction through frequent presentations to community groups.