The Grieving Place is a community for heart-centered people who want to re-imagine a new relationship with death, loss and life in transition.
Why a newsletter on death and loss?
I think the more relevant question is why not a newsletter focused on all things thanatology (Spoiler alert … it’s the study of death and loss)? People long to have intimate, truthful, and heartfelt conversations with others on what it means to live, die, and grieve.
When we choose to stay in the conversation … when we do not avert our gaze … when we bear witness to each other’s suffering … something miraculous happens. We forge an intimacy that we feel in our bones. We feel seen, valued and appreciated in ways that are hard to describe. We walk away feeling less scared, overwhelmed, frustrated, lonely and isolated.
The Grieving Place is a welcoming space for us to talk about what we too often dismiss.
It’s a safe place to ask questions, to learn from each other, and to reflect on what it means to be human, even as we acknowledge that at some point we will die. All of us.
In the eye of the storm, this work keeps us centered. It grows our capacity to have boundaries and be fully present for those who need us. The people we love are better off because of the deep work we do. Whether you sign up for free or upgrade to a paid subscription, I hope you’ll connect.
Let’s re-imagine a healthy relationship with loss, together.
Paid subscribers receive all free content plus:
A weekly newsletter that shares stories of love and loss, coping practices and other humanistic ways to understand what happens to us when life goes sideways.
Support in monthly community threads.
A quarterly Grief Café: A 75 minute facilitated gathering that invites us to commune, ask questions, hold space, and bear witness to each other. Sessions are hosted beginning at noon EST on March 1, May 31, August 30 and November 1.
My gratitude for fostering conversations on how to support self and others through life losses.
Free subscribers get public posts
Regardless of how you choose to engage, please know how grateful I am that you have decided to connect with me and this growing ecosystem of heart-centered people who want to talk openly and authentically about grief.
About Me
I’m a Grief Doula.
Hard earned. I’ve come to this space after suffering through a life altering loss. A loss that almost destroyed me.
But it didn’t.
Truth be shared, what I’ve learned about grieving the death of my younger sister Tracy, saved me. Becoming grief and loss literate has shaped who I have become because of the suffering I endured after her death … not in spite of it. Does that resonate?
I hope so.
Our world needs grief and loss literate folks to bear witness to our human suffering.
We, the collective we, fail miserably when it comes to acknowledging the finiteness of our beingness. We find so many ways to deny our death. And it’s the denial that is keeping us stuck.
I’m a passionate advocate for grief and loss literacy.
I believe in fighting for what we believe in and living into our purpose. I’m a mother, daughter, sister, spouse, humanitarian, writer, teacher, grief doula and professional coach. I am really proud of having penned two books: Values-in-Action: Igniting Passion and Purpose in Sport Organizations and Grief Unleashed: Moving from the hole in our hearts to whole-hearted.
When I’m not coaching clients or focusing on what idea to give birth to next, I’m hanging out with my three adult children and my high school sweetheart. I live near Ottawa, Canada and love to hike, workout, practice yoga and meditate. You can find me on Instagram at grief.unleashed or on Facebook or Linked In at griefunleashed.
Testimonials
“This workshop felt like a warm hug. As individuals with unique life experiences of grief and loss came together, Dina worked her magic and created a safe and welcoming environment. We shared, listened and learned over the course of our day-long journey. I came out of this more informed, relieved and understood.”
“Dina is a masterful, empathetic and caring human being. It is clear when you take her workshops and courses that she knows this topic inside/out—which is comforting when taking on a subject that most people aren’t comfortable talking about. However, after the workshop I felt I had better language to not only understand my own grief and loss, but also to walk alongside others who are suffering from a loss. Thank-you Dina for sharing your gifts with us.”
"Simply put: Dina has revolutionized my relationship with myself, and with my sport."
“This was a day of profound learning, for which I am deeply grateful. It offered a tender exploration of my own grief and losses. It broadened my understanding of and ability to speak about loss. And it provided new capacity in my way of witnessing and supporting my coaching clients. That’s a lot of value! I felt skilfully and warmly guided by Dina and held by her beautiful body of work.”
“Having the language to make sense of the complexity of sport and life is a powerful tool. Dina has helped me to understand the mechanics of grief, which has allowed me to process some of the negative moments that I’ve experienced throughout my career in sport."
“Grief Unleashed provided me the space to see the grief and loss fragments that my body had been gathering for a lifetime in its nooks and crannies … ancestors, family, relationships, professional life, climate grief … This space has allowed me to recognize that grief is the other side of love, and that it is my responsibility to dive into the deep soul work required for a thriving life, this for myself and in holding space for others who also aspire to it.”
