S4E04: End-of-Life Emotional Insurance Planning | Dr. Kim Harms, JD

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Summary

In this conversation, Dr. Kim Harms, an end-of-life expert, shares her personal journey through grief and the importance of legacy planning. She discusses the concept of emotional insurance, the significance of building emotional legacies, and practical steps individuals can take to prepare for their end of life. The conversation also touches on navigating difficult conversations about death, overcoming procrastination, and the impact of cultural attitudes and spirituality on the end-of-life experience. Dr. Harms emphasizes the need for open discussions about death and encourages listeners to take proactive steps in legacy building.

Takeaways

• Dr. Harms emphasizes the importance of legacy planning for emotional well-being.
• Grief is a personal journey that requires time and effort to process.
• Emotional insurance is crucial for leaving loved ones in a healthy space after death.
• Practical steps for legacy planning include organizing important documents and writing letters.
• Difficult conversations about death can be framed as acts of love for family.
• Procrastination is a major barrier to effective end-of-life planning.
• Cultural attitudes towards death can influence how individuals prepare for it.
• Spirituality can provide comfort and purpose during the end-of-life journey.
• It's essential to educate future generations about death and legacy planning.

About the Guest:

Dr. Kimberly Harms has been around the block in life.  She has served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service, a dental school professor, a grief counselor, a death doula, a civil mediator, a clinical dentist with her late husband Jim in Farmington MN, a school board Chair, President of an international women’s organization, the first woman President of the Minnesota Dental Association, a National Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (21 years), Coach for Widows, an award-winning, best selling author and international speaker on the topics of grief, conflict and legacy planning and the cohost of the RethinkingDeath.Life Podcast.  She has also suffered many personal losses, including the deaths by suicide of her mother and son and the death by broken heart of her husband after their son’s death.  These days, she enjoys her most important role yet: mom to two remarkable kids and grandma to six delightful grandkids, splitting her time between Kansas City and Minneapolis to soak up every precious moment. 

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