Meet the Living Well Dying Well Team

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The LWDW Training Team

Office Team  Trainer Team   Course Assistants    Assessors   EOL Doula UK Liaision  Directors

Our Office Team

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Nikki Newman

CEO
Nikki began her career in secondary science education, where she was committed to nurturing curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence in young people. She later changed direction into operational business management and finance, spending over a decade in the corporate sector. In 2021, these two experiences came together when she joined LWDW Training, where her skills and values aligned with her belief in the power of meaningful human connection. She is passionate about creating supportive environments where people are trusted in their own process, where diverse lived experiences are valued, and information is held and shared with care.
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Claire-Louise Panis

Learner Experience Coordinator
Over her career, Claire has worked with people across different ages and stages of life from birth, childhood and adolescence and through to older age. Claires background is in care, psychology, counselling, management, therapeutic play and creative arts. She worked for a long time in a Therapeutic Community for Looked After Children and understand the importance of community for healing, growth and development. Claire is keen to combine her passions and skills to support Living Well Dying Well and our Learners, along their journey as they become End of Life Doulas.
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Lisa Hill

Learner Support Cordinator
Lisa joined the LWDW team in September 2022 after completing her End of Life Doula Foundation Training in April 2022. Lisa is a Reiki practitioner and Breathworks trained mindfulness teacher and has previously volunteered as a complementary therapist in a hospice and for a cancer charity. Lisa's career has seen her positioned in many educational roles including science teacher, tutor to mature students, youth worker and education officer for a number of NGOs. She is dedicated to supporting LWDW learners achieve their ambitions in the End of Life Doula field and completed the LWDW End of Life Doula Diploma in February 2024.
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Dr Cathy McCormick

Head of Learning and Certified Trainer
Cathy has a background in education research, teacher training and professional development across the UK, Europe and Canada.  Her research, work and writing has focused on relational intelligence and was the editor of The International Journal of Children’s Spirituality for 20 years.  Cathy spent 5 years working with a charity in Gujarat, India creating and implementing teacher training programmes and establishing an Indian based teacher training team.  She is passionate about holistic education and supporting the growth and relationships of individuals and communities.
Marie Clements

Marie Clements

Course, Events and Social Change Coordinator
Marie has spent over a decade in marketing, education and brand development, with a background that spans wellness, beauty and professional training. She joined Living Well Dying Well following a significant personal experience of loss, a moment that prompted a shift in values and direction, with a deep desire to be part of something more meaningful in a person-centered organisation. Marie brings her creativity, organisational experience and love of meaningful connection to her role, supporting the delivery of our courses and events with care and intention.
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Joanna Davis

Trainer, Assessor, Learning and Curriculum Coordinator
Jo worked as an NHS physiotherapist for over 20 years, eventually specialising in cancer care and end of life care in a hospice. It was a chance reading of the novel "The Book of Two Ways" by Jodi Picoult that introduced Joanna to the role of end of life doula, and she knew immediately this was something meant for her. Further exploration found LWDW and she completed her Foundation Course in 2023. Joanna is wholeheartedly committed to empowering people to explore death and dying in an honest and open way, to enabling people to have autonomy and choice around their own death, and to advocating for death to return to being a human, family and community based experience for those who wish it to be.

Our LWDW Trainers

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Jo Panter

Certified Foundation and Diploma Trainer

Jo Panter

Jo has been a counsellor since 2011 working in the Voluntary Sector and the NHS. She currently teaches counselling part time whilst she is studying her Masters. In recent years she has been drawn to deepen her knowledge around grief and bereavement. 

This led to an interest in the doula role and a passion for supporting individuals and their families around end of life care. Away from the counselling and doula world she has trained in reiki, intuition work and healing.  She is enjoying developing these different pockets of skills together and assisting others starting their own journeys in looking at end of life work .

More About Jo...
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Katrina Taee

Certified Foundation Trainer

Katrina Taee

Katrina www.katrinataee.com has a background in nursing.  Later in life, she trained as a Psychosynthesis Counsellor and became a volunteer counsellor at Thames Hospice alongside running a private practice for 17 years.  She has always been particularly interested in grief and end of life work.  She is the author of Surviving The Tsunami of Grief, her first book.

