Sample Speaking Topics

Beyond the Casserole: How to Help Someone who is Grieving 

You attended the funeral, sent a card, and/or made a donation to charity. You may have even provided a meal. Now what? 

When a friend or family member is suffering from loss, you may find yourself at a loss because you want to help but don't know how. How can you ease their pain? Is it possible to make the bereaved feel better or recover faster?

In this interactive presentation, we will discuss the grieving process, talk about what to say and what not to say, and make suggestions for how you can best be helpful.

Note: This presentation works well for church or community groups.

An Introduction to Grief Recovery: Exploring the Common Myths about Grief & How to Help Others 

There is a lot of misinformation in our culture about grief. Because it makes others uncomfortable, it is often minimized or dismissed. When we suffer a loss, we are expected to quickly “Get over it.” As a result, grievers feel even more isolated and alone and that something must be wrong with them. This results in unresolved grief, which shows up in unhealthy behaviors down the road.

In our society the focus seems to be on being positive and happy, and so the underlying message is “It’s NOT OK to NOT BE OK”. Often grievers are told “It takes time” or “Be strong”, which are not helpful comments when someone’s heart is broken.

In this interactive presentation, we will explore some common myths about grief and what you--as family, friend, or concerned community member--can do to help.

Note: This presentation was given to the International Council of Community Churches in Jacksonville, Florida in July 2019

Navigating the Holidays When you are Grieving: Strategies for Self-Care

During the holiday season we are bombarded with Christmas carols on the radio and messages in the media about it being “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. There are lots of images of smiling faces sitting around the dinner table, happy couples attending parties or going on romantic sleigh rides, and close-knit families sitting around a fire next to an elaborately decorated tree, lovingly exchanging an abundance of gifts.

So what do you do when your holidays look NOTHING like this? For those who have suffered one or more major losses (e.g. job loss, health issues, divorce or romantic break up, death of a family member, friend or pet, just to name a few) not only does it NOT feel “wonderful”, but on the contrary, can be “The Saddest, Loneliest Time of the Year”.

Lisa will address the common myths about grief and will explore the normal and natural feelings associated with loss. She will also offer some strategies for practicing self-care during the holidays, when stress levels can be exceptionally high.  

Note: This talk was given to New Beginnings (Divorce Support Group) in Wellesley, Mass and the Natick, Mass Opiod Task Force