Because of our inherent susceptibility due to the nature of our work, it's really important for end-of-life doulas and grief specialists to be able to recognize the signs of compassion fatigue and have some resourcing in place for how to recharge and process. It's also key that we have measures in place for when we may need to take extended periods off. Compassion fatigue is real. It's happened to me, caring for my husband Jonathan with Alzheimer's. It happens to people that I know who are working in the field. So what do we do about that?

When grief strikes, it's disruptive. There are changes in your brain, in the rest of your physiology and also in your emotional state - all resulting in altered behavior. Because you often don't recognize what's happening, these behaviors creep up on you in your ever-effort of pushing down or avoiding the feelings of isolation, pain and loneliness…But if you don't even know you're grieving, how can you begin to take steps toward recovery? Read on to learn some signs that you may be experiencing grief that needs to be explored.

You may think end-of-life doulas are only for the last days before death or at least when there has been a terminal diagnosis, but they can actually be engaged at various points long before death. Here's how and when they can help.