Katie Blecker (she/her)
I’m an artist, grief worker, death doula, yoga guide, and educator based in so-called Vancouver, Canada (unceded, traditional lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations). My roots are German and Scottish. I support individuals and communities through disability-informed, grief-centered care.
My body of work is informed by my experience of nearly two decades of living with disabling chronic illnesses. In this time I've gone through a lot of loss, change, and uncertainty, eventually coming to understand that grief is an ever evolving rhythm in my life. Some of the illnesses I currently live with are ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), migraine disease, dysautonomia, and spinal disc degeneration/
osteoarthritis. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user (meaning that I use a wheelchair part time).
Near the end of 2024 my dad, Hans Herman Blecker, died from stage 4 lung cancer. He was in hospice for the last two weeks of his life. There was so much I didn't know about the end of life process at that time, which only added to how difficult the experience was.
Sitting next to my dad after he died, holding reflective and sacred space, was one of the most profound moments I've ever experienced. It was in that moment, without knowing it, that I first stepped into my role as a death doula. Since then, it's become my purpose to accompany people through their own experiences of grief, loss, and end of life.
My Philosophy:
I believe that a great many of us have not been taught how to grieve. Unprocessed grief manifests in countless harmful ways in our society and communities, leaving even more suffering in its wake. Grief and death work are essential elements in our healing and movement toward collective liberation. Death work includes showing up in our lives here and now and doing what we can to help make the world a better place for current and future generations, and the Earth itself.
I'm dedicated to learning about social injustice, including white supremacy and colonization. I recognize that my whiteness influences much of how I exist in the world and I seek to use my privilege to uplift others and push back against systems that cause so much harm, marginalization, and disenfranchisement.
About this website:
I don't use AI in my work.
However, please note that the accessibility widget used on this website does utilize AI. I chose to add it to the website to meet standards across different countries. I built this website from scratch on a low budget and am not a web developer. While I've done my best to make this site accessible, the widget ensures various access needs are met.
Art:
Arts and craft have always been central anchors in my life. From studying fashion design and costuming, working as a textile artist in film and tv, to my own artistic endeavours including working with sculpture, fibre, paper, paint, and pastel – art is at the core of who I am. All the images on this website are of my own works.
Creativity has always been an integral part of grief and death care, across all time and cultures. I often accompany my clients in discovering their own personal modes of self-expression, ritual, and emotional processing. I believe that creativity is within all of us. It can help us remember what it means and how it feels to be human.
Professional Experience:
I'm a certified End of Life Doula, trained through Rhodes Wellness College (2025). I provide grief and death care for small groups and individuals.
I've been a facilitator since 2018, primarily leading yoga and meditation classes and workshops. I'm a faculty member in the Yoga Teacher Training programs at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts and co-own an online yoga studio with my friend Audrey called Cosy Yoga Club. I specialize in leading trauma-informed, access-centered programming for chronically ill and disabled folks. I've led classes in residential facilities for seniors, healthcare settings, disability orgs, family-run yoga studios, and more.
About Fully Woven
Fully Woven is a project created and passed down to me by my dear friend Monique Francis. Since 2014, Fully Woven served as a vessel for community art projects, grief care, contemplative and somatic practices, craft, and a way of being in the world that values slowing down, intentionality, creativity, and radical care. Now in 2026, I am honoured to carry the torch of Fully Woven forward while continuing to honour it's original soul-led purpose.
Visit Monique at her new website www.moniquefrancis.com