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Kim Vetter
My Story
Not many people get to do what they believe they were put on this earth to do. I was lucky. I found dance when I was 15. My boyfriend, wearing polyester and platforms, used to spin me around the dance floor. I felt like I was flying. I danced for the next 3 decades, on stages, in studios, at college campuses. I was born to teach. I loved every minute of it. When injury and illness made it improbable for me to continue, I started working as a corporate trainer.
I had a good run.
Ten years later I discovered something else. I wanted to be a part of making sure that everyone can die with dignity. I discovered that I have the gravitas to be with suffering and grief. I see the profound sacredness in the passage into and through death. I'm as sure of this as I was sure that dancing was EVERYTHING as a teenager flying around the dance floor.
I never got the chance to say goodbye to my grandmother because of the fear and shame surrounding illness and death in my family. I wasn't able to be with my dear friend Kathy as she took her last breath because of my own fears at the time. I want to facilitate all the goodbyes that need to happen and all the love that needs to be expressed.
This is sacred work and it is what I was put on this earth to do.
Me and Grandma Lena
Education and Experience
Doula Work
I am trained through the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA.org) and certified by Lifespan Doulas (lifespandoulas.com). I have completed the Aid in Dying Training for EOL Doulas from the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying (ACAMAID.org). I have been a hospice volunteer since 2021, providing Reiki sessions, companionship, and vigil and grief support.
Reiki
I was certified in Reiki I in 1999 and Reiki II in 2000. When I began to work as a hospice volunteer in 2021, I decided to get certified at Reiki III. I completed a year-long program and am a certified Reiki Master through Reiki Colorado (reikicolorado.org).
Art and Ritual
I was a dance artist for many years and hold a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and an MFA from UCLA. I am currently a certified Open Floor Teacher (openfloor.org) and have offered movement workshops in the Denver area. Open Floor is a conscious dance practice and embodies a powerful approach to creating ritual and moving energy. I use the principles and resources of Open Floor to facilitate art making, writing, and ritual. I believe creative expression is a wonderful way to honor someone's life and I love supporting family and friends of the dying to share these gifts.
