Advance care planning is one of the most generous things you can do for the people who love you. It empowers both you and your family with clarity, confidence, and compassion when it matters most.

When your wishes are clearly documented, the people who care for you are freed from the impossible burden of guessing and you are given the profound gift of knowing that your voice will be heard, even in moments when you cannot speak for yourself.

I guide individuals and families in Los Angeles and worldwide through the process of creating or updating healthcare directives that go beyond medical checkboxes. We explore what matters most to you: where you want to be, who you want present, what comfort looks and feels like for you, and what values should guide the decisions that get made on your behalf.

What Advance Care Planning Includes

• Healthcare Directive (Advance Directive): A legal document that specifies your wishes for medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them yourself.

• POLST/MOLST Form: A physician's order that translates your wishes into specific medical instructions. I can help you prepare for this conversation with your doctor, though the form itself requires a clinician's signature.

• Healthcare Power of Attorney (HCPOA): Designating someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf.

• Values Clarification: A guided conversation to help you articulate what quality of life means to you, what you fear most, and what you would want if you could no longer speak.

• Hospice and Palliative Care Exploration: Understanding your options for care -- hospice, palliative, home-based support -- so you can make informed decisions before a crisis arrives.

• Family Communication: Helping you share your wishes with the people who love you, in a way that is clear, compassionate, and complete.

Who This Is For

Advance care planning is not only for people who are seriously ill. Any adult can, and I would argue should, have these documents in place. I work with:

• Individuals recently diagnosed with a terminal or serious illness

• Adults who want to plan ahead while they are still healthy

• Families supporting a loved one who can no longer make their own decisions

• Anyone who has experienced the pain of a death where wishes were unknown

Why Do This Now?

The most common thing I hear from families after a death is: 'I wish we had known what they wanted.'

Advance planning does not hasten death, it honors life. It ensures that the medical care you receive reflects your values, and that the people who love you are guided rather than paralyzed when difficult moments arrive.

There is no too early. A diagnosis is not required. Reaching out now means we have space to do this work thoughtfully, without urgency or fear driving every decision.

A Note on the Template

I offer a free Advance Healthcare Planning Template as a starting point. But a template alone is not the same as a guided conversation. The most valuable part of this work is not the document, it is the clarity and peace of mind that comes from having talked it through with someone who knows how to ask the right questions.

If this feels like the right support, I would love to connect. Book a free consultation at:

gabriela@tendingthesoul.life or call 310-487-6460