Meet Joél Maldonado | Mortician and Sacred Grief Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joél Maldonado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joél, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I don’t think that death care professionals get enough credit for the the amount of artistry, creativity and academic knowledge that goes into the sacred art of embalming. Knowledge of cosmetics, cosmetology/barbering, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, chemistry and other applied sciences are all required in order to disinfect, preserve dead bodies while restoring natural form, features and appearance for aesthetically pleasing final viewings.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a licensed funeral director, insurance agent, and sacred grief practitioner. I specialize in helping guide individuals, families, businesses and governmental agencies navigate uncomfortable and difficult conversations about death, dying, end of life, funeral, and burial planning.

I was born in Europe and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina, the heart of Gullah and Geechee culture. Spirituality, the sacredness of death, caring for those in transition, the deceased, and supporting my community through grief has always been a huge part of my life. My professional approach is deeply rooted in ancient and ancestral wisdom passed down from generation to generation.

This has not been an easy road but it has been divine. The biggest challenges that I have encountered have been overcoming predisposed beliefs about what grief is and shifting the narrative that death and grief have to be a sad, depressing, and overall dark experience.

Death and grief are sad BUT (as one of my students beautifully articulated) many times we look at grief as an emotion instead of an experience. Grief is an experience that encompasses a wide array of emotions ranging from joy and bliss to despair and isolation. Many times we also look at death and grief as being linear and only applicable to human life. Relationships die, experiences end, transition takes many forms, and educating humans to honor, embrace and navigate these endings from new perspectives can be difficult at times.

During my decade of service in the funeral service industry, I’ve fashioned my unique background and professional experiences into a caliber and style of care and comfort that guides those that I serve toward healing through journeys with grief. Just prior to the pandemic, my career was shifting from working in the funeral home full time to teaching online courses. Shortly after, I tested positive for Covid and while recovering, I was prompted to go into prayer and meditation about my next direction. My ancestors spoke to me that my role and title is as “Sacred Grief Care Practitioner”.

What is a Sacred Grief Practitioner? Transition, death, and grief are all extremely spiritual experiences. Regardless of our race, age, religion, socio-economic status, or any other perceived divisive factor at some point in our lives, we will all share in bearing witness or participating. Because of this shared human experience, we must honor this experience within; while simultaneously existing in various outside worlds/realities. My role as Sacred Death and Grief Practitioner is to teach others to navigate this part of our sacred journeys.

I accomplish this through serving in several ways:

For professionals and students, I have created numerous virtual trainings that empower death care professionals to offer more inclusive and holistic services to the families that they serve. These courses range in focus from preparing for and succeeding in mortuary/ death care education and Self-Care for Death Care Professionals to the proper care of Black decedents and their families. Unfortunately, standardized mortuary science education does not include this in the curriculum.

I support those that are experiencing grief in several ways. One of the most popular is through The Grief Art Workshop. This virtual workshop serves as a safe space for participants to express grief through creativity. An artistic expression is an amazing tool for expressing grief and other emotions. We explore the medium of paint to navigate the feelings surrounding our grief while sharing and connecting with one another. I also have several other virtual workshops and courses that allow participants to explore their grief from non-traditional perspectives.

I also support and serve my community through operating as a licensed life insurance agent. Preplanning is extremely important, especially in communities of color. I host an online workshop entitled Spiritual Funeral Planning 101. Participants are encouraged and educated on how to make REAL decisions about their life and how they will be celebrated before it is too late? End of Life and Funeral Planning truly is one of the greatest gifts that anyone can give to their loved ones. Properly organizing your estate, financial affairs, and final wishes is vitally important but have you given thought to what your non-tangible legacy will be?

Through my YouTube channel, podcast and blog, I educate consumers about the death care industry. An educated consumer is truly the best customer. I believe that nothing about the death care industry should be secret. Through informative videos and interviews, I enable and empower viewers to take autonomy and control about what the end of their life will look like. I also bring peace and comfort to families and loved ones of those who have passed away by answering tough questions like what happens to our bodies when we die and how the deceased are cared for when in the care of death care professionals.

When a loss does occur, I serve as licensed funeral director and embalmer ensuring that the deceased are presented to their families in a way that creates the most positive memory picture and that families are treated with respect and able to commemorate the lives of their loved ones with pride and dignity even if they do not have a lot of money to spend.

The key factor that sets The Grave Woman apart is that my business, courses, and service are 100% spirit-led. I am most proud of this because above all else, my goal and mission are to be of service to those that are in need.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Friday

Walking tour of Crestlawn Memorial Park
Lunch at the Auburn Street Curb Market
Visit to Miss D’s New Orleans Pralines and Popcorn
Meet the team at Young Funeral Home Atlanta
Sight seeing and tram ride to the park at Stone Mountain Park
Dinner and drinks at Iberian Pig (must get the pork cheek tacos)
Music and Dancing in Decatur Square

Saturday
Early morning visit to Dekalb & Buford Farmers Markets (dried mangos from Dekalb and Churros and fresh squeezed orange juice at Buford are a must)
Walking tour of Westview Cemetery
Lunch at Fellini’s
Movie date a AMC 15
Baseball Game at Truist Park
Late night dinner and drinks at Taco Mac (double roasted garlic parm wings and the secret menu broccoli casserole area must)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to my family. Without them I would not have been able to imagine let alone realize and live any of my professional goals.

Website: http://www.thegravewoman.com/courses

Instagram: @thegravewoman

Twitter: @thegravewoman

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegravewoman

Youtube: www.youtube.com/thegravewoman