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About Dr. Oliver
Lisa Caraway Oliver, EdD
Dr. Lisa Caraway Oliver, EdD, is a Level II-A ACPE-trained healthcare chaplain at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and a life transitions educator who supports individuals and organizations navigating grief, bereavement, and end-of-life transitions. Her work centers on helping people understand the profound emotions and behaviors that often accompany loss, grounded in a deep conviction that education empowers informed, values-aligned decision-making during times of uncertainty.
As a researcher-practitioner, Dr. Oliver’s work is informed by doctoral research focused on death and dying, emotion work, and informal learning. Her dissertation, How Do Caregivers Learn? Exploring the Informal Learning of Hospice Care Professionals, examined how hospice care professionals learn in practice. This research continues to shape her chaplaincy-informed educational and consulting work across healthcare, legal, faith-based, and community settings.
Dr. Oliver is deeply committed to community engagement and public education around life transitions. She co-facilitates the Life Transitions Education Ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church alongside Sharyn M. Hailey, MSW, where she helps create and lead workshops and conversations that support individuals navigating change, loss, and uncertainty. Beyond the church setting, her work extends into the wider community through facilitating Death Cafés and a Life Transitions Education Series across the Fulton, Gwinnett, and Fayette County Public Library Systems.
Her community presence also includes coordinating a “Free Hugs” campaign at both the Black Atlanta Pride Community Festival and the Atlanta Pride Festival, offering visible expressions of care, connection, and welcome in public spaces. In addition, Dr. Oliver serves on the Professional Advisory Group (PAG) at the Grady Center for Spiritual Care and Education (GCSCE), where she provides thoughtful, constructive feedback in support of the Center’s Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program and the formation of future chaplains.
Originally from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dr. Oliver and her family reside in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, where she continues to make meaningful contributions to the community and to the field of life transitions education.
Across all of her work, Dr. Oliver is committed to creating spaces where difficult conversations can be approached with clarity, compassion, and respect—before they become unavoidable.
Why Discuss Life Transitions?
Life transitions are best discussed before they become urgent. While many of us are familiar with events we may never personally experience, every person will face the transition from life to death—often without preparation.
Too often, these conversations are delayed until a medical crisis occurs, and difficult decisions must be made under stress. Talking in advance—and clearly documenting and sharing your wishes—can help reduce confusion, ease the emotional burden, and create a legacy of peace.
I’m here to help guide these conversations with clarity, care, and intention.
Let's Engage.
I’m happy to meet with your group—online or in person—to talk about preparing for a positive end of life or to explore other offerings from my Life Transitions Series.
You might even consider hosting a Death Café. It may not sound like a party, but most people leave saying, “That was easier—and more meaningful—than I expected.”
- Consider hosting a Death Cafe; it may not be traditionally "fun," but it won't be as daunting or unusual as you might anticipate..