Mission
The IDLM Tree of Life Conference is dedicated to providing doulas and end-of-life professionals with the utmost level of education and expertise, ensuring a global impact.
Vision
The IDLM Tree of Life Conference envisions a future where communities at the end of life experience positive transformations, through the provision of knowledge and the enhancement of individual doula practices.
Cost
IDLM
Student & Graduates: $400.00
Non-IDLM: $550.00
Sign up by 05/30/2024 for a payment plan. After 06/01/2024 must pay in full.
Embassy Suite by Hilton San Antonio Brooks Hotel & Spa
- Rates: $189/night + taxes
- Pet-Friendly - $75.00 per stay
- 10% discount on all spa services for attendees
- Free parking & made-to-order breakfast
- Complimentary Evening Reception
IDLM is excited to hold our 1st Annual Conference. The 2024 conference will be held in person in San Antonio, Texas on November 1-4, 2024.
Speakers and Topics
Barbara Karnes
Keynote Speaker
Frances S Hall
Adult Children of Aging Parents
Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly
A Relationship Based Approach in Dementia Care
Tony Lynch
A Deep Dive into Men’s Grief
Benny Capaul & Nick Capaul
Suicidality and Existential Occupation
Heather Harmon
2025 is YOUR Year!
Lisa Pahl
Difficult Conversations Made Easier
Helen Bauer
Being Human in a Hospice World
Toula Saratsis
Pediatric Path for Community Based Sustainable EOL
Alex Casas
The Crucial Role of Death Doulas in Latino Communities
Linda McDowell
The Sacredness of the Holistic Dying process
Tami Lodgson
Talking with Children about Death
Brenda and Nancy, Odonata Care
Care is Treatment
Sam Madison
Advanced Planning
Dr. Daniel J Wescott
Body Donation
Bradley Berman
Director
Bradley Berman received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University and a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television from New York University. For the past two decades, his work focused on writing and producing non-fiction content about transportation, cars and urban design. Berman’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, MIT Technology Review, Popular Mechanics, and U.S. News & World Report.
In 2017, he made his directorial debut with NAT BATES FOR MAYOR, a feature documentary that screened at film festivals across the U.S. and aired on public television’s “Truly CA” series.
Jack Has A Plan
Industry leaders include:
Barbara Karnes
RN Award Winning End of Life Educator, Award Winning Nurse, NHPCO Hospice Innovator Award Winner 2018 & 2015 International Humanitarian Woman of the Year
Barbara’s award winning DVDs and books about death and dying are changing lives – in this country and around the world. In her work, Barbara compassionately explains stages of the dying process, living with a life threatening illness, pain management, and how people grieve. She explains how important it is to take care of yourself as a caregiver and offers guidelines for professionals.
Alex Casas
Founder of Pale Hearse, Innovator of Cool Cubes Mobile Morgues
With over 12 years of diverse experience in the field, Alex’s expertise spans from high-volume care centers, medical examiner offices, funeral homes of various denominations, and cemeteries. Her journey includes a profound understanding of home funerals and natural burials, reflecting a deep-seated belief in the power of authentic, empowering, and ceremonial experiences for families.
Heather Harmon
I’ve always been intrigued with death. Not in a weird way, but
in a way that somehow brought calm upon my soul when I was in a graveyard (okay…maybe a wee bit weird for some people!). In 2005 I had an experience that continues to haunt me to this day, but as my story unfolded so did my path forward. I dove head first into studying end of life
and landed on becoming a death doula. My deep need to help people combined with a relentless determination has led me to today. I’m not only immersed in helping people learn about death doulas but I’m an avid planner and coach.
Helen Bauer, BSN RN CHPN
End of Life Educator and Advocate, Host of The Heart of Hospice Podcast
With a deep understanding of the challenges and beauty inherent in end of life care, Helen Bauer brings a wealth of knowledge and empathy to her conversations with experts, caregivers, and those impacted by hospice care. She’s been a nurse for over 30 years, specializing in hospice and end of life care since 2009. She’s a Certified Hospice and Palliative Registered Nurse with experience in patient care, nursing management, quality, and compliance. Her passion for advocacy at end of life can be heard on The Heart of Hospice podcast, facilitating discussions that inspire, educate, and foster connection. Helen’s unwavering commitment to providing a platform for meaningful conversations about hospice care has made her a trusted voice in the field, offering solace and support to countless individuals and families facing the journey of end of life care.
Lisa Pahl
Lisa Pahl is co-creator of The Death Deck (thedeathdeck.com) and The E•O•L Deck; games that inspire meaningful conversations on what matters most in our lives and in our deaths. Lisa is also an expert contributor for Help Texts which provides expert grief and mental health support via text messages. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over seventeen years of experience in hospice and seven years in emergency medicine, Lisa helps people cope with illness, dying, and grief. With a passionate belief that peace at the end begins with meaningful conversations over time, Lisa engages people in talking about and preparing for this important
stage of life.