More About Katrina...
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Grazia Gatti

Certified Foundation Trainer

Grazia

Grazia originally trained as a literary translator in Italy. Being able to travel with her work lead her to the UK, where she eventually embraced her long interest in holistic health and retrained as a homeopath. Since the year 2000 she has been a homeopath in private practice, working with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Throughout her professional life, Grazia has also been involved with adult education, training and facilitation in different settings: she has taught Italian in adult education and translation at MA level, devised professional development courses, and since 2014 she co-creates and facilitates postgraduate courses in homeopathy.

Attending the LWDW Foundation course in 2022 was a seminal experience for Grazia. She strongly shares the fundamental values of respect, empowerment and inclusivity that are at the core of LWDW trainings. She is passionate about opening up the conversation about death and dying in society and reclaiming end of life as a part of our shared human experience. Being part of the team facilitating the Foundation course is for Grazia a beautiful way of reaching out to all kinds of people and contributing to this important conversation.

More About Grazia...
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El Ledingham

Certified Foundation Trainer and Diploma Trainer

El

El has diverse experiences in volunteering, travel and work including adult learning, training, analysis and relationship management.

In each experience she gained a deeper understanding that death, dying and loss connect all of us - yet it’s what is least understood, talked about and prepared for.

A series of her own life events led El to Living Well Dying Well and completion of a transformational LWDW foundation course in 2023. El is now working in, and training for a range of roles, including as an LWDW trainer, to enable her to support others facing transitional phases in life.
In the event of spare time El encourages discussion and performs spoken word around love, loss, death and dying.

More About El...
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Nicci del Rio

Certified Foundation Trainer

Nicci del Rio

Nicci’s background has involved many varied paths and today she facilitate meditation groups in both the charity and private sectors alongside volunteering for Shout; an online crisis text line.  Her journey has had the transition of death as a constant companion, experiencing the beauty, the magic, the wonder as well as the sadness and rawness of grief which accompanies each and every death.  Nicci’s experience of the LWDW Training was an experience she said she will never forget; being transformational. She is inspired to emulate those from whom she learnt and look forwards to helping create a space where others can similarly explore and deepen their understanding and awareness of how to lovingly care and support someone, their family and their community into the greatest mystery we all one day will take.

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Mangala Holland

Mangala Holland

LWDW Foundation Trainer

Mangala

Mangala has an extensive background in teaching, coaching and training. For the last 12 years she has been running an international business focused on female sexual wellbeing, body-based wisdom and empowerment. She is passionate about breaking down taboos in society, and creating safe spaces for people to do inner, tender, deep work so that they can meet life’s challenges with integrity and authenticity. A lifelong interest in death and dying led her to complete the Foundation training, which she completed in 2024.

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Jeannie Grant

Jeannie Grant

LWDW Foundation Trainer

Mangala

Jeannie has worked as a nurse and carer for 20 years. She has always really enjoyed caring for people. The majority of her nursing has been spent working in palliative care for the NHS and Hospice providing care, working on improvement projects and facilitating/teaching. Jeannie believes that everyone should have access to open conversations, knowledge about choices and compassionate care at end of life, where the person is at the heart of it all. Learning about LWDW and taking part in training has given Jeannie so much enthusiasm that this may become more possible. Jeannie lives in the highlands and loves wild weather, open spaces, swimming in lochs, seeing the seasons change whilst walking her dog, and playing with her daughters.

More About Jeannie...
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Our LWDW Trainers are unique.
As individuals they bring with them expertise in the EoL Doula role, as well as comprehensive facilitation skills.

Our LWDW Course Assistants

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Nicola

Nicola

Over the last forty years both as a Nurse, and in  her personal life, Nicola has learnt that we should try to live and die as fully and richly as our circumstances allow – she feels that death is an integral part of living and that LWDW helps others become more informed and enabled to support both family, friends and community.  She found the foundation course transformational and is looking forward to further training.

