About Us
HELD Services LLC
HELD Services LLC, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was founded by Dr. Jude Higgins, an End-of-Life Doula and Spiritual Care Provider.
Jude completed her Spiritual Care Residency at Kaiser Permanente Hospitals in Vallejo and Vacaville, CA (Level II Trauma Unit), where she served both as a Hospital Chaplain and as the Resident Chaplain for the Palliative Care Team. She trained under the College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) and is currently a Psychedelic Clinical Behavioral Health Chaplain at The Lotus Center for Healing and Wellness. Jude also certified in Psychedelic Therapist Certification through the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), MAPs, Polaris, and a special Polaris/Rainfall Spiritual Care Health Professional Training and is preparing for board certification as a clinical chaplain.
Spiritual Lineage & Ancestry
Jude’s work is deeply informed by her ancestral traditions and ritual practice.
- Maternal Lineage: Jude comes from a line of women born en caul, including herself—a “veiled birth” with longstanding spiritual significance.
- Paternal Lineage: The O’Higgins (Ó hUiginn) family descends from the Irish O’Neills, tracing back to Niall of the Nine Hostages, the 4th-century High King of Ireland. Her ancestors were hereditary ollams—poets, seers, and keepers of history—who held courtly status second only to kings. They practiced the Triple Gift of Imbas, a form of sacred inspiration and prophecy accessed through chant, journey, and rhythm. Jude carries this lineage forward in her own drumming and ceremonial work.
- New Mexico Lineage: Through her mestiza heritage, Jude also descends from both Indigenous and Spanish ancestry. She honors all of her relatives but holds a special place in her heart for Alonso Catiti of Santo Domingo Pueblo, a leader in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt.
Together, these ancestral lineages form the foundation of Jude’s ritual artistry and spiritual care practice.
Professional Background
Beyond her chaplaincy, Jude is also a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy and was a tenured professor of cultural anthropology for many years. She has extensive training and experience, including:
- Dying Consciously Training
- No One Dies Alone Training
- Thousands of hours serving as a Spiritual Care Provider in hospitals, hospice, and end-of-life settings
- Over 30 years of personal practice in shamanic journeywork, meditation, and guided visualization
Jude is also a trained facilitator in Parker Palmer’s Circle of Trust formation work. She specializes in life-story construction through qualitative research and interview methods—helping individuals identify meaning, articulate legacy, and address regrets or unfinished business.
HELD Services LLC Offerings
HELD Services LLC provides Transitional Coaching and Spiritual Care to individuals and families navigating the end of life. Services include:
- End-of-Life Doula Support: Guidance for individuals and their loved ones through dying, grief, and transition.
- Transitional Coaching: Helping clients explore meaning, resolve regrets, and prepare emotionally and spiritually.
- Ritual and Ceremony: Incorporating drumming, meditation, and ancestral practices.
- Education and Training: HELD Services offers a three-day intensive End-of-Life Doula Training Course, equipping participants with the tools to serve as Soul Midwives, End-of-Life Doulas, or Transition Coaches. Jude also provides customized end-of-life trainings for hospices and hospitals throughout Utah.
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Mission
HELD Services LLC supports families and clients through the end of life process to create a meaningful death experience. HELD Services LLC provides education, planning and resources for end of life choices, and is dedicated to honoring the client’s goals and wishes around their care through a wide array of compassionate services. HELD Services LLC also facilitates End of Life Doula training for those called to this work.
Vision
Through personal empowerment, contemplative practice, and discussion, HELD Services LLC is a model for the use of transformative practices in support of the dying process. HELD Services LLC assists individuals, families, and communities to create a sense of comfort and peace during end of life transitions.
End of Life Doula Training Program
Help From an End of Life Doula LLC welcomes you to your Death Doula Training. This three-day, intensive, course will provide you with all the tools necessary to become a Soul Midwife, End of Life Doula, and/or Transition Coach—whichever term you prefer. By the end of this course, you will be able to guide, support, and hold space for dying individuals and those closest to them. There are numerous reasons individuals are called to pursue this work. You might have had a sacred experience around the death of a loved one, or you might have felt that a death you experienced was actually lacking—even though at the moment you might not have been able to determine why.
Read moreTransitional Coaching
HELD Services LLC provides a Transitional Coaching approach to supporting patients and their families, and typically the coaching is approached with a specific focus in mind, and your doula can help with this. All areas can be explored sequentially or separately depending upon goals of care and the individual needs and wants of each patient. Our program is structured to allow a customized approach for each family based on their specific needs. At the time of vigil, your doula will stay continuously with the family while using the patient’s specific guided visualizations, music and other selected practices to foster a calming atmosphere for a peaceful transition.
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Testimonial
Janet Gray
"You are an important healing angel in my life transition.
You are a special death doula, and are allowed to visit anytime. I should just give you a house key for your convenience."
Bonnie Chapman and Mary Huck
"Jude higgins served as our death doula for our mother. She was kind, considerate, available, and instructive to my sister and me as our mother, at 95 years of age, went through the final stages of dying. Jude was compassionate, caring, and helpful to our mother and to both of us."
Lyle M.
"Your visits always boost my spirits. You're an angel."