Inspiring keynotes on grief and non-death loss grounded in clinical expertise and inspired by lived experience
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Association for Death Education & Counseling
2025 Annual Conference Awards Ceremony
Albuquerque, NM
I help people move beyond just surviving grief, and into a life rooted in meaning, self-compassion, and resilience.
My name is Heather Stang. I am the author of Navigating Loss, Living With Grief (formerly Mindfulness & Grief), and the guided journal From Grief to Peace. I love sharing this work with bereaved audiences and professionals alike!
I use mindfulness, meaning-making, and self-inquiry to help people navigate grief in a way that’s real and lasting. I’m the 2025 recipient of the ADEC Clinical Practice Award, but what I’m most proud of is creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and more able to carry what life has handed them.
I speak to the real experience of loss—whether it’s death or another kind of deep change—and help people reconnect with themselves through mindfulness, self-compassion, and meaning-making. As a speaker, I bring both clinical expertise and lived understanding to every talk, creating space for honesty, insight, and grounded hope. My goal isn’t to fix anyone’s grief, but to give them practical ways to live with it.
I have credentials—but it’s my why, my meaning, that truly helps me connect with an audience. When I was seven, my uncle died by suicide just before Thanksgiving. That loss shattered my world and became the first of many, both death and non-death losses, that shaped who I am. I know grief from the inside out, and I know what it’s like to search for tools that actually help.
My audience:
- Hospice & Palliative Care Professionals
- Grief & Bereavement Support Events
- Social Workers & Therapists
- Funeral Homes & Aftercare Services
- First Responders
- Elder Law and Estate Attorneys
- Yoga & Meditation Professionals
- Teachers & Public Health Educators
- Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Organizations
Speaker Testimonials for Heather
Heather is a seasoned professional whose commitment and passion shines through her work and her presentations. Her half-day preconference seminar [at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s 2016 Management and Leadership Conference] was well attended and participants rated the session highly. It was so successful that we invited Heather to present at NHPCO’s Intensives (fall, 2016) and lead morning “self-care” meditation sessions for participants. Heather infuses compassion and care into her work and those who participate reap the benefits!
BARBARA L. BOUTON, MA, FT
Vice President, Professional Development
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization
I would say that ‘mindfulness’ is a gift you will unpack the rest of your life. Too often we humans are just reacting to things one after another. If you want to get off the treadmill, then Heather Stang is the ideal person to guide you. Her work is thoughtful, focused and well researched. I trust her to work with our donor families because of her compassion and openness about her own grief journey. She knows what she’s talking about, but more importantly she helps you find what works best for you.
YIE YIN FOONG, LMSW-SWI
Family Services Outreach Coordinator
LiveOnNY Organ Donation
Favorite Speaking Topics:
Below are a few samples from my portfolio. All keynote and workshop presentations can be created for and custom-tailored to your specific audience, intention, and timeframe.
For Bereaved Audiences
From Grief To Peace. Transform the heartache and pain of loss into of meaning and posttraumatic growth with the 8 steps of Heather's Mindfulness & Grief System.
Self-Compassion as Self-Care. Learn the three steps you can take to become your own best friend and tend to suffering in the wake of loss.
Coping With Grief During The Holidays. The happiest time of year is anything but when your heart has been shattered by a loss. Learn how to be gentle with yourself, navigate difficult relationships, survive the social obligations, all while remembering your relationship and values.
Self-Care for the Family Caregiver. When we are caring for someone with dementia, addiction or mental health needs, our health is rarely placed first. Learn simple techniques and one big attitude shift that can help you respond compassionately to your own suffering.
For Grief Professionals
Managing Personal Loss in a Professional World. Explore how self-compassion can help you manage difficult emotions, reduce suffering, and exemplify self-care for both clients and colleagues alike.
The Mindful Hospice. Learn how a mindful hospice team can impact the well-being of patients and their family caregivers as well as the staff that devotes a great deal of time and energy caring for them.
For Grief Adjacent Professionals
Grief 101. In a world where myths and misconceptions around grief can cause real harm, this survey explores evidence-based "best practices" for professionals and laypersons working with a grieving population.