Our Process: A Flexible, Human Approach

When faced with a life-limiting diagnosis, the world often feels turned upside down. The Plot Twist is designed to help you regain your footing and recalibrate your life. In this phase, we focus on grounding you and acknowledging the whirlwind of emotions — shock, fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty — that naturally arise. Together, we’ll prioritize the most essential tasks, assess your financial situation, and create coping strategies to help you manage the emotional, physical, and logistical challenges ahead.

This phase isn’t a one-time fix. It’s something you may revisit as new medical developments, life circumstances, and emotional waves come your way. We’re here to help you adjust and move forward at every step.

Once the initial shock has settled, The Golden Chapter is about being fully present with the time you have left, however long or short that may be. This phase focuses on cultivating resilience and finding purpose in each moment. We’ll work together to address practical matters, like managing medical expenses, updating important documents, and building a support network.

You’ll also explore how to live meaningfully despite ongoing changes, whether by working through a bucket list, having courageous conversations with family, and/or connecting to your deeper beliefs about life and death. Through this phase, we normalize the struggles and embrace the process of discovery, all while keeping the to-do list in manageable “snack-sized” bites.

In The Closing Chapter, we shift focus to preparing for the end of life and ensuring your personal legacy is protected and honored, while also considering the needs of the loved ones left behind. This phase involves practical decisions, such as tax and estate planning, gifting, and organizing critical documents, as well as emotional work like reflecting on lessons learned through illness and dying and making peace with unfinished business.

We will walk through critical legal steps, have courageous conversations with your medical and financial powers of attorney, and ensure your beneficiaries, executors, and trustees are set up for success. You will also explore your beliefs about medical aid in dying and voluntary stoppage of eating and drinking, and we will connect you with resources, as appropriate. We create space to reflect on any unresolved business you may want to address before your expiration date.