Assisting in a Compassionate End-of-Life Journey Using Homeopathy
- Brainz Magazine
- Nov 24
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 25
I'm an international holistic health practitioner, specialising in supporting individuals with ADHD, autism, allergies, sleep issues, and gut problems using natural medicine. I help people uncover and treat root causes so they can reclaim their health and thrive.
I sensed that death was coming into my life when a fantail, a native bird of New Zealand, flew into my sunroom three times in one day. I had never had a fantail enter my home before, and in Māori tradition, seeing one indoors is considered a sign that death is near. Had it happened only once, I might have dismissed it, but three times within a few hours made me pause and pay attention. That messenger marked the beginning of a profound end-of-life journey with my mother.
My mother’s stroke
Just as I signed on to become a contributor for Brainz Magazine, my mother suffered a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. The stroke was caused by a blood clot in her brain, leaving her partially paralysed on her right side and unable to care for herself. Fortunately, I had already returned to New Zealand from living overseas a few years earlier, to be closer to my mother when her health began to decline after receiving the experimental mRNA injections.
My Mum refused most of the hospital food, so I prepared nourishing soups she enjoyed, hoping to entice her appetite. The stroke also affected her language centre, which was deeply frustrating for her. My mother was a highly social person who loved chatting and had spent most of her life caring for others as a nurse. She always said life was for living, and she lived by that. Like many people, she avoided talking about death and dying.
Although rehabilitation brought slight improvement, it soon became clear she would not be able to return home from the hospital and would have to go into a rest home. This news was devastating for her and for us as a family. I also had a quiet knowing that once she had seen all her friends again, she might find her world too limited to enjoy fully. After only a few weeks there, she developed an infection, returned to the hospital, and passed away some days later.
Being present at the end of life
We all navigate death and dying differently. Some find it so confronting that they can only visit briefly. My way was to hold space, staying by my mother’s side as much as possible to reduce suffering and support a peaceful passing. I held her hand, played music, read aloud, massaged her with essential oils, and provided homeopathic support. These gentle remedies offered comfort and emotional reassurance.
One of the most touching moments came when I negotiated with the head nurse to bring my dog, Lela, into Mum’s room. Lela sat on my lap and immediately placed her paw gently on my mother’s shoulder. When Mum woke and saw her, she laughed with delight. A young doctor walked in and, without missing a beat, asked if Lela was her favourite grandchild. I replied, “Well, certainly the hairiest.”
Spiritual perspective
My spiritual belief is that our soul inhabits different physical bodies across lifetimes, a view shaped by my explorations of Taoism and Buddhism. As my mother drifted in and out of consciousness, she drifted more each time. I silently called on her parents and spirit guides to help her transition. Some might say she was hallucinating, but I heard awe in her voice. I believe she was seeing something beautiful, perhaps loved ones waiting for her. My beloved mother’s final words to me were, “I am blessed.” She held gratitude in her heart until the very end.
How homeopathy supports the dying process
As a homeopathic practitioner, I am grateful to offer support during the profound transition from life to death, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Remedies used at the end of life aim to bring comfort, easing fear, relieving pain, calming restlessness, supporting breathing, and assisting the soul’s journey toward release.
Top seven homeopathic medicines in palliative care
Arsenicum album: For anxiety, agitation, fear of dying, restlessness, and breathlessness.
Aconite bapellus: Indicated for panic, fear of death, shock, or heart-related distress.
Carbo vegetabilis: Used for shallow breathing, air hunger, collapse, and blueness at the end stages.
Ignatia amara: For grief, sighing, yawning, emotional overwhelm, silent weeping, or sudden sobs.
Matridonal remedies: Remedies made from the mother’s tissues or breast milk support transitions, beginnings and endings, letting go, and rites of passage, especially puberty, motherhood, ageing, and death. They are gifts of the mother.
Phosphorus: For fear of being alone, anxiety about transitioning, seeking company and reassurance.
Gelsemium: Indicated for drowsiness, heaviness, weakness, and fear without restlessness.
Grief support remedies for family members
Homeopathic medicine can gently calm the nervous system and support you in finding balance in times of stress. The following brief descriptions of remedies show how the medication reflects our unique responses.
Ignatia – acute grief, changeable moods, frequent sighing.
Aconite – emotional shock with initial grief.
Phosphoric acid – exhaustion from prolonged caregiving.
Natrum muriaticum – silent, internalised grief, repressed grief, anger.
Aurum metallicum – despair, hopelessness, sleeplessness.
Pulsatilla – weepy, changeable moods, fear of being alone.
Three things I learnt during this process
How to advocate for loved ones.
Staying heart-centred and connected.
The importance of simply being present.
I took a significant amount of Ignatia during the grief period and two deeply emotionally healing Matridonial remedies. These remedies helped me feel more grounded and supported throughout my grief journey.
Supporting others through grief
Homeopathy understands that the body continually strives to maintain balance on physical, mental, and emotional levels. This system of medicine also recognises that we are all individuals with unique responses to those events in life which disturb our sense of well-being.
Grief can be associated with all kinds of losses, bereavement, a breakdown in a relationship, termination of employment, and other major life events.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of supporting many individuals and families through the challenges of grief and bereavement. By combining personalised natural medicine with a deep understanding of the emotional and physical effects of loss, I have helped people find comfort, clarity, and a renewed sense of balance during one of life’s most difficult journeys. I have seen firsthand how homeopathy can gently ease the journey through grief.
If you feel called to explore this more deeply, you’re welcome to join my upcoming masterclass on grief and bereavement, created especially for Brainz readers. And if you prefer a more personal space, I also offer individual grief consultations to support you through your own healing.
Here is the link to both options.
Read more from Tina Horrell
Tina Horrell, Natural Health Care Practitioner
Tina Horrell is an integrative homeopath and naturopath with over 25 years of international experience. Tina supports individuals and families with a range of health concerns, specialising in autism, ADHD, allergies, gut issues, and sleep problems. She also offers targeted detox programs for heavy metals and environmental toxins. Her work blends homoeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, and detoxification to restore clients' balance and vitality, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Tina consults with clients worldwide via online video sessions and is a regular health writer for Brainz Magazine.
