Let’s Learn: When Grief Shows Up Early
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In the words of grief activist, social worker, and author Lisa Keefauver, “grief is a sneaky bitch.” It’s unpredictable. It shows up uninvited. And often, it arrives early when there’s an impending transition in our lives. Common expected losses can include receiving a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, but anticipatory grief can also result from other kinds of significant change in our social networks and environments. In this kickoff session for this three-part series, guest speakers will illuminate the common characteristics of anticipatory grief and share their personal stories and strategies for navigating this type of loss.
- How is anticipatory grief different from or related to grief after the death of someone we love?
- What are the ways to care for caregivers experiencing anticipatory grief?
- Why are the social stigmas and cultural myths that impact our ability to grieve the diagnosis of a chronic or serious illness?
- What kinds of support do BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented communities need when anticipating loss?
- When we foresee future devastation to the planet caused by climate change or environmental injustice, what can we do to hold space for ecological grief, preserve what remains and remember what we’ve lost?
Kyle Hill, Ph. D., MPH, is Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota, enrolled citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota, descendant of Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate (Dakota) and Cheyenne River Sioux (Lakota) tribal Nations. Dr. Hill is an assistant professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. Dr. Hill completed a Master of Public Health degree at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University in May of 2020.
Throughout his education and training experiences, Dr. Hill has developed a multifaceted skill set in decolonizing mental health treatment, trauma-informed practices, health equity and Indigenous frameworks of health and wellness. In addition, he has helped guide projects in translational research utilizing community-based participatory frameworks. He has also supplemented his public health research and practice with a natural ability to create and deliver educational experiences in the areas of Indigenous ethnopsychologies, Indigenous research methodologies, decolonization in health and climate justice initiatives within American Indian and First Nations communities. In addition, He has worked with numerous American Indian tribes, as health professional, researcher, as well as leadership roles with youth. His research interests focus on climate change adaptation vis-a-vis Indigenous traditional practices and active engagement of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledges.
Lisa Keefauver (moderator) is an in-demand grief activist, speaker and author. She began her career as a social worker and narrative therapist, then expanded her activism in a variety of roles: clinical director & supervisor, non-profit co-founder, facilitator of personal and professional growth and healing. Lisa's wisdom and insights on grief are also embodied from her personal losses. She is a mother of an adopted child, who became an only parent when she lost her husband Eric to brain cancer in 2011. Lisa's grief advocacy inspired her to found Reimagining Grief, with a mission to illuminate and dismantle the limited and misleading collective story of grief that causes so much unnecessary suffering. Best known for her interview skills as host of the top-rated podcast, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch, she has spent much of her time sharing her warmth, wisdom, humor and compassion facilitating conversations as a speaker and moderator on stages, as an organizational consultant to facilitate grief-smart companies, and leading workshops and retreats.
Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss
Myra Sack is the author of "Fifty-Seven Fridays: Losing Our Daughter Finding Our Way," and founder and Executive Director of E-Motion, Inc. a nonprofit organization created to support community, movement and ritual to enhance coping and resilience. Myra's life changed when her older daughter, Havi, was diagnosed with a fatal neurodegenerative disease in December 2019. Havi died on January 20, 2021 of Tay-Sachs disease. Myra holds an MBA in Social Impact from Boston University, and graduated with a B.A. cum laude from Dartmouth College, where she captained the women's soccer team and earned All-America honors. She has devoted over a dozen years to youth serving nonprofits, including serving as Chief Program and Strategy Officer at Squashbusters, Inc. and leading program development across Latin America for Soccer Without Borders. A writer, speaker, and certified Compassionate Bereavement Care provider, Myra serves on the Board of the Courageous Parents Network and lives in Boston, MA with her husband Matt, their second daughter, Kaia, and son Ezra. Her writing has appeared in numerous national outlets including the Boston Globe Spotlight, Today.com, and Upworthy.
Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is the Founder and CEO of In Their Honor. As an Army Veteran, Spouse to a Combat Veteran, End-of-Life Doula Educator, and Storyteller, she has proudly devoted more than two decades to elevating the quality of life of military and Veteran communities.
In founding In Their Honor, Qwynn embarked on a mission to collaborate with communities, states, academia, and organizations to ensure Veterans and their loved ones receive the support they deserve through the end of life. Qwynn extends her expertise and strategic direction to numerous military and Veteran community efforts focused on women Veterans, LGBTQIA+ Veterans, workforce development, suicide prevention, caregiving, aging/longevity, and end-of-life. Notably, she served as the Lead Advisor for PsychArmor’s groundbreaking “Caring for Veterans Through the End-of-Life Collection.” This 3-part collection, infused with profound wisdom and empathy, offers invaluable guidance and support for Compassionate Communities, Caregivers/Loved Ones, and Healthcare Providers. In 2024, she was appointed to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's End-of-Life Doula Council. Additionally, she is a founding member of the Compassionate Communities Think Tank (U.S.), advocating for social change related to community-based end-of-life support. Recognized as one of USA Today’s 2024 Women of the Year underscores her significant national contributions. Previously, the Georgia Department of Veterans Services awarded her the inaugural Woman Veteran of the Year (2022-2023). This dual recognition highlights her dedication, leadership, and commitment to making a difference in her community and the nation.
https://psycharmor.org/caring-for-veterans-through-end-of-life
Jamie Thrower (she/they) is a Queer death doula, end of life and grief educator, and founder of Queer Grief Club, an online community support and resource space for LGBTQ grievers. Jamie focuses her work on both advocacy and direct client care for LGBTQ folks in end-of-life and grief support.
About the Series “The Long Goodbye: Anticipatory Grief in Anxious Times”
Election season is a heightened period of collective dread and uncertainty. Anxiety over changes in political systems are often compounded by other kinds of impending loss. As individuals, we may be caring for a loved one in hospice, managing a debilitating illness, or facing our own mortality. Shared experiences of anticipatory grief include eco-anxiety over climate change and neighborhood transformations caused by cultural displacement and gentrification. How do we transform sorrow, helplessness, frustration, and anger – as well as other feelings associated with the promise of loss – into a commitment to action?
About Reimagine
Reimagine is a nonprofit organization catalyzing a uniquely powerful community–people of different backgrounds, ages, races, and faiths (and no faith) coming together in the hopes of healing ourselves and the world. We specifically support each other in facing adversity, loss, and mortality and channeling life's biggest challenges into meaningful action and growth.
