End Of Life Planning Training Team
Providing support for you and your family
In 1997, our Director, Beth O’Brien, was introduced to the work of a “death doula” and “death midwife” through international scholars. From 2003-2024, Beth was the director and owner of a registered Australian Celebrations Training organisation. The training program introduced students to the meaningful roles of marriage and funeral celebrancy.
Beth, with years of experience in rituals, ceremonies, grief support, and pastoral care, felt a deep curiosity about exploring the fascinating journey of end-of-life planning. Her profile reveals more about her incredible work as a Thanatologist.
Our classes welcome all kinds of learners—some dive deep into a specific topic, while others prefer a little taste of everything. That’s why we’ve reached out across our network to bring together the most compassionate, insightful, and talented people to guide you on this journey.
Meet Our End Of Life Consultancy Team
Beth has a heartfelt gift for guiding individuals, families, and friends through the tender seasons of death and dying. With compassion, she creates space for soulful conversations, meaningful rites, and ceremonies that bring comfort and connection.
Beth’s unique approach blends her deep understanding of these personal, transformative journeys with a practical awareness of their healing potential. With a background in business, she also recognises that end-of-life information is often not widely shared, and she is passionate about bridging that gap in our communities.
Alex supports the End of Life Planning training team both as a consultant and mentor.
When reflecting on her life, Alex believes a series of highly spiritual events led her to become interested in end-of-life companioning. At the tender age of 16, she undertook work experience as a carer for children with severe disabilities. She was humbled and touched by “the little souls experiencing such incredible challenges.” Two years later, she companioned her father in his final days.
Like the old Bob Dylan song, The Times They Are A-Changin Neil Davis has experienced first-hand changes to how Australians view and commemorate the end of life. For more than 29 years he has worked as a funeral director for Simplicity funerals.
What Our Attendees Have to Say
We are blessed to have so many wonderful people come through our programs, below is some of the experiences our attendees have had with End of Life Planning ™
The course was on a whole, was so inspiring and educating and gave me such a steep learning curve that I am excited to begin my next chapter. The attendees were a diverse group with varying knowledge and experience, and I am sure, as we said on the last day, we all brought something unique to the table. I am eternally grateful that I was one of the very lucky pilot course attendees; I admire your vision and dedicate to learning.
Beth is an inspirational teacher and a truly impressive woman. Her training is comprehensive, calm, respectful, warm and it is clear that she really knows her craft.
I learned so much about the journey to death and left feeling much more confident and prepared for my own experiences of death, both in my past and yet to come. Beth’s teachings made me question what death means to my family and to review and reclaim my own core values. The topic of death has become lighter in my conversations with friends and family and I am not afraid to ask questions about what they really want in their own journeys to death..
I believe the course I attended is relevant to the general community as well as to those who may wish to become end of life consultants.
This course provided useful information in a caring and supportive environment. While doing this course I felt listened to and my questions were answered. As a layperson I gained a lot of knowledge and support.
I was initially introduced to Beth when I attended class with Australian Celebrations to become a marriage and funeral celebrant. The training material, support and process made my training both an enjoyable and educational experience, I personally found the blend of online and face to face training provided the perfect balance to stay engaged and motivated throughout my studies. Beth’s training style is engaging, thorough and personal, her vast knowledge and experience in all aspects of both life and death stands her apart from her peers.