Letters From A Funeral Director

My name is Hannah, and I am a funeral director based in North Carolina.

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My goal is to connect with other empathetic, like-minded directors while providing relatable resources on compassion fatigue, burnout, and self-care within the death care industry.

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When I started my journey in this career, I was shocked to find that there were few to no resources available for our field. No one talked about what compassion fatigue really meant or what burnout actually looked like. No one openly discussed the very real—and oftentimes heavy—emotions and weight that come with being a funeral director in the death care industry.

My experience starting out was pretty much a “learn as you go” kind of experience. As a deeply empathetic person, I quickly realized that the emotions I experienced and the things I was exposed to as a funeral director were going to take a toll on me.

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No one talked about the cases you connect with, whether it’s the deceased, their families, or both, and how much those connections can shape you moving forward. At first, I shied away from those feelings, wondering if I was supposed to feel so much emotion as a professional. After all, no one talked about it.

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Now, I know that these experiences are part of what continues to make me a better funeral director as I grow in this field. Empathy is an important part of serving others in this industry, and I believe that the emotional side of this profession deserves to be talked about openly.