Adrianna is a storyteller and story collector.
You might have seen Adrianna on CTV’s The Social as a special guest talking about the Death Positive Movement, or in Canadian Business Magazine as a death industry disruptor, or liked one of her TikTok videos sharing her journey as a Death Doula. Adrianna’s brother Andrew died by suicide in 2010 and his death catipulated her life into death work and mental health advocacy: she became a suicide awareness trainer and interventionist. She toured her one-woman show Everything But the Cat… for 10 years about suicide loss and bereavement, utilizing her storytelling background to create inclusive space to open a dialogue around death and dying. In 2019 Adrianna’s coworker Roberta asked if she wanted to go to Disneyland and South Korea to celebrate getting off chemo for stage four breast cancer; Roberta had a year to live and wanted a companion to get through her bucketlist and of course Adrianna said yes and embraced being a Death Doula for her friend. Holding liminal space and being comfortable in the discomfort has led Adrianna to become a hospice volunteer and grief counselor. She is currently in a fast-tracked Bachelor’s of Social Work to become a grief therapist to complement all the training she has done as a death worker. Her practice is anti-oppressive, radically feminist, and magically authentic to ensure she centers her companions where they are at on their care journey. Join the death positive conversation with her: @LadyDeathDoula on TikTok, Instagram, SubStack
Want to know my story?
Ever since I was little I wanted to be onstage. I saw The Phantom of the Opera at age 7 and immediately said to my mother, “I want to be Christine Daaé!” To which she replied, “Honey, she isn’t real she’s an actress.” And thus my life path was clear: be anyone you want onstage.
After years of training, auditions, workshops, the hustle – my life was stuck with tragedy. My little brother Andrew died by suicide in 2010.
Everything turned uʍopǝpᴉsdn…
After his death nothing seemed to make sense and I was plummeted into grief and bereavement. My destined life path in the performing arts was all of a sudden very shaky and unclear. I moved away from the spotlight and into mental health advocacy and suicide prevention training. I became the safe space my brother had needed, though in my mind much too late, I didn’t want anyone near me again to think they couldn’t come to me with their fear and grief. But I was a thespian at heart and the best way I knew how to express and metabolize my grief was through storytelling. I wrote and toured my “not-so-one-woman show” called Everything But The Cat… about my first year of bereavement as told through shadow actors and interactive projections.
This led to friends, family, acquaintances, even strangers to open up to me about their stories of loss and grief; because they had seen my truth they then felt safe to tell me theirs. So in the year 2019 my co-worker Roberta called me up and said,
“Hey girl whatcha doing this September?”
And I replied, “I dunno, living life? Same old same old…”
Roberta replied, “You’re coming to Disneyland with me because I just finished chemo and I want to celebrate!”
Little did I know the journey I was about to go on: Roberta was dying from breast cancer and she asked me to be her support while she crossed some items off her bucket list like drink around the world at Epcot, buy a lightsaber at Galaxy Edge, and eat all the churros. She felt safe with me and booked tickets immediately to go to South Korea to do much the same – and I was floored at being trusted like this.
My therapist asked, “Do you know what a Death Doula is?”
“No, but it sounds rad…?”
I had been Roberta’s Death Doula, a Soul Companion, someone who walks lovingly with death and supports the person through their end of days with dignity. I had found a new lifepath, one that I had been searching for since my brother died.
Since Roberta’s death in 2020 I have taken many certificates, workshops, and training around end-of-life care. I advocate for the death positive movement in everyday life and on social media, creating in-person and digital communities that hold space for heavy conversations around death and dying. I volunteer with Hospice Toronto as a Hospice Companion and have led their online 10 week bereavement group. But still, I feel like I can do more.
In 2024 I enrolled in a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree with Algoma University, set to fast track through with my Honours BFA, with the goal to be a grief therapist after my Masters of Social Work is complete by 2027.
So there you have it: why I’m taking up this corner of the internet. And why there are two parts to this website:
I would love to hear your story.
Lived (Death) Experience
Suicide Prevention
Public Speaker + Trainer
Adrianna lost her brother to suicide in 2010 and his death propelled her to write and share her journey of grief and bereavement through a one-woman show. She became a suicide prevention trainer, has her applied suicide intervention skills training ASIST, of which she has provided workshops on in Ontario and Quebec.
On Television
as guest for The Social CTV
Adrianna was a Guest on CTV’s The Social talking about being a Death Doula and supporting the death positive movement.
Grief Literacy
Education
Continuing her education she has her Grief Literacy certificates with Being Here, Human; as well as a certificate from Douglas College as an End of Life Doula. She went on to train with Hospice Toronto and completed their core companion training as well as their bereavement and grief support training. She is currently in her 2nd year for her Bachelor’s in Social Work with Algoma University.
In Print
Canadian Business Magazine
Adrianna was profiled in Canadian Business: “A Wave of Start-ups Are Disrupting the $2-Billion Funeral Industry End-of-life planning is getting cheaper, easier and more comforting” By Rosemary Counter, February 2023.
Mental Health Podcasts
as Host + Guest
Adrianna co-hosted and co-created the podcast Stories Like Crazy with Lori Lane Murphy to give space and voice to those struggling, dealing, living with mental illness. Then as a guest with Mind Vines and Stories We Don’t Tell on their podcast about the importance of telling your story.
Death Doula Podcast
as Guest with with Brian Lowery PhD
Adrianna was a guest on the Know What You See podcast with Brian Lowery PhD Season 3: Episode 9 “TRANSFORMING LIFE THROUGH DEATH” and they talk about death anxiety and the importance of living fully to meet our end with authenticity and satisfaction of a life well lived.
Credentials + Training
