Gregory Lathrop

RN, HTPa
Dying Care Nurse Advocate
Adults, Adolescents and Children

Greg is a licensed as a Registered Nurse. At the age of 15, he experienced what he thought would be the moment of his immediate death. The transpersonal, mystical state of being he experienced transformed his perspective of consciousness and therefore guided his choices regarding his “work” in this life. He later learned that this experience is referred to as an NDE (Near Death Experience). His nursing experience of over 40 years has included acute care, critical care, emergency care, air-medical transport, hospice care and integrative healthcare.

Associate Degree in Nursing, Southwestern Community College, Sylva, NC, 1985.
Chief Flight Nurse, Mountain Area Medical Airlift, Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC, 1986-1998.
Hospice Nurse, CarePartners Hospice, Asheville, NC, 1998-2010.
Holistic Nurse Specialist, Integrative Health, Mission Hospital, Asheville, NC, 2010 to 2014.
Private Practice, Dying Care Nurse Advocate, Adults, Adolescents and Children, 2014 to present.

“I am stepping into the signature of my soul by working as an RN Patient Advocate and a Holistic Transitions Coach.”

Currently in his private practice as a Dying Care Nurse Advocate, he honors the principles of conscious dying, reinforcing the plan of care established by the healthcare provider/organization. His goal is to demystify the stages of the dying process, increase beautify, pleasure and contentment, provide emotional and spiritual support and engage in conversations about dying while acknowledging the mysteries during this sacred time.

Using a holistic approach, through teaching and coaching methods, his goal is to cultivate ease patient and family during a time which can often feel very uneasy. In his experience, integrating holistic therapies can greatly enhance a sense of well-being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

His practice also includes certification as HeartMath Coach and HeartMath Trainer, reinforcing the principles of HeartMath related to self-regulation, resilience and optimal function. Additionally, he is a Conscious Dying Educator with previous Adjunct Faculty status for the Conscious Dying Institute, Boulder, CO, as well as Group Support Leader for the International Association for Near Death Studies (Asheville IANDS).

In addition to this experience, Greg accepted the opportunity to study Traditional Indigenous Medicine for over 13 years with his late “teacher” Will Rockingbear, because of a profound sense of the power of ceremony, in being with dying. An embodiment of these teachings: “I would prefer that you don’t just take care of me. I would rather that you Love me.”

He is an accomplished Musician and Native Flautist.

Local photography by Bonnie and Chris Allen of Asheville Photo Tours.