Stephanie Crawford, RN

My nursing career began in 2016 on a busy Bay Area hospital unit, where I received my first introduction to end-of-life in our healthcare system. I cared for older adult patients who returned to the hospital time and time again to have aggressive surgeries for cancer recurrence, often leaving them more physically unwell than they were prior to surgery. I often wondered if any of their doctors had talked to them about the option to prioritize comfort and quality of life instead of another invasive intervention.

During my time working in the hospital, I witnessed deaths that were chaotic, unprepared for, and traumatizing for the patient, their loved ones, and the medical staff. Intuitively, I knew that death had the opportunity to unfold differently. It was becoming increasingly difficult for me - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - to serve as a nurse in an environment that overlooked the potential for people to live out their final chapter in a more peaceful and intentional way.

It wasn’t until a major shift in my own life that forced me to re-evaluate who I am and how to best be in service to others. While it was not a physical death that caused this shift, I experienced a deep emotional and spiritual transformation following the death of a life I once knew.

Grief and loss became my teachers as I created meaning and discovered renewed purpose during an otherwise dark and difficult time. I knew after this experience that I wanted to help others do the same.

These experiences led me to hospice nursing and the birth of my Death Doula practice, Awakened Endings. I have cared for people dying from different types of cancer, Alzheimer's dementia, heart failure, lung disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Caring for the dying has taught me that death is not the enemy, but rather a companion who is here to teach and guide us throughout our lives. 

Mission & Vision

Awakened Endings dreams of a world where we honor death as a sacred transition, a ceremonial rite of passage that is revered and tended to by loved ones and community members. Where we allow death to connect us to the natural world, reminding us that life moves in cycles and not in perpetuity. Where we move away from death-phobia and normalize conversations about the end of our lives, early and often. Where we return to myth and story-telling as a way of unburdening ourselves from reason and logic in the face of death. Where we use death as the final teaching moment, instructing future generations how to resource themselves for their own transitions and progress. Where we invite death to unify us in our experience as human beings.

Awakened Endings is committed to supporting those with terminal illnesses or nearing the end of life through a process of emotional and spiritual healing in order to move toward a state of peace. Facing terminal illness or the end of life can be a time filled with fear and suffering, not only for the ill person but also for their caregivers and loved ones. It is through growing our capacity to be with this suffering, as well as rediscovering moments of deep presence and beauty, that we are able to experience transformative healing. Through gentle mindfulness practices, thoughtful inquiry, unbiased education, and practical support, Awakened Endings is dedicated to helping you transition with a sense of wholeness and peace.

unsplash-image-5wxay7D7yjE.jpg

Imagine if you were able to experience healing, and return to a sense of wholeness despite incurable illness.

Imagine if you were able to experience dying as an authentic and intentional reflection of your unique end of life wishes.

Imagine if you were able to use your last few months or weeks of life to arrive at a state of love, peace, and completion.

Credentials & Coursework

Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), 2016

Stanford Hospital Registered Nurse, 2016-2020

Narrative Health Coaching, Bauman College, Berkeley, CA, 2019

National End of Life Doula Alliance (NEDA) member, 2021

Going with Grace End of Life Doula Training, 2021

Last Acts of Kindness, UCSF Meri Center, 2021

Befriending Death and Dying in Therapeutic Practice, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2022

ACAMAID, Nursing Best Practice for Medical Aid in Dying, 2023

Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness with David Treleaven, 2023

Yoga Teacher Training 500-hr with Lesley Desaulniers, 2023-2024

Yoga Nidra with Dr. Marc Halpern, California College of Ayurveda, 2023

Practices for Living An Awakened Life Through Mindfulness of Death with Nikki Mirghafori, PhD, 2024

Death Literacy Specialist Training with Francesca Arnoldy, 2024