ABOUT REBECCA
I’ve spent nearly two decades exploring how technology mediates human behavior. With The Nightside, my mission is to bring together my skillsets in design, anthropology, and systems thinking to help create more supportive experiences around loss.
Since receiving my PhD in cultural and linguistic anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania, most of my career has focused on conducting research to help software organizations create better user experiences. My perspective was expanded when I worked on Facebook’s Memorialization team, which was responsible for handling what happens when an account holder dies. I began to understand the urgent need to transform how our society approaches and supports people during end of life.
While conducting research and attending conferences helped me understand this intellectually, it was made personal to me when my 5-year-old dog Quincy suddenly fell ill and I had to make the difficult decision to euthanize him within a few weeks. Drawing on what I had learned, and with the guidance of a supportive friend and mentor, I orchestrated a “good death” for Quincy, incorporating rituals and approaches I wouldn’t have otherwise considered, with the aim of creating a death that was peaceful, meaningful, and beautiful for him. It transformed the experience and it transformed me.
I realized the impact that can happen when we identify opportunities for agency that exist throughout the dying process.
Through my Death Doula certification, I acquired a holistic understanding of the end‑of‑life process, coupled with practical skills crucial to my work. This includes:
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Approaching planning with curiosity and sensitivity. This includes supporting individuals to articulate and effectively communicate their values and wishes to their care team and loved ones.
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Respectful engagement with diverse beliefs, values, and practices related to end of life.
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Recognizing systemic challenges and ethical considerations.
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Developed to understand clients’ unique needs and wishes and to foster trust. Specialized in communicating sensitive subjects, including discussing death with children.
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Offering effective support to navigate the complexities of grief and loss.