about

I'm Dr. Martha Jo Atkins.

Providing A Safe Space to Express and Process Dying and Death

I am a doctoral level end-of-life licensed professional counselor and counselor supervisor (LPC-S), coach, consultant, speaker, and author. I love all dogs but most especially boxers. (That’s Gertie.) Dr. Pepper is my drink of choice. I worked with my first dying patient, a 3 y/o, when I was 22 years old. For thirty two years now, I’ve come alongside grieving and bereaved children and families + people at end-of-life and the ones who love them.

Individuals and families invite me in as they’re thinking about what’s next. Sometimes this is after a new cancer diagnosis and sometimes it’s after the diagnosis of an illness that can’t be treated or cured. I help families who need a little help talking with each other or those who want to create space/ceremony to say good-bye as a family or community while their person is able to be a part of the experience. Sometimes the person at end of life wants to talk about how to facilitate a meaningful experience for the people they love and themselves. (Creativity and love in the midst of an end of life experience is a beautiful thing.)

My clients are young, middle aged, elder, gay, straight, religious and not, or whatever other labels you can think of. I don’t care much for labels.

I do care for people.

For most of us, dying isn’t something we’re taught how to do. We may only be with two or three people in our whole lives who die. Yet we get frustrated with ourselves because we don’t know more. Or we’re perplexed when one dying experience isn’t like another.

The whole experience can all be really tough - and also rich, meaningful, and life affirming. It can be more.

There is a space in the dying experience that is holy and true in a way that not much else is.

My Own Journey

I’ve been with more than a thousand children and adults at end-of-life - in hospitals, homes, and in-patient hospices. Long-term work in grief and bereavement laid a strong professional foundation early, and personal losses provided hard-won empathy and their own kind of wisdom. 

My brother John and I, cared for our parents who died in 2006 (Mom) and 2016 (Dad). Our oldest brother Jim died unexpectedly from a heart condition, Long QT Syndrome, in 1993. He was 37. That was a difficult time for our family. Jim’s death was the impetus for me to found the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas where I served as executive director from 1997 - 2005. A lot of wonderful people came together to create this important resource for San Antonio.

In 2016 I began life changing/affirming work as executive director at Abode Contemplative Care for the Dying.

At Abode I met Marco, a wise teacher for me. He wanted a conscious dying experience and made that happen for himself. Aspects of his dying process were markedly different from others I’d accompanied and caused me to wonder how unfinished trauma responses are released from the body at end-of-life. I studied the work of Dr. Peter Levine, developer of Somatic Experiencing®, completing my three year Somatic Experiencing Practitioner training in 2022.

A film class for a milestone birthday opened a new way of working and being with people. Now my camera(s) goes where I go. When someone is willing, we capture film. With permission, some stories are shared as teaching tools to help deepen our knowing about dying and living.

How can I help you?

  • End-of-Life Coaching

    A coaching relationship and bespoke tools for you and your particular experience to help address emotional and spiritual concerns for yourself and your family

  • Somatic Experiencing

    This mind/body modality supports the gentle release of stuck energy in your nervous system

  • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

    I use this safe, proven tool to alleviate depression, anxiety, and patterns from trauma, grief, and existential pain at end-of-life

  • Supervision and Consultations

    I offer supervision for Professional Counselors and Professional Counselor Associates as well as consultations for professionals working with clients at end-of-life.

    • Hermann Children’s Hospital - Child Life Intern, 1991

    • Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, 1992-1995

    • Children’s Bereavement Center Of South Texas, 1997-2005

    • Methodist Hospital Psychiatric Evaluation Team, 2007-2009

    • Abode Contemplative Care For The Dying, 2016-2019

    • Martha Jo Atkins, Phd. Private Practice, 2013 - Present

    • Martha Jo Atkins, Phd. Dying School, 2020 - Present

    • Martha Jo Atkins, Phd. Soul Story Films, 2020-Present

    • B.A. - Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas

    • M.A. - University of Texas, San Antonio

    • PhD. - University of Texas, San Antonio

    • Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - LPCC #15719 (Texas)

    • Somatic Experiencing®

    • Myers Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Certified

Learn what it is like to work with me.