Brenda and Nancy
Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurses (CHPN)
Brenda and Nancy are both registered nurses with a baccalaureate in nursing science. They are each nationally accredited Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurses (CHPN).
Brenda and Nancy hold over 40 years of hospice experience and are both certified hospice and palliative nurses. They are co-founders of Odonata Care and creators of the Booklet The Care Plan.
Sam Madison
co-founder and COO
Sam Madison is a co-founder and COO of Thanacare where he is dedicated to supporting end-of-life doulas with technology to enable modern advance care planning and continued professionalization. Sam lost his mother when he was a child and that experience fuels his passion for creating patient-centric solutions to improve how we die. Partnering with innovative end-of-life doulas strengthens Thanacare’s mission to scale a more graceful death for all.
Tony Lynch
Founder
Tony is the Founder of the non-profit Memories of Us LTD. Grief support for men, The Global Grief Network, a resource for the bereaved. He is also the host of the podcast Grief Let’s Talk About It. He is also a Certified Suicide Interventionalist, Peer Recovery Coach, Mental Health First Aider and a Men’s Grief Coach.
Dr. Daniel J Wescott
I am a biological anthropologists with a research focus on developing and testing forensic anthropological methods for reconstructing biological profiles, trauma patterns, and the post mortem interval. I also use long bone biomechanics to reconstruct activity patterns and behavior in past populations, and test hypotheses regarding changes in human skeletal morphology due to evolutionary and secular forces. I am also a dedicated teacher and mentor with experience directing undergraduate and graduate (MA, MS, PhD) students.
Toula Saratis
Toula is a Certified End-of-Life Doula who specializes in perinatal and pediatric palliative care, end-of-life, and after death care support. She was called to this work in 2016 after her daughter Angelica’s anticipated passing from a life limiting condition at nearly seven years old. Her outreach to others is rooted in advocacy that parallels activism through Community Death Care Education.
Linda Muhammad McDowell
RN, Metaphysical Minister, Yoga instructor, Reiki Master, Certified Holistic Life Coach, a Pain Management Coach, and End of Life Doula and Instructor
Linda has been in the business of assisting others to become the best version of themselves for over the past 30 years. Her unique blend of coaching incorporates all of the various modalities and skill sets she has mastered over the years, to empower her clients to achieve phenomenal results. Linda and her husband Dave are the administrators of a Facebook group that supports end of life caregivers. Linda now adds an author to her skill set, as she is one of the collaborating authors for this enlightening book. “She Who Listens to the Whispers in the Wind, Finds the Treasures that Lie Within”. This book provides wisdom to anyone who reads it. Her second book, “Letters To The Woman I Was” is an inspirational book that encourages the reader to go back to their past, their present, and their future to address the issues that hold us back from being the best version of ourselves.
Tami Logsdon
LPC-S
Tami is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor with 14 years’ of experience working with adolescents in inpatient, school, and detention settings. Tami’s passion is bereavement support for children, adolescents, and adults. Specialties include bereavement counseling following death by suicide utilizing narrative therapy combined with expressive arts therapy. Tami is the Director of Grief Support and Education for the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, located in San Antonio, Texas and regularly presents on children’s grief for local school districts, and
has presented for Texas Social Workers Conference in 2021 and National Alliance for Children’s Grief Symposium in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023.
Management skills include intake and assessment, case management, treatment planning, intern supervision, and program development.
Benny & Dr. Nick Capaul
Let's Talk about death podcast
From a fourth-generation funeral home come the voices of youthful identical twins who fearlessly tackle a subject often considered taboo: Death. Following in his funeral director father’s footsteps, Benny Capaul brings a modern perspective to the profession, while Dr. Nick Capaul, a psychologist, offers insights into helping people cope with loss. With a shared upbringing surrounded by the funeral profession, they’ve gained extensive experience and knowledge. Their distinct perspectives and humor blend effortlessly, making discussions about funeral planning, grieving, and death truly engaging and entertaining. In their words, “If you’re not talking about death, you’re not living.”
Stay Tuned for More Guests!
*IDLM Tree of Life Conference may find it necessary to substitute a presenter with comparable expertise on those rare occasions necessitated by illness, unforeseen scheduling conflicts, or extraordinary occurrences.
Cancellation Policy: Early Bird Registrations are nonrefundable. Refund requests must be submitted in writing and postmarked no later than June 1, 2024. A $75 processing fee will be applied for all refunds. Requests postmarked after June 1, 2024, will not be honored. All refunds will be processed 30 days after the conference concludes. In the event of unforeseeable circumstances that lead to the cancellation by the conference organizers, all registration fees will be credited to the rescheduled conference.
