About
Pleasance is an experienced speaker, educator, facilitator, guide, consultant and leader who specializes in holistic life & death practices of care.
She is passionate about layering the concepts of death/dying/grief/spirituality and justice to bring meaning and connection to daily life and in community care.
As an ordained Jewish Spiritual Clergy, Movement Chaplain, Death Midwife, Pet Death Doula, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor, Somatic Trauma Resolution Practitioner, Grief Educator and Mind- Body Medicine Facilitator, she brings her expertise and life long studies of human flourishing into every aspect of her work.
She is the author of Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy and Ease and the forthcoming book, Death Is My Teacher ( 2025). She is the founder of The Death Collective, Weaving Worlds DC, LIL OMM, The LOLA Community, The Village & Co- founder of National Kids Yoga Conference and the podcast, Pleasance.
You can reach her at pleasance@me.com for a full bio or for a speaker sheet.
Education & Studies:
2024: Certificate in Thanatology ( study of death and dying)
2023: Ordained Kohenet
2021: Ancestral Healing Facilitator Training
2021: Work That Reconnects Facilitator Training
2020: End of Life Doula Training INELDA
2020: Alchemical Alignment Somatic Trauma Resolution & Embodiment of Spirit Studies
2020: Vedic Counseling Studies
2019: Center for Mind- Body Medicine Facilitator Training
2019: Shakti School Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching
2018: Certificate in Positive Psychology UPENN
2011: Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach
2001: M.S. ED, University of Pennsylvania
2000: BA Sociology/ Psychology, George Washington University
Relevant Experiences:
2018-2022: Adjunct Professor at American University
2021: Adjunct Professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health
2006- Present: Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness events, retreats and classes.
2022- Present: Hospice Volunteer ( and former staff)
“We held our WIN sponsored busy season break this morning featuring Pleasance as our speaker. She was absolutely fabulous and so delightful!