More About Nicola...
Karen LWDW Trainer

Karen

Karen

Karen has been a holistic physiotherapist for over twenty years, specialising predominantly in older people’s rehabilitation with forays into health and social care management, end of life work and carer support. Having always known she would return at some point to end of life work she eventually found herself training with LWDW.

Karen has practised massage, acupuncture and healing over the years and is a great user of essential oils, bringing together all of these aspects of care in supporting those who are dying and those who matter to them. She is passionate about bringing death and dying back into the conversation and back into our communities. It is a great privilege for her to support others starting their journey into end of life work.

More About Karen...
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Leo

Leo

Leo has a background, spanning 20+ years, within the film and television industry, where they began their career within the Art Department. From lived experienced Leo founded and co-developed a new role that works alongside producers and production companies. Helping them meet their legal duty of care, the role of WellBeing Facilitator lends itself to supporting, guiding, coaching and signposting thousands of film crew and cast members when it comes to their mental health whilst at work.

From this work, along with supporting family and friends during periods of grief and bereavement, Leo was inspired to connect with LWDW, completing the Foundation level  and train as a therapist with CPCAB. As a trainee therapist Leo is looking to focus on Gestalt and somatic techniques and theory, having been inspired by their various experiences at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

Outside of working life Leo enjoys baking bread, reading therapeutic academic books, poetry, has written 53 journals to date, regularly expresses themselves at 5 Rhythms classes, and practices Vipassana meditation as much as possible. Leo loves to make sure that various travel adventures are organised around working contracts, as well as getting cosy at home (no matter the season) to watch Gilmore Girls!

More About Leo...
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Louise

Louise

In 2023, Louise founded Mortality Education CIC in memory of her mother, with the aim of opening sensitive conversations in the community about death, dying, grief, loss, and change. A passionate advocate for Advance Planning, she completed the EOL Doula UK Foundation Course in July 2022 to further her knowledge and impact in this area. Outside of her work, Louise volunteers at the local hospice and enjoys open-water swimming, ladies boxing, and knitting. She shares her life in the West Midlands with her husband and two dogs.

More About Louise...
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Julie

Jeannie

Julie has a background in cancer nursing, cancer research and end of life care within the NHS, private sector and Life sciences industries. 

She is passionate about the delivery of good quality care and having worked with those affected by cancer for many years has a deep understanding of the need for clear and honest communication, good relationship building, informed choice and holistic care.  

Julie has taught, mentored and supervised many nurses and healthcare professionals over the years.  She enjoys teaching practical skills, working a alongside her students both in the workplace and classroom.  She has facilitated communication skills training and palliative care training with professionals across the healthcare sector. Julie is keen to bring her nursing, communication skills teaching and passion for providing safe, high quality care to the LWDW team.

More About Julie...
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Rachel

Rachel

Rachel is an artist, end-of-life doula, and shroud maker based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Passionate about nature, she enjoys foraging and making things using natural materials. Rachel understands death and grief as integral parts of the life cycle, and in her practice uses creativity to explore and honor this wholeness. Dedicated to supporting others through loss, she leads regular grief circles in her community and finds deep fulfilment in being able to offer training on death, dying, and grief.

More About Rachel...
Kevin

Kevin

Kevin

Kevin has worked in the art department for the Film & TV industry for 31 years. His life took a sharp about-turn in direction 11 years ago when suddenly needing to care for his dying sister, followed by his mother in quick succession. He has since cared for a close friend who died in his local hospice where he has now volunteered weekly for 3 years.

He came to the LWDW Foundation course in 2023 and is currently completing his diploma case studies, while training to become an Assistant Trainer for LWDW.

The tools & skills taught by LWDW have enabled & empowered him to become his father’s primary carer & end of life companion. Those skills have enabled him to manage his grief, rather than be consumed by it. He lives in northwest Kent with his partner, while continuing to parent his sister’s daughter.

More About Kevin...
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Interested in being part of the team?

We're always keen to hear from people who would like to join our Training Team.

Before Applying we ask that you have experience in training/education/facilitation, preferably in an adult learning environment.  We also ask that you have an understanding and experience in supporting someone at death. All applicants should have completed the LWDW Foundation training and been awarded the LWDW Training Progression Assignment Certificate.

