I’ve spent time “fixing” what clients have been told about grief. I’ve had clients referred to me for depression and observed the telltale signs of dementia. Sending those clients to a skilled neurologist for the correct diagnosis that was the client’s new  reality in time for them to retire, with the benefits they needed and in time to make their own decisions was the treatment they really needed. They also needed a therapist who knew dementia well enough to see and hear it.  Every time I do a training, I’m approached by people who had no idea how many kinds of dementia existed – or what life was like with dementia. I meet professionals who have never considered grief beyond five stages. I’ve corrected the understanding of audience members about a death they witnessed, bringing them a personal sense of relief. It was information they should have always had.

I am a dynamic and engaging speaker and I love teaching both professional and community groups about dementia, death and dying, grief and loss, and remaking your life using grief for growth. My experience as a widow, as a mom who has had kids lose parents, as a pet mom who has held her Oodles as they died, and as a therapist who has had the incredibly important trust of her clients to walk them from loss into recovery makes me authentic in leading discussions. My time with my never-to-be forgotten hospice patients and their families, and with the children in the schools has allowed me a window into the grief process for nearly every loss. I’ve held space for survivors of mass shootings, for pet parents who feel unseen and unheard in their losses, for children who are completely pissed off at being told to be strong or to be glad they have another angel in heaven, when they would much rather have a living person here on earth.

I can say I know administration and the realities of hospice from that perspective. I am, as many hospice staff describe themselves, called to see that people die with care and dignity, and their families find the support they need. My presentations help those who are not familiar with hospice understand the dying process and bring a new perspective on grief to hospice staff from someone who knows their language and hearts.

I’m also married to a funeral director and live in the world of the death industry. I’m a member of the local funeral director’s association, and I’m featured in videos for a nationwide grief support program in mortuaries across the country.