I’m here to guide you through life’s transitions.
As a mad, crip, death and transformation care worker + consultant, I'm here to help you as a friend, peer, and community member. How can we work together to ease the challenging transitions you might be going through?
Change is hard.
From the words of our late disabled ancestor, Stacey Park Milbern, a crip doula supports and mentors disabled people (either newly disabled or someone becoming further/more disabled— or hell, a person who might be dealing with their disabilities during a significant life change.) When I talk about being a mad, crip transformation care worker and consultant, I am referring and adding to the work of existing doulas such as Project LETS director, Stefanie Lyn Kaufman Mthimkhulu and author Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. I do not like using the word doula, as it is the Greek word for female slave, instead I describe what I do is as care work. Here are some of the things I can offer you in the process of your life’s transitions.
Note: The work that I do is that of a community care worker. I am not a licensed professional healthcare provider or therapist. As such, I do not provide clinical or medical advice, nor do I have training. I can provide emotional, spiritual, informational and physical (if located in the NYC area) support and guidance for individuals and groups. Please refer to my ethos to get a better idea about the values I bring to my work.
Who I Work With
I work with people from all walks of life. However, I have a strong interest in working with other chronically ill people, queer and disabled folks navigating healthcare, individuals and families facing end-of-life care and decisions, and people in non-traditional relationship structures (or even curious or wanting to explore) who need a third party to listen and hold space for them.
Due to share lived experiences, I might be a great fit working with: queer, disabled, fat, neurodivergent and BIPOC clients who have spent years translating themselves to providers or society and want care from someone who empathizes and shares context. As a Filipine-American, first (or second, depending who you ask) generation Asian-American practitioner with lived experience in chronic illness, polyamory and patient advocacy, I would work well with clients who are seeking trauma-informed, culturally humble and aware support that doesn’t ask them to start from scratch to explain their lives.
If what you need isn’t on this page, but you think I might be able to help, please feel free to write to me.
How I can support you
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Whether you need to talk to someone for a single conversation or a sustained partnership, here’s how working together might look like.
One-Off Sessions & Support
A single session for individuals, partners or families who need one focused conversation, second opinion or help navigating a specific topic. Best for those who want a one-time consultation before deciding whether or not to go deeper. You are able to record. and download the session.
First Session: Minimum 1 hour
If you decide to continue working with me, you can upgrade to a longer-term container or book additional sessions from 30+ minutes and over.
Ongoing Support
Sustained container for those dealing with long-term situations (chronic illness management, complex care planning, ongoing relationship navigation, etc.) For ongoing clients I provide:
Check-ins and access to me via text, voice memos or e-mail (using Signal platform)
Care-plan development
Crisis and safety planning, advanced directives, and care webs/constellation mapping.
I utilize T-MAPS, WRAP and SOIL’s Pod Mapping templates as starting points. We can build the rest together as living documents.
Customized tools and resources, including. aprivate CryptPad/CryptDrive folder set up or you, plus access to my ful client resource library
Patient advocacy and support, including roleplaying or providing scenarios to practice difficult conversations before you have to have them. If you’re in NYC, I can accompany you to medical appointments to provide access intimacy.
Task-oriented sessions: Getting on health insurance/using it to its fullest, job applications, finding new providers
Somatic and mental health exercises
While not a licensed therapist (though I am training in Social Work) I borrow techniques from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Buddhism and somatic practices that can help ground us.
End Of Life Care
Multi-month, intensive support. for individuals and families through end-of-life planning, the dying process and aftercare. Includes vigil sitting in NYC.
All pricing can be tailored to your budget and needs. Sliding scale considered for community, please inquire.
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End of Life Care/Death Work (Virtual and In-Person with COVID & Access Needs Met)
End-of-life planning
Including but not limited to: Advanced directives, living wills, legacy project making, life reviews, digital + IRL legacy arrangements, possessions + financial cataloguing, dependent + pet care, and gathering important information + documents
Caring for the Dying (in person only)
Companionship and Sitting Vigil, caretaker/giver respite and support, help with funeral arrangements and options, obituary, eulogy and memorial writing, rituals & Ceremonies (Creation and Execution); any resources I can provide.
After Death Support
Wrapping up loose ends, closing accounts, canceling services & utilities, processing mail and e-mail, digital password allocation, possession handling, and grief support
Patient Care Advocacy & Support
Helping you articulate your needs, wading through medical jargon, finding affordable care (with your insurance!), accompanying you to appointments and roleplaying difficult conversations before you have to have them.
Fat Liberation
Queerness
Disability & Neurodivergence
Grief
Spiritual Guidance + Occult Wisdom (Ask about this, as I will only offer it upon request)
Alternative Relationship Structures & Peer Support
I am a polyamorous person with lived experiences of dating as a mad, fat, crip person. I can help you think of ways to best approach your relationships while being sensitive to your needs.
If the topic(s) you want to cover are not listed here, but you think I can help— I’m happy to hold space for you however I can. Feel free to inquire upon contact!