Request more information

Our LWDW Assessors and Quality Assurers

Jenny Engstrom Baron

Jenny Engstrom Baron

Diploma Assessor

Jenny Engstrom Baron

Jenny is an End of Life Doula and a dementia befriending volunteer with a particular interest in human rights-informed, relationship-centred dementia care. Before training as a Doula, she taught international relations and conflict resolution at several universities in London. Ever since she was a child, Jenny has been an avid reader and occasional writer. In addition to a PhD in international relations, she holds an MA in creative non-fiction writing. 

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Sarah Wardell

Sarah Wardell

Diploma Assessor

Sarah Wardell

Sarah is an End of Life Doula with a background in social work, including five years as a palliative care social worker in a local hospice, and is currently working as a practice educator for student and newly qualified social workers.  Additionally, Sarah is trained in Adlerian Therapy and works in private practice as a counsellor in the Marches (www.spaceintime.co.uk).  Sarah has always held an interest in supporting and walking alongside people nearing the end of their lives or those who have been bereaved.

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Caroline Morris

Caroline Morris

Lead IQA

Caroline Morris

Caroline has a background in nursing, and has worked across the health and social care sector prior to becoming involved in training and education. Caroline is now very involved in qualification development and review, and with supporting centres as their EQA. She has always been particularly interested in grief and end of life work; volunteering with Cruse Bereavement Support and developing end of life qualifications and resources for Awarding Organisations.

Caroline is thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to contribute to the training team.

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Sarah Hill

Sarah Hill

Diploma Assessor

Sarah HIll

Sarah comes to End of Life Doula practice with a background in Occupational Therapy. She is passionate about supporting people to live life their way.  

Person centred practice is at the core of all that she offers; she trained with Helen Sanderson Associates many years ago whilst living and working in Hong Kong, China and Singapore.  

She is experienced in supporting children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and has a special interest in 24-hour postural care and the protection of body shape; introducing and delivering accredited training for person centred Postural Care and Person Centred thinking & planning as well as supporting and coaching families, educators, therapists, carers and others across many settings. She continues to offer consultancy in these areas.  

Sarah discovered Living Well Dying Well in 2017 and realized her way of being in the world and experience of supporting people to live life their way aligned with the LWDW person centred approach to the end of life, the Doula Values and Doing Death Differently.  

She has a personal and professional story of being present with people nearing the end of their lives and those who have been bereaved. She has a history of being a bereavement volunteer for Cruse and she is currently a hospice volunteer befriender for people at the end of life and a member of a local hospice spiritual support team.  

She co-designs and co-facilitates sessions with the hospice compassionate communities & engagement lead for staff and volunteers that offer the time and space to consider spirituality.  

Additionally, Sarah has supported her practice and curiosity for life story narratives with post graduate training in person centred counselling and narrative therapy. We are all more than one story; however, all our stories will end in death, dying and grief. She is interested in the ‘Living Well’ and the importance of bringing death, dying and grief into everyday conversations to raise awareness and source opportunities for ‘Dying Well’.

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Daniel Butlin

Daniel Butlin

Diploma Assessor

Daniel Butlin

With a previous 15 year background in dry stone walling, stonework and environmental conservation, Daniel has more recently worked as a person-centered support worker for adults with autism and mental health needs, he spent 12 months as a live-in volunteer at a therapeutic community and has volunteered in an ex-offender support role. Daniel has taught and tutored dry stone walling techniques and traditional building skills in South Yorkshire and France, and led groups of volunteers in restoring historic dry stone buildings and walls. The dedication, passion and eye for detail needed to become a craftsman are now being applied to his doula and assessor work. 

Being present with his father in the final stages of his life and experiencing a profound sense of purpose and connection was the moment that inspired him to become a doula. He has since volunteered at a hospice in Wales, and is currently offering doula services in the West Sussex area.

More About Daniel...
Tree Carr

Tree Carr

Diploma Assessor

Tree Carr

Tree is a published author and TEDx speaker working at the intersection of dreams, death, altered states of consciousness, and psychedelic-assisted therapy within the field of Transpersonal Psychology. She is a graduate of the Alef Trust’s programme in Psychedelics, Altered States & Transpersonal Psychology with Dr. David Luke, and is a Living Well Dying Well - End of Life Doula.
Tree has also pursued studies in Ecology, Spirituality, and the Paranormal with Dr. Jack Hunter at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, University of Wales Trinity Saint David. 

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Aga Marek

Aga Marek

Diploma Assessor

Aga Marek

Agnieszka is a certified Psychotherapist and End-of-Life Doula with an MSc in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Transpersonal Psychology. Her work is rooted in compassion, deep listening, and a reverence for life’s natural cycles. Drawing from psychodynamic and transpersonal approaches, as well as shamanic traditions, she supports individuals in navigating life’s profound transitions with presence, authenticity, and care. She is part of the NHS-commissioned End-of-Life Doula project in Southwest London, where she offers compassionate presence and holistic support to individuals and their families during life’s final transitions. Her passion lies in walking her own path of healing and growth with integrity, allowing her personal journey to deepen the way she supports others in embracing their own path toward peace, wholeness, and the deeper essence of being. 

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Jo Rendall

Jo Rendell

Progression Assignment Assessor

Jo Rendell

Jo has over 20 years’ experience in teaching, assessment and learner support, specialising in ESOL adult education. She also works as an Internal Quality Assurer, designing training and streamlining processes to ensure clarity, fairness and consistency. 

Having completed the foundation Doula training, Jo volunteers at Pilgrims Hospice, where she provides compassionate ward support and contributes to the development of new community support volunteer roles. She brings together her skills in guidance, reflection and quality assurance to create a supportive and encouraging environment for learners on their training journey. 

More About Jo...
Karen Parry

Karen Parry

Progression Assignment Assessor

Karen Parry

I'm Karen and I am based in the North East of England. I have spent most of my career working in the field of disability rights, leading voluntary sector organisations. As a Doula I specialise in offering accessible, inclusive support to learning disabled people and LGBTQIA+ communities.

More About Karen...
Anita

Progression Assignment Assessor

Anita Gardner

Anita Gardner is a passionate advocate for equity, creativity, and person-centred practice, with over 20 years’ experience in education, therapeutic facilitation, and internal quality assurance. Holding a BA, an MSc, and multiple postgraduate diplomas, she brings a diverse background in the arts, ecopsychology, counselling, SEND, and trauma-informed practice to her work.

Anita has supported children, families, and learners — from early years to adult education — across the UK and overseas, including disadvantaged communities. With expertise in community learning, accreditation, and creative facilitation, she creates safe, inclusive spaces that celebrate diversity and wellbeing, helping every individual grow and thrive.

More About Anita...

EoLDoula UK Liaison

Dr Emma Clare

Dr Emma Clare

Chief Executive Officer, End of Life Doula UK
Emma is a Chartered Psychologist with a PhD in Health Psychology, focusing on death competency in healthcare professionals and end of life doulas. She has been training and practising as a doula since 2018 and is in the final stages of completing her LWDW diploma. As CEO of EoLDUK, Emma works closely with the LWDW leadership team to support learners in joining the EoLDUK community and to ensure a smooth path from training to practice. Emma is based in North Yorkshire and brings a background in mental health, looked after children’s services, autism and learning disability services, and social care, alongside a deep commitment to returning death and dying to compassionate, community-based settings.

Our LWDW Directors

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Dr Hermione Elliott

Director and Lead Trainer
Hermione has a background in nursing, midwifery, counselling, palliative care and training and is the founder of Living Well, Dying Well. She has worked internationally and lived in Japan for four years, where her book Gan No Serufu Hiringu, a self-help guide for people with cancer, was published. She is passionate about care of the whole person – physical, emotional and spiritual – and about upholding dignity and self-determination at every stage of life.  She pioneered the End of Life Doula Training in the UK.
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Sue Robinson

LWDW Training Director
Sue's professional work was in charge of community-based nursing in several areas of London. She was inspired to complement this experience by completing the LWDW Doula training and then assisting in the development of LWDW Trainers' Training programme. She organises, with others, an annual community-led festival on death and dying - "Pushing up Daisies" - and is passionate about End of Life care.
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