Chris Eaton
Death Doula, Author & Speaker, Ordained Minister, U.S. Army Veteran, Awakened Executive Contributor
Rev. Chris Eaton is a Death Doula, author, speaker, ordained minister, U.S. Army veteran, and co-owner of Trinity Yoga Wellness Center in the Greater Tampa Bay area of Florida. His work sits at the intersection of mortality, meaning, spiritual care, trauma recovery, and nervous-system regulation.
For much of his adult life, Chris worked in environments where certainty, safety, control, identity—and sometimes life itself—could disappear in an instant. A former U.S. Army officer and combat veteran, his journey also included years of government contracting, international security, emergency response, leadership, and training.
But the most consequential battle was internal.
After years of severe PTSD, addiction, chronic pain, depression, and a suicide attempt in 2018, Chris began a long process of rebuilding his life. What emerged was not simply recovery, but a fundamental change in how he understood suffering, healing, mortality, consciousness, and what it means to truly be alive.
Today, Chris says simply:
“I sit with the dying. I walk with the living.”
As a Death Doula, he supports individuals and families navigating dying, anticipatory grief, meaning, legacy, spiritual questions, and the emotional realities surrounding the end of life. His work with the living explores many of those same questions before a crisis forces them to the surface: How do we regulate the nervous system? How do we live with uncertainty? What are we carrying that no longer serves us? And what would change if we stopped waiting for tragedy—or death—to wake us up?
Chris is trained through Fundación Elisabeth Kübler-Ross México in Life, Death & Transition work and serves on the Board of the Florida End-of-Life Doula Association (FEOLDA) and the Peace Harmony Joy Alliance. He is a certified 9D Breathwork Facilitator and has trained extensively in meditation, breathwork, theology, contemplative practice, trauma recovery, and spiritual care.
He holds a Master of Theology in Biblical Studies from CMM College of Theology, where he has continued advanced theological studies and Global Christian Chaplaincy training. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) before beginning his military career.
Chris and his wife, April Eaton, co-own Trinity Yoga Wellness Center in the Trinity/New Port Richey area of Florida, where they help cultivate an inclusive community centered on body, mind, spirit, connection, and well-being.
Chris is also a published contributor to Awakened Hearts, Volume 2, and is currently completing his forthcoming book: Don’t Wait for Death to Wake You Up
He speaks to audiences on death and dying, trauma and post-traumatic growth, veteran transition, nervous-system regulation, spirituality, consciousness, resilience, meaning, and what the dying can teach the living about how to live.
His message is simple:
“Don’t wait for death or tragedy to wake you up. You don’t have to hit rock bottom to start rising. There are millions of people surviving—but not truly living. You were born for more than just making it through. You were born to live a life of purpose, connection, and peace. And you don’t have to wait another day to begin.”
Connect with Chris at www.WithChrisEaton.com
Recent Articles
Surviving the War Within: Becoming a Death Doula – An Interview with Chris Eaton
For Chris Eaton, healing wasn’t a straight line — it was a collapse. A combat veteran and former military contractor, Chris spent years suppressing emotion, numbing trauma with alcohol and prescription medication, and forcing himself to perform through pain. On the outside, he was successful — a husband, father, entrepreneur. On the inside, he was unraveling. In 2018, overwhelmed by depression, chronic pain, and the weight of perfectionism, Chris attempted to take his own life.