Pre-Need Funeral Planning: Terms & Definitions

Plan your funeral or memorial service now, before the need arises, so loved ones don't have to.

One of the services that I provided early on in my death doula career was helping people make funeral plans way before they received a terminal diagnosis. This is called "pre-need planning." In fact, when I lived in Florida, I was a licensed pre-need counselor.

While clients were relatively healthy, we discussed their post-death wishes.

This usually involved talking about plans for their bodies, ceremonial considerations, and religious doctrines. We talked about funerals and memorial services. No two post-death plans were ever the same. Preparations were as unique as the people doing the planning.

After leaving Florida for Illinois, I'm no longer a pre-need counselor. But I learned a lot. And I'd like to share some of that with you.

Pre-Need Checklist

Anitya Doula Services is an educational consulting organization and is in no way considered a funeral establishment. Anitya Doula Services and Catherine Durkin Robinson provide requested consulting services and private or public education. 

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