Tending the quiet spaces between medicine and soul

Line art illustration of a fairy with long, flowing hair, holding a small flower, kneeling beside a tree with a vine and leaves overhead.

BEHIND THE NAME:

Anam Illume

Anam Illume draws on my Celtic ancestral heritage and animistic worldview, the belief that everything is alive and is spirit. Anam is the traditional Irish-Gaelic word for soul. Illume means to illuminate or bring to light. Together, they form an invitation to tend the soul in grief, in dying, and in healing.

In a Western culture that often treats death as a clinical emergency or a bureaucratic task, Anam Illume serves as a reminder that grief and dying are natural, profound rites of passage that deserve to be met with humility, compassion, and an unhurried presence.

A round, yin-yang style symbol with nature-themed designs. One half features a starry night sky with a moon and planets; the other half has flowers and leaves. The design is in shades of green.

Core Philosophy

Support begins with being genuinely seen. I meet you without judgment, at whatever pace you need, without rushing to fix what doesn't need fixing. I offer practical and spiritual support, a grounded presence, ancestral wisdom, and genuine respect for the choices you make.

My practice brings together end-of-life care, core shamanic practice, and grief support, working with the wisdom your body and soul already carry. It's non-medical and built to work alongside your clinical team, not replace it.

Hi, I’m Allison

TRAINING & CREDENTIALS

End-of-life care | INELDA | International End-of-Life Doula Association

Shamanic healing | The Foundation for Shamanic Studies | Healing Series, HSC, Three-year advanced initiation program

Energy healing | Healing Touch Program |Trained practitioner

Holistic Grief Support | EfficientCoach | Certified Grief Support

Hospice volunteer | PeaceHealth Whatcom | Inpatient, outpatient & bedside vigil specialist

Academic | Loyola School of Law · WWU | MJ · Cultural psychology & Communication Studies

International service | U.S. Peace Corps & Institute of Village Studies | Eswatini · Thailand · India

I have trained in both end-of-life care and shamanic healing because I kept noticing the same gaps in both practices: people seeking support that no single credential can fully provide. Through these services, I hope my care supports you emotionally, spiritually, and practically.

Whether you are planning ahead, supporting someone who is dying, or seeking support for healing, you are in the right place. I can accompany you through life's most sacred transitions. Below, you will find detailed information about how I can work with you, transparent, tiered pricing options, and step-by-step instructions for getting started.

GRIEF WAS MY FIRST TEACHER

My path into this work began without a clear roadmap. After my mother died when I was seventeen, no one in my life had openly navigated such deep grief. I turned inward, letting that loss serve as a quiet compass, guiding me toward deeper questions about what it means to be human amid impermanence. Witnessing loss across cultures and histories taught me that grief is not only personal but also ancestral and collective. Much of what people carry was never solely theirs to begin with, often woven into the fabric of family lineages long before an individual arrives.

Nature became my second teacher, revealing what grief could not yet express. Through forests, the changing seasons, and the silent decay that becomes soil, I realized that dying is not a rupture in life but an essential part of the cycle. This insight didn’t come from lectures or support groups but lives in the body, much like a tree knows how to shed its leaves. It enables me to be present with someone who is dying, accepting the moment as it is without needing to alter it.

Living and working across cultures in Eswatini, Thailand, and India revealed that each culture views death and dying uniquely. Observing these varied approaches showed that the fear of death isn't universal; only its avoidance is. What I witnessed was not that some cultures had “figured out” death and others had not; rather, those engaging with it through rituals, songs, communal presence, ceremonies, silence, and intentional spaces for grief were not necessarily less afraid, but they felt less isolated.

Through that witnessing, I found my way back home to myself. That homecoming required a different kind of listening, one that honors a person’s whole story, including their body, soul, ancestors, and the land that holds them. This personal history does not mean I have answers to your specific grief. Instead, it taught me to meet the uncomfortable and the unknown without flinching, so I can better accompany you through yours.

My practice sits at the intersection of practical care and spiritual depth. My goal is not to fix anyone or reverse their grief, but to provide normalcy, advocacy, and comfort to the dying and their families, while supporting those seeking a deeper spiritual connection through a profound transition.

That instinct is at the heart of my practice, showing what I offer and what I don’t, and sharing a clear picture of what to expect.

MY ROLE:

  • Advocacy & companionship

  • Compassionate care

  • Grief support & planning

  • Soul-level healing

drawing of a hand holding 2 flowers, green color
drawing of a hand holding 2 flowers, green color

NOT MY ROLE:

  • Medical diagnosis

  • Clinical nursing

  • Legal advice

  • Funeral directing


Accessible Pricing

Three-tiered sliding scale: Community · Standard · Supporter

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End-of-Life Planning & Advocacy

Comprehensive, compassionate guidance from diagnosis through final transition. Available online, with in-person Bedside Vigil Support offered exclusively in Whatcom County, WA

Personalized plans may include:

  • Sacred Transitions Planning

  • Ritual & Grief Work

  • Integrated Shamanic Healing

  • Bedside Vigil Support

Online | 2 hours | Schedule

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Shamanic Healing

Soul-level healing that works with compassionate helping spirits to restore power and balance. Especially meaningful for anyone navigating grief, spiritual disconnection, or the approach to death and dying. No prior experience required. Available to anyone at any stage of life.

Sessions may include:

  • Divination

  • Soul Retrieval

  • Power Animal Retrieval

  • Psychopomp

Online | 1 hour | Schedule

Close-up of green eucalyptus leaves on a thin branch against a light background.

Bedside Vigil Support

A steady, grounded presence at the bedside during active dying, for the person transitioning and their loved ones. I arrive prepared, stay for the full block, and ask nothing of you. You are free to rest, step away, or simply be present while I hold the space.

Sessions may include:

  • Half Day 4 Hours

  • Full Day 8 Hours

In-Person Only, Whatcom County | Schedule

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Free Discovery Call

A free, no-pressure conversation to see if this practice is the right fit for either service line. Bring your questions, or just your uncertainty about where to start. I'll help you figure out what you actually need. Nothing here obligates you to book anything further.

15 mins | Free | Schedule


There is an unspoken pressure in Western culture to have everything sorted out before seeking support. Yet major life transitions, deep grief, and spiritual practice do not work that way. My work is designed to gently meet you where you are, without pressure or judgment.

Whether you know exactly what you need or are simply following a quiet inner nudge, you do not need to have everything figured out before scheduling. Part of my work is to sit with the questions you have not yet considered. I explore them with you to discover what matters most to you.

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