81. Gentle Death with Dr. Annetta Mallon

It’s always fascinating to hear the early death experiences that lead people to their life’s work. Dr Annetta Mallon Annetta is an End of Life Consultant and Doula, professional public speaker, writer and editor, academic, social researcher, education advocate, psychotherapist who specialises in grief, loss, PTSD, injury and trauma recovery, and personal growth and development, an artist, and a professional mentor. Annetta has been speaking at public events and conferences both in Australia and internationally for several years, with a focus on end of life and funeral cost transparency for the past two. A passionate consumer rights advocate who prioritises transparency, the absence of itemisation in the corporate funeral business model and information transfer about funeral rights and choice is a current focus of many of her lectures and presentations. In her academic roles Annetta is an Honorary Adjunct and death and dying specialist lecturer with Western Sydney University, and a unit convenor and lecturer with Navitas Sydney City Campus for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in sociology, social science, and health science. Annetta is currently developing a monograph of EOL Doulas in Australia for an international academic publisher, and is writing up the findings from an international qualitative research project of her own initiative which saw End Of Life (EOL) Doulas in four countries interviewed. The project considered End of Life Doula perspectives on the role of death literacy in helping to form compassionate communities and provide continuity of care for clients at end of life and after death, as well as discussions of professional identity. Annetta was awarded her PhD in Social Science in early 2016; her thesis investigated art therapist professional identity formation, encompassing creative arts-based qualitative research, feminism, pedagogy, personal stories and narratives, health sociology, and professional practice. Annetta’s work in the fields of somatic psychotherapy and allied health saw her working in Australia, Italy, and the USA, creatively engaging the personal narratives and stories of her clients in order to support their recovery from injury, grief, trauma, and loss for over twenty years. Her client base included military and paramilitary personnel, and survivors of rape, incest, and domestic violence, and she brings this experience and skillset to her current work with those whose lives have been affected by violent and/or unexpected death. Annetta’s work in this area includes grief support, counselling, and mentoring, funeral planning and funeral celebrancy. In her private practice Annetta offers a wide range of atheist and secular end of life and after-death services to both human and pets, and regularly holds talks and education events to promote death literacy and awareness of rights at end of life, the importance of advance planning for health, end of life, and funerals. She once spent an interesting year working for NSW Police Headquarters as a writer, content developer, and editor for their intranet education program, and spends a great deal of time with her dog Cully (a seasoned research assistant). 100-word ‘highlights bio’ Dr Annetta Mallon is an End of Life Consultant and Doula, highly sought after for professional and academic guest lectures and speaking engagements. Her end of life work combines in-depth training and experience as an artist, collaborator, writer, and professional mentor with her extensive academic and allied health skillset to offer high-quality secular services for both peers, and human and pet clients. Funerals you attend before you die are a popular item in Annetta’s service list. A grief and loss expert who worked in Australia, Italy, and the USA, she now includes EFT for traumatic grief and exposure to violent death.