About Karen Junker

Supporting individuals and families in emotional, spiritual, and practical end-of-life matters with clarity and peace.

Compassionate End-of-Life Guidance in the South Bay

Karen Junker specializes in working with those who are interested in approaching their end of life preparation and experiences with creativity, dignity and wonder. Karen offers companionship, guidance and advocacy to empower people to be at choice and travel their own path of life, dying and death.

With both personal and clinical experience, Karen’s mission is for each of us to know our options and express ourselves regarding our desires for spiritual and medical care at the end of this earthly life. Having witnessed the difference “being organized” around death makes, Karen is committed to the graceful, and potentially healing, dying and death that curating makes possible.

Person standing in front of a mural of large, colorful wings painted on a dark wall.

My Educational Foundation & Professional Credentials

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    Masters of Divinity (MDiv)

    Pacific School of Religion

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    Clinical Pastoral Education

    UC Davis Medical Center & Torrance Memorial Medical Center

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    Certified End-of-Life Care, Direct Patient Contact

    Home Care Pulse

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    End-of-Life Care Certificate

    ALLEGRA (through the American Nurses Credentialing Center)

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    Going With Grace End of Life

    Training Course

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    Clinical EFT Practitioner

    EFT Tapping Training Institute

Circular badge with multicolored hands forming a ring around a heart, labeled ‘National End-of-Life Doula Alliance – Proficiency Badge.’

My Professional & Volunteer Experience

My journey into end-of-life care began personally, supporting a close friend’s mother through her final days. This experience revealed the healing potential of approaching death as a curated spiritual journey and inspired me to share my guidance with others.

I have served as:

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    Hospice volunteer, currently active at Torrance Memorial Medical Center (TMMC)

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    Chaplain intern at UC Davis Medical Center, working with ENT, oncology, and neonatal ICU patient

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    Chaplain intern at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, working with oncology and general medicine 

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    Congregational life program leader in San Francisco, providing hospital visits, pastoral care, and bedside choir performances

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    Death Coach with CorStone (formerly the Center for Attitudinal Healing), supporting hospice patients and those ending treatment

I also facilitate Love of Aging Circles and participate in the Beach Cities Health District Moai Social Groups, fostering community, connection, and spiritual exploration around aging and end-of-life topics.

My Holistic Philosophy

I believe that dying and death can be a spiritual healing journey. I advocate for individuals to fully understand their end-of-life options, plan intentionally, and experience the process in alignment with their values. My approach blends emotional support, spiritual guidance, and practical care, helping both those who are dying and their loved ones find comfort, meaning, and peace.

Experience Curating Your Journey and Living Fully Now

My dedication to providing compassionate, holistic end-of-life care stems from a deep belief that every person deserves dignity and clarity.

see what i offer

"Death is just another way of organizing yourself. I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it."
- Mark Twain