Embracing Death, Dying & Living
Online Program

 
 

DISCOVER WHAT AND WHO MATTERS MOST

EXPLORE YOUR HISTORY & RELATIONSHIP WITH DEATH 

PLAN YOUR CELEBRATION OF LIFE

WRITE LETTERS TO LOVED ONES 

SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

MITIGATE CONFLICT THROUGH CLEAR DIRECTIVES 

EXPERIENCE PROFOUND PEACE IN WELL-LAID PLANS

As we move through life, there is nothing more certain and no better teacher than death, yet our culture denies this sacred transition, limiting our capacity to live an awakened life. This program is designed to empower people to purposefully align their end-of-life plans with their values. 

Throughout four sessions, we will explore our relationship to death and dying, discover what matters most in the end, write celebration of life plans, draft letters to loved ones, and gain clarity on how we want to spend our precious time. Definitive plans lead to clarity instead of conflict, consciousness instead of confusion, and unity instead of disconnection. 

Preparing for the end of your life with intention will fortify your spirit and generate stability for your loved ones. No matter your age or stage of life, having plans in place creates inner and outer peace for yourself and everyone in your orbit, making this program not only practical but potent inner work.

Betsy experienced the power of embracing death and dying in her early twenties when her father received a terminal diagnosis. Through helping her father distill what mattered most, build his coffin, plan his celebration of life, craft letters, and write his will, Betsy saw how welcoming the end supports living more freely and fully. This journey inspired Betsy to do the same through thoughtful preparation and planning. She shares her experience of embracing death and dying in the documentary film Captain Scott B and the Great Adventure as seen on PBS. Weaving wisdom gained in caring for her father, making her documentary film, teaching yoga for over a decade, and reading books on death, dying, and grief, Betsy’s program is a unique transformational course that will change how you experience life and death.

At the end of this program, you will have the following

  • Internal and external tools to resource yourself in this work

  • Funeral plan

  • Ethical will

  • Letters to loved ones

  • Death file with all the paperwork your loved ones will need

Course Dates and Times

Biweekly classes every other Tuesday from 7:30 pm-8:45 pm EST October 8th-November 19th.
Classes on October 8th, October 22nd, November 5th, and November 19th.

If the dates do not work for you and you are interested in the course, sign up for my newsletter to get updates about future offerings of this course.

Program details

This program is designed for people of all ages.

We will meet on Zoom and all sessions will be recorded for anyone unable to attend the live sessions.

The program includes a 14-page downloadable PDF with the Embracing Death and Dying curriculum designed by Betsy and the 4 guided sessions on Zoom both live and recorded.

Payment information

Sliding scale donation-based pricing $150-$350. Please pay what you can given your income level. Payments can be made through Venmo or check. Please make Venmo payments to @elizabeth-bertram. Please make out checks to Elizabeth Bertram and mail to 314 Orange St. Beaufort NC 28516.
I believe in this work being accessible to all so please email me about scholarship opportunities if price is a barrier.

Additional Coaching Sessions

If you would like additional one-on-one coaching to support you on your journey with the program material, Betsy offers 30-minute and 1-hour sessions on a sliding scale. See payment information below.

30 minutes ~ $40-$100 sliding scale 
1 hour ~ $80-$200 sliding scale 

Coaching sessions are facilitated on Zoom and include the recording of the call for you to keep.  

Please email me with any questions.

Testimonials

I took this program on the verge of turning 50. It gently eased me into the mindset I've been trying to cultivate on my own for some time now, to begin the daunting project of settling my affairs. What a gift it was to process everything within the cocoon of community. Thanks to Betsy’s guidance, I now feel empowered, even excited, to plan for this singular journey we all take.

-- Stephanie Elizondo Griest, author and professor of creative nonfiction, UNC-Chapel Hill

When it comes to navigating grief, loss, and end-of-life plans, Betsy demonstrates deep empathy and wisdom beyond her years. I participated in this course shortly after the sudden and unexpected death of my mother, and I found the soulful group discussions and thoughtful guidance from Betsy to be profoundly healing. I would recommend this course to anyone and everyone. 

-Marley Parker

Being around Betsy is like putting on my favorite sweatshirt...warm, comforting, and safe.  We took the Embracing Death and Dying course as we are beginning to plan our last phase of life:  where we want to live, how we want to die, what service we want etc.  The timing of this program was amazing.  Betsy helped us move into the arena of end-of-life planning without fear, dread, or apprehension.  She created a curriculum that encouraged us to look inward and get in touch with our feelings about death.  She provides a framework that moves us into each aspect of end-of-life issues.  The idea of a death book, with all the information needed to clear up after us, letters to our loved ones to read before or after our death, burial arrangements, even deciding who we want to speak at our graveside is a marvelous gift to leave loved ones.  I think the thing that I took away most is not to be afraid to have conversations with family and friends before we die so we can share what is important to us, what our values are, and how we want to be remembered.  These conversations can be enriching, enlightening and loving.  Take this class.  You won't regret it.  

-John Hughes 

I enjoyed Betsy’s program. The information, the other participants, and Betsy’s guidance helped me so much with this process. Betsy’s personal experiences and her shared examples of items we need to address have been invaluable. Her calming presence and respectfulness of each one's story put me at ease. I love the way she begins and ends each meeting. It centers and grounds me, even after the program has ended.

-Carolyn Robinson