
Seeing Death Clearly
Seeing Death Clearly is a show that challenges you to think about your beliefs about death, dying, grief, and living life. I am your host, Jill McClennen, a death doula and end-of-life coach. As a death doula, I found through first-hand experience that the more I came to terms with my thoughts and feelings about death and dying, the more present I became in my everyday life and I hope to share that with you too, how you can live a better life by having a healthier relationship with death and dying. Each episode features a guest who shares their beliefs and stories about death and dying. These are honest conversations about a topic most of us avoided talking about our entire lives. I am on a mission to change that, one conversation at a time.
Episodes
107 episodes
Chris Mamone on Acceptance and Resilience
Chris Mamone is an acceptance coach who helps people heal from grief, loss, and trauma so they can find self-acceptance and step into their power. His journey began with profound personal losses that reshaped his life and perspective.
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Episode 106
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44:02

Jessica Fein’s Story of Grief, Family, and Healing
Jessica Fein shares her deeply personal journey of loss, grief, and resilience. Having lost two sisters, three parents, and most recently, her teenage daughter Dahlia—who passed away one week after her 17th birthday—Jessica's life has been p...
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Episode 105
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35:44

Katina Jones on Embracing Grief, Spirituality, and End-of-Life Care
Katina Jones, known as the Purple Priestess, is a reverend with a deep love for the color purple, which she sees as a symbol of spirituality and healing. Everything changed after her mother passed away from ovarian cancer in 1988. At just 22...
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Episode 104
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40:03

End-of-Life Nutrition & Hydration with Hospice Chaplain Hank Dunn
In this episode, I welcome back Hospice Chaplain Hank Dunn. We dive into a crucial yet often misunderstood topic—artificial hydration, nutrition, and voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) at the end of life. We explore how f...
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Episode 103
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40:05

My Life at the Cemetery with Sandy Doyle
Sandra Doyle, author of My Life at the Cemetery: It's Not as Dead as You Think, shares fascinating and unexpected stories from her years working in a cemetery. Her book features 88 captivating tales, ranging from heartwarming to shocki...
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Episode 102
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38:35

Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner with Annie Sklaver Orenstein
In this episode, Annie Sklaver Orenstein shares her personal journey of grief after losing her brother, Ben, in Afghanistan 15 years ago. After his death, Annie found little support for siblings, so she wrote Always a Sibling: The...
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Episode 101
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41:03

Embracing Death and Transformation with Tash Ritz
Tash Ritz joins the conversation from Sydney, where she reflects on her global journey, growing up in New Zealand after being born in South Africa. With over 14 years of experience working in social enterprises, she has helped founders build...
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Episode 100
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43:47

Music, Mortality, and Meaning: The Story of 'Nightside Songs'
In this episode, we are joined by Daniel and Patrick Lazour, the creators of Nightside Songs, and Taibi Magar, the director of its Philadelphia production. Nightside Songs is more than a musical—...
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Episode 99
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36:09

Exploring Memorial Forests with Gillian Nye
In this episode, we explore memorial forests with Gillian Nye. Gillian shares her six years of experience helping families create meaningful, conservation-focused memorials through Better Place Forests. Better P...
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Episode 98
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41:29

Reviving Philadelphia’s Forgotten Mount Vernon Cemetery with Brandon Zimmerman
Brandon Zimmerman shares the fascinating history and challenges of Mount Vernon Cemetery, a hidden gem in North Philadelphia. Established in 1856, this 28-acre cemetery became a predominantly German burial ground, home to over 33,000 graves....
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Episode 97
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43:44

Insights from Medical Medium Marie Miller
Marie Miller, a medical medium and theta healing instructor based near Columbus, Ohio, shares her fascinating journey into the spiritual and healing realms. Her experiences began after a near-death experience as a child, which opened her per...
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Episode 96
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39:05

Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living with Penny Hawkins Smith
Penny Smith, widely known as Hospice Nurse Penny on TikTok, brings over 20 years of experience as a nationally certified hospice nurse and a unique perspective shaped by her late start in nursing at age 40. Now 62, Penny embraces the wisdom ...
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Episode 95
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44:23

End of 2024 Reflections and Our Personal Journey with my husband Stephen Wilson
This episode celebrates a significant milestone: two years of our podcast! Stephen and I reflect on the journey, exploring our growth, challenges, and the remarkable connections we’ve made along the way. A highlight of our conversation is ou...
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Episode 94
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40:19

Living a Life That Matters: From Nazi Nightmare to American Dream
In this episode of Seeing Death Clearly, Holocaust survivor Ben Lesser shares his incredible journey of survival, resilience, and hope. At 96 years old, Ben recounts his story with remarkable detail, leaving no need for questions during this...
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Episode 93
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1:32:37

Liz Fiedler on Grief, Joy, and Entrepreneurship
In this episode, Liz Fiedler shares her remarkable journey of resilience, transformation, and finding joy after profound loss. Raised on a cattle farm in Southwest Minnesota, Liz cultivated a love for agriculture, leadership, and flowers. Li...
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Episode 92
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45:35

Digital Assets, Family Disputes, and Estate Planning Done Right with David Edey
David Edey, a certified executive advisor with over 35 years of experience, joins the podcast to share insights from his book Executor Help: How to Settle an Estate, Pick an Executor, and Avoid Family Fights. Inspired ...
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Episode 91
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42:52

Rebuilding Intimacy After Babyloss with Kate Carson
In this episode, Kate Carson, a love, sex, and relationship coach, shares her transformative journey from scientist to a supportive guide for couples navigating grief and intimacy. After losing her baby at eight months pregnant, she faced th...
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45:52

Estate Planning Reimagined with Adam Zuckerman
Adam Zuckerman has a unique and varied background, holding both a law degree and an MBA. His path took a different turn that led him to his current work, which revolves around estate planning and end-of-life organization.De...
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Episode 89
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45:31

Turning Toward Grief with Grief Coach and Death Midwife Naila Francis
In this episode my guest is Naila Francis, a grief coach, poet, interfaith minister, and community grief tender dedicated to providing compassionate, holistic support for those navigating grief, loss, and dying. Born in Barbados and raised a...
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Episode 88
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47:11

Whitney Chew’s Insights on Death, Burnout, and Healthcare's Gaps
Whitney Chew, born and raised in California, recently moved to New York. As a physician, she completed her residency during the pandemic. However, less than a year after finishing, Whitney realized that being a physician wasn’t her long-term...
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Episode 87
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36:30

How to Create Empowered Endings with Dr. Bob Uslander
Dr. Bob Uslander, based in San Diego, runs a medical practice called Empowered Endings with his wife and partner, Elizabeth. Their work focuses on supporting people through difficult end-of-life journeys and providing personalized in-home ca...
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Episode 86
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46:23

Community-Led Death Care with Kelly Butler
Kelly Butler, based in Ottawa, Ontario, has lived in various parts of Canada and the U.S. She’s a mother of five and has worked in the realm of death and dying for 30 years, starting with hospice work in Atlanta, Georgia. For Kelly, the cycl...
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Episode 84
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38:32

Jill Bodak on Caregiving and Medically Assisted Death
Jill Bodak, an osteopath in Toronto, Ontario, shares the deeply personal story of her father’s stroke in 2020, which flipped her world upside down. His stroke happened unexpectedly while skiing on the other side of the country, and what foll...
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Episode 84
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40:22

David Downie's Journey From HIV Nurse to End of Life Patient Part 2
In this episode, David Downie shares his profound journey, reflecting on his life and health as he nears the end of his time. Now in his 70s, he opens up about his long battle with heart issues, including multiple valve surgeries, and the ch...
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Episode 83
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31:52

David Downie's Journey From HIV Nurse to End of Life Patient Part 1
This episode is the first part of a two part episode where I had a deeply personal conversation with my friend David Downie, a former nurse who worked during the early days of the HIV pandemic. As someone who grew up in the 80s, I was aware ...
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Episode 82
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30:53
