Lauren Gil Hayes, LCSW, LISW, is an end-of-life doula, community educator, and grief therapist based in Eastern Iowa. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and an MSW from the University of Chicago, where she received the Sonia G. Berz Award for Outstanding Promise in the Field of Aging.

 

Lauren has held direct service and leadership roles in HIV/AIDS services, LGBTQ+ health care, youth arts mentorship, caregiver support, dementia education, and medical social work. She is currently a PhD student in social work at the University of Iowa, with research interests in loneliness, family estrangement, caregiving, and ambiguous loss at end-of-life. Her work examines the social phenomenon of dying alone and its implications on individual experiences, societal narratives, and care infrastructure.

She currently serves as the Southeast Branch Board Member for NASW-Iowa through Summer 2025. In her free time, Lauren likes to ride her bike, bake sweet treats, and touch dirt.