About the Founder

In life I have experienced many welcomed and not so welcomed transitions. When I transitioned to the US when I was 17 and adjusted to a new culture, I learned so much about how to create community and use my gifts of leadership in a new environment. Other transitions were from teen to adult, from Brazil to the US, from living with a family to living with a roommate and then alone, transition to being married with kids, to no longer having an identity in an occupation, among many others. Then there were the harder things in life, the unwanted transitions: Resigning jobs, losing my brother to suicide and my Dad to a heart attack unexpectedly, becoming a cancer survivor, struggling with obesity and feeling out of control, losing a baby, struggling in family relationships. Even though God was present in each of these transitions, it would have been so helpful to have a trained guide to help me along the way. This is why I created Peaceful Transitions. I hope that this platform can help you along your transitions in life. 

My Gifts and Training:

Resourcing: I am a natural social worker, I am the person people call when they are looking for resources. Why, you might ask?  Because it is my conviction that so many people suffer because they don't have the correct information. Often, we don't know where to go to get what we need. So, I make a point to continually learn where the resources are, especially the ones without a cost barrier so people can get the help and opportunities they seek. 

Encouraging and Edifying: I have a masters in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary which has given me a strong theological biblical basis and worldview. This fuels me with God's compassionate heart for people. 

I also have 3 units of Clinical Pastoral Education obtained from St. Lukes hospital, Texas Children (14th floor) and MD Anderson (Thoracic and Lymphoma). Oncology is what drove me to enroll in CPE and God has allowed me to train in pediatrics and other adult medicine specialties in the area of pastoral care. Being trained as a chaplain has taught me to listen actively and empathically as well as to provide spiritual care to people of all faiths. I am also certified Mental Health Coach. My Bachelor's in Business Administration also helps with the business of being a service provider and forming other service providers. Since I love people and talking to them, I speak Portuguese, English, Spanish and French. 

Forming a Movement

Once a upon a time less than 100 years ago, family members and friends took care of their dying relatives from disease onset to the grave. Kids and peoples of all ages were acquainted with dead bodies and the experience of death. We live in a culture where death happens behind closed doors and far from home (63% of physicians die in a medical facility vs 72% of the general population).

About 156,000 people die every day. I can only help a few of those people. There is a great need in our world to have more EOL Doulas. 

It became clear to me that what we need is a MOVEMENT. In order to provide and promote A BETTER DEATH FOR US ALL Peaceful Transitions is commited to:

 Train and form a force of End of Life Doulas to support the dying all over the world. 

Educate to transform our culture to once again embrace and normalize Death and Dying.

Champion governments and health systems to provide black and brown communities a dignified death experience.