Megan Pociask 
Staff Writer

Many people know of Debra Diamond as a formerly top-ranked Wall Street Money Manager, Johns Hopkins University Professor and commentator on CNBC. Though, despite spending over 25 years in the investment industry, Diamond chose to leave it all behind in pursuit of something other-worldly.  

So other-worldly in fact, that after she earned her Ph.D. from the Esoteric Interfaith Theological Seminary and graduated from the Holistic Studies Institute of New York – amongst a number of other studies in spirituality – Diamond, who identifies as a natural psychic and medium, sought to provide readings for her clients that would work to assist in some matter of healing.

Diamond joined the Greensboro community on Nov. 7 at the book shop, Scuppernong Books, to share a bit of the experiences told in her latest book, ‘Diary of a Death Doula’. 

After the death of Diamond’s mother in 2001, her family was working with Hospice care when something struck her. 

“At one point, one of the hospice professionals handed me a piece of paper… that read, ‘if the body’s ready and the soul isn’t, we don’t leave. If the soul is ready and the body isn’t, we don’t leave. When the soul is ready and the body is ready, then we leave.’ That had a profound effect on me,” said Diamond.

It was then that Diamond realized she wished to work in some capacity with Hospice care. Thus, her desire to become a death doula came to fruition. 

The thought that death is a process involving both body and soul captured Diamond’s attention. She doesn’t adhere to the Western cultural belief that life and death only matter “strictly in terms of the physical body”.

“A lot of people are not familiar with death doulas, but they’re familiar with birth doulas. Birth doulas are shared life in. Death doulas are shared life out. Doulas bookend life,” said Diamond.

“People would rather walk over hot coals than talk about death…[but] death is a term that we have coined here on earth to signify the end of the physical body, but we continue. Our essence, that energy continues.” she added. 

Diamond made it a point to acknowledge the differences between psychics and mediums while also making the audience at Scuppernongs aware that she considers herself to be both. 

This detail seems to allow her to have, what some might consider, advanced metaphysical experiences in her work as a death doula. 

Regardless of the mixed opinions on the legitimacy of psychics and mediums, Debra Diamond’s work as a death doula appears to help families heal from their loss of a loved one, and for some, that’s enough. 

Categories: Features

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