Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanne Marie Bredestege.
Jeanne Marie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first became interested in helping dying people as a student in the bodywork program at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. They had a very close relationship with San Diego Hospice. After graduating from PCOM, I became a volunteer for San Diego Hospice. After about a year of volunteering, I became paid staff at SDH.
My role was educating dying people and their loved ones about hospice services and facilitating their admission to hospice services. When San Diego Hospice closed, I went back to doing bodywork full time, but I always retained an interest in serving dying people.
Last year, I qualified to take the exam and become a Certified Thanatologist, that is, one who specializes in death, dying, and bereavement. I am now prepared to assist people at any stage of the process, from very early pre-planning, to navigating family discussions, making end of life care decisions, accompanying the actively dying person, and assisting with home funeral services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge is in educating people about why they need my services. As much as death is something of a “hot topic” right now, most people still don’t want to talk about it. The fact is that if a terminally ill person has a great support system in place—friends, family, and health professionals—they don’t really need me, and that’s great! But many people still experience isolation and confusion, and that’s where I can be of assistance. By unifying and facilitating the support system that is already there, I can help make the most of a difficult situation
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am happy to say that I am not alone in offering services like this in San Diego! There is a small but growing alliance of people like me, with various backgrounds and training, who are ready to help people facing the end of life. I am currently the only Certified Thanatologist in the area serving as an End of Life Guide. I am a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the San Diego County Coalition for Improving End of Life Care, the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California, and the National Home Funeral Alliance. If issues arise that I cannot help with, I am prepared to offer referrals to someone who can. My background in hospice and knowledge of hospice processes and services enable me to communicate well with all participants in an individual’s care.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am working on forming a true alliance with my fellow independent end of life practitioners here in San Diego. Currently we exist as a Face Book group, but I believe a more formal organization will prove useful for the community. I also envision a permanent space where people can drop in during “office hours” and discuss any death-related topic that they are interested in or need information about. And if I ever get my Master’s in Library and Information Science, look for the first Library of Death and Dying in San Diego!
Pricing:
- $50/hour for the first two hours
- $30/hour thereafter
Contact Info:
- Address: 8558 La Mesa Boulevard
La Mesa, CA 91942 - Website: jmbredestege.com
- Phone: 619-889-6446
- Email: jbredestege@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmbredestege/
Image Credit:
Lucy Ellison
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