Inspirational Keynote Speaker
for Conferences & Seminars
on Self-Care for Grief
Inspire your conference attendees with a motivational speaker on mindfulness, grief, and self-care.
As a thought leader on mindfulness-based interventions for grief and loss, I love sharing practical tools and engaging stories with people I meet at conferences, professional development workshops, and retreats.
Because I'm a clinician as well as a thanatologist, I can pull from both research and real life to create a grounded presentation with lasting impact.
If you're providing C.E. or C.E.U. credits for professional development, I'll happily work with you to create a meaningful training.
Virtual Events &
In-Person Availability
Heather travels from the Baltimore/Washington DC region and lives in West Virginia. She is also available for Zoom and other virtual events.
Audiences
- Hospice & Palliative Care Professionals
- Grief & Bereavement Support Events
- Social Workers & Therapists
- Funeral Homes & Aftercare Services
- First Responders
- Yoga & Meditation Professionals
- Teachers & Public Health Educators
- Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Organizations
Favorite Speaking Topics:
Below are a few samples from Heather's portfolio. All keynote and workshop presentations can be created for and custom-tailored to your specific audience, intention, and timeframe.
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.
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-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.
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.
Mindfulness & Leadership Excellence. Mindfulness on and off the job can boost your leadership skills as well as your overall life satisfaction in just minutes a day.
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.
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.
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.
Watch Heather In Action
Holiday Grief Seminar 2018
Interim Healthcare & Mackey Funerals and Cremations
Greenville, SC
About Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT
Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT, is the author of Navigating Loss, Living With Grief (formerly Mindfulness & Grief) and the guided journal, From Grief To Peace. She's the creator of the Mindfulness & Grief System, featured in the Handbook of Grief Therapies. As a coauthor of the Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss, Heather has presented at Comic-Con San Diego, and she cofacilitates an annual grief retreat at Omega Institute.
The founder of the Mindfulness & Grief Institute, Heather facilitates Awaken, a mindfulness-based online grief group, offers private grief support sessions, and hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast. Her journey began while serving as the CEO of a web development company, where she discovered yoga and mindfulness following a diagnosis with a stress-related illness.
Inspired to live a life in service to others, Heather became a suicide/crisis hotline call specialist, honoring her uncle who died by suicide. With mindfulness training, she maintained a compassionate attitude on the job and at home, volunteering on the New Orleans hotline after Hurricane Katrina, and as a research assistant for a NIMH-funded National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Research Project.
In 2010, Heather earned a Masters in Thanatology from Hood College. She sits on the Advisory Board for the military family survivor organization Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and provides professional training to various organizations. Heather's contributions extend to chapters in Intimacy and Sexuality During Illness and Loss (2020), Techniques of Grief Therapy: Assessment and Intervention (2015), Handbook of Grief Therapies (2023), and the forthcoming Seasons of Grief (2024).
Heather's dedication to mindfulness and grief therapy has led her to new avenues of connection and healing, encouraging others to cultivate coping skills through mindfulness, meditation, movement, and journaling, while fostering resilience through grief and beyond. Her teachings reflect a genuine understanding of the complexity of grief and a commitment to guiding others through the journey with compassion and wisdom.
Bulk Book Orders
When you hire Heather to speak, you also have the opportunity to purchase her books in bulk at a discounted rate—adding even more value to your event by giving attendees resources they can continue to learn from long after the session ends. Heather’s books, including Navigating Loss, Living with Grief