Embracing the End: The Role of End-of-Life Doulas | S4E5

Laura Mauldin fell in love in her twenties, and then watched that relationship change shape when her partner’s cancer returned. In this episode of Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health, host Frantzces Lys talks with Laura, now a sociologist and author of In Sickness and in Health. Laura shares her experience from the invisible slide into caregiving: the grief with no clear name, the hypervigilance, the trauma responses she didn't recognize until years later. Sociologist Dr. Sung Park adds research context, including how caregiving burdens fall unevenly across immigrant families, the "sandwich generation," and the long-term toll on caregivers' health, finances, and careers. Caregiving can't be sustained by love alone. It requires community, support, and permission to say the hard things out loud. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tina Walsh spent decades being the person everyone else counted on. But in her forties, she found herself in a therapist’s office for the first time. With a marriage under strain and a family history of "keeping it private,” those early conversations with a therapist kicked off decades of re-building the foundation of her mental health. This week, Frantzces talks with Tina about what it took to finally ask for help: the near-accidental start, the divorce she never planned for, the sudden loss of her husband, and the years of somatic therapy and yoga that helped her reconnect with herself. Then, geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Kyomen, Medical Director of the Boston Medical Center–Brighton Geriatric Psychiatry Program, joins to unpack why so many older adults wait so long to seek care, what actually brings people through her door, and why it's never too late to ask for help. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After the loss of her husband, Cynthia Blanc Preiss MacLean (@therealmentorcynthia) spent years hiding the truth. She joins the show to talk about continuing to live after loss, the judgment widows face when they start dating again, and how she learned to frolic, even while grieving. Geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Nancy Donovan explains the science behind that story: why losing a spouse doesn't just break your heart, it can measurably affect your body and brain, including a heightened risk of cognitive decline. Together, they explore what grief actually asks of us, and how connection, even imperfect and long after loss, can help us heal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's often a specific moment that pushes someone to finally ask for help. This season, host Frantzces Lys explores the turning points, the ones that lead people to make that first call, walk into a therapist's office, or admit they can't do it alone. From Tufts Health Plan, Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health dives into what keeps people going when life gets hard, what they learn about themselves in the process, and how healing rarely follows a straight line. Join us this season for honest conversations about mental health at every stage of life. Follow Turning Points: Navigating Mental Health on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Loneliness has been called more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes daily—a stark warning from the former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Social isolation is a hidden health crisis affecting millions, especially older adults. In this episode of Turning Points, Frantzces talks with Roxy Rocker, a Disability rights advocate, founder of Embracing Disability, who reveals how chronic illness and disability can intensify loneliness and offers practical strategies for overcoming barriers to social connection. Frantzces is also joined by Dr. James Lubben, Professor Emeritus at Boston College and UCLA, to learn more about groundbreaking findings from his decades-long research on social isolation among older adults. They discuss evidence-based interventions for combating elderly loneliness, and policy solutions for strengthening social support systems. Follow the Turning Points podcast on your favorite podcasting app so you never miss an episode. Leave the podcast a rating, review or tell a friend about the show. Visit globe.com/turningpoints for more information on mental health care and resources.