Otherside Life expands death doula network to North Carolina and Florida

Otherside Life said it is adding certified death doulas and grief support specialists in North Carolina and Florida as demand for end-of-life support grows faster than access. The expansion is part of the Jacksonville-based company's national rollout and targets families who often struggle to find in-person help.

Why it matters: - Demand for death doulas is rising fast, but access still lags across much of the U.S. - Otherside Life's expansion adds end-of-life support options in two large Southeast states where families have had limited local coverage. - The move broadens access to non-medical support for advance care planning, vigil sitting, legacy work and grief support.

What happened: - Otherside Life announced an expansion of its practitioner network into North Carolina and Florida. - The company said the rollout brings certified death doulas and grief support specialists to tens of millions of Americans. - Jacksonville-based Marissa Overcash anchors the Florida expansion. - Overcash is a certified death doula and grief coach with more than a decade of experience as an estate-planning paralegal.

The details: - The National End-of-Life Doula Alliance grew from roughly 260 members in 2019 to more than 1,600 in 2024. - Public searches for death doulas jumped more than 1,000% in a single week this spring, based on Google Trends analysis reported by Forbes. - Death doulas provide non-medical support to dying people and their families before, during and after death. - Hospice and hospitals typically handle symptoms and logistics, while families often still need help with the emotional and human side of dying. - Otherside Life said its national roadmap includes an eleven-city U.S. expansion plan. - The company's three pillars are Prepare to Die, Deal with Death and Heal with Death. - Heal with Death, the grief recovery pillar, launched in March 2026. - Practitioners in the Otherside network, known as the Murmuration, are screened and onboarded through a structured vetting process. - Families in California, North Carolina and Florida can connect with a practitioner at practitioner directory.

Between the lines: - The expansion reflects a broader shift from awareness to access in end-of-life care. - Otherside Life is positioning itself not just as a referral marketplace, but as a national infrastructure layer for death and grief support. - The company is also tying the service to estate planning and post-death administration, which can make the offering more practical for families managing multiple tasks at once.

What's next: - Otherside Life said the North Carolina and Florida additions are part of a broader U.S. rollout. - Families in the new coverage areas can now search for practitioners through the company's platform. - The company is expected to keep building out its eleven-city expansion plan across the country.

The bottom line: - Otherside Life is moving to close the gap between growing demand for death doulas and the people who can actually find one when they need help.