Diane Ashton, Ph.D., will present “What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say” for Hadassah Southern Arizona on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at Congregation Bet Shalom, 3881 E. River Road. The chapter also will install its new slate of officers at the dessert and coffee event.
Ashton received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern California and recently trained as an end-of-life doula. Anne Lowe, outgoing co-president of the chapter, will join Ashton to role-play various situations, such as what to say to someone who is grieving or how to say farewell to someone who is dying. People often say the wrong things or walk away without saying anything at all because they feel uncomfortable, says Ashton. Some things to avoid include saying “I know just how you feel” or launching into a story of a friend’s painful chemotherapy treatment.
Instead, Ashton will provide an overview on active listening and share ideas for positive and comforting communication.
Ashton recently moved to the Tucson area from Vancouver, Wash. She trained with the International End of Life Doula Association and says that while many end-of-life doulas work one-on-one with people facing a terminal illness, or with their families, to provide non-medical emotional, spiritual, or practical support, her interest is in the bigger picture: teaching and providing workshops about end-of-life issues, thoughts, and feelings.
The event will be hybrid, both in person and on Zoom, and is open to guests and significant others as well as Hadassah members. The cost is $10. Register at http://events.hadassah.org/2023installation.
