"Let me keep my distance, always,
from those who think they have the answers.
Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads. “

- Mary Oliver

About Lies Verswijvel

I am an artist and death doula whose work draws from the well of imagination, be/longing, and impermanence. I aim to create sanctuaries - tangible or intangible - where the tender and hidden parts of life can be held. I am drawn to in-between spaces, to the nature of crisis, and to the raw beauty within them that teaches presence and reveals the magic in things.

Mused by the mythic currents of landscapes, poetry, and lament, I explore the intimate relationship between self and place through a devoted apprenticeship with the more-than-human world.

  • I am a poet at heart. The raw, the exiled, and the inexplicable weave me into the mytho-poetic fabric that connects us to the magic of this world.

    No matter the medium, I strive to create experiences that remind us of the delicate balance between sanity and the touch of madness that compels us to choose life, deepening our engagement with its wonder and beauty.

    Through my work, I want to leave doors ajar so that people might feel curious to explore beyond the known and the visible. It’s about reminding us of the countless possibilities and encounters that unfold when magic is allowed back in.

  • "Anything you do from the soulful self will help lighten the burdens of the world. Anything. You have no idea what the smallest word, the tiniest generosity, can cause to be set in motion... Mend the part of the world that is within your reach." — Clarissa Pinkola Estes

    I am deeply committed to providing care at life’s most profound thresholds, offering support through life crises, grief, and end-of-life transitions. I am trained as a grief and death doula in both Belgium and the UK, and I continue to deepen my expertise through ongoing education. I am actively involved in communities of death, grief, and funeral workers, and I have gained experience volunteering in hospice settings and providing palliative home care in Belgium and the Netherlands.

    Beyond direct care, I facilitate gatherings. Within the Shadow Hive circles, we connect over topics such as depression, burnout, anxiety, high sensitivity, and mental health. Similarly, the Death Magic circles explore topics like death and dying, funeral planning, the afterlife, paranormal experiences, near-death experiences, and more.

    Additionally, I offer immersive ritual experiences. Living funerals to facilitate confrontation with mortality, death anxiety or curiosity, and life struggles. Grief ceremonies for expressing grief and tending to our wounds in a supportive environment.

    Through the Art of Spaceholding course, I teach the essential skills needed to create and maintain these vulnerable environments, ensuring that every individual feels welcome and valued while navigating life's complexities.