I learned to talk about death the hard way.
Four people I loved died in quick succession. My mother. Two close friends. My best friend Kathrin. I said goodbye to none of them.
My mother refused to acknowledge she was dying. The others were taken suddenly - no warning, no time, no chance to say what needed to be said. That cascade of loss without goodbye broke me. And ultimately, it transformed me.
I went from corporate strategy meetings to sitting with families as their children died. I became a pediatric end-of-life doula, learning to hold space for the unbearable, discovering that there's profound beauty in the final chapters of life - beauty our culture desperately tries to hide.
Now I help families create the goodbyes I never got.
Through End-of-Life Reiki, I build heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul connections when words aren't enough. When human language fails to express the love between parent and child in those final moments, energy creates a direct connection that transforms dying from something to dread into something sacred.
This work - and my journey through grief - became Learning to Say Goodbye, a memoir that uses magical realism to explore loss. The "shoulder critic," a miniature companion who's inhabited my shoulder since childhood, becomes visible throughout the book, externalizing the internal voice that questions every feeling and collects every wound.
Why This Podcast Exists
We don't talk about death enough. We hide it behind hospital curtains, closed doors, averted eyes. We're at a loss for words when a friend loses someone. We say "what if" instead of "what happens when." We like to think death happens to others - not us, not ours, not yet.
This podcast bridges that gap.
Through conversations with death workers, spiritual teachers, grieving parents, and cultural guides, we explore death from every angle. Sometimes we dive deep into spirituality and religion. Other times we learn from people navigating their own grief. We examine how different cultures approach death and dying. And yes, sometimes we even laugh - because why not?
The more we talk about death, the better we live.
Alexandra Dionisio
Author, Pediatric End-of-Life Doula, Podcast Host
Meet your host
Alexandra Dionisio is the author of Learning to Say Goodbye: A Memoir of Grief and Trust and a certified pediatric end-of-life doula specializing in reiki.
Born and raised in Germany, she's lived a nomadic life before settling in Los Angeles with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. Her career has taken her from wedding planner to corporate marketing director in Dubai to end-of-life care - a journey from celebrating beginnings to honoring endings.
After losing four people she loved in quick succession, Alexandra transformed her grief into a mission: helping families say the goodbyes she never could. Through end-of-life reiki, she creates connections that transcend language, lifting the heavy energy of anticipatory grief to transform a child's final hours into sacred space.
Her memoir uses magical realism to tell the truth about grief - complete with a shoulder critic who appears in costume changes, argues about supernatural signs, and disappears when loss becomes unbearable.
When she's not sitting with families at the end of life, Alexandra can be found seeking out new perspectives, chasing adrenaline, eating sushi, and following her curiosity wherever it leads.
"I tell myself I created this podcast to make death more accessible. But honestly? I just love learning about different perspectives, looking beyond the surface, following curiosity. There's so much to discover, and I fear there won't be enough days in my life to see, hear, and learn it all."
Where to find me
The Book
Learning to Say Goodbye: A Memoir of Grief and Trust
RainbowBridge Reiki
Our beloved pets deserve peaceful transitions. Rainbow Bridge Reiki offers compassionate end-of-life support for animals and the families who love them.
The Podcast
I warmly welcome diverse voices and perspectives on the podcast. If you feel called to share your story, I would love to hear from you.
Be a Guest
These are the places where I share words, conversations, and moments along the way. Join wherever feels right.
Connect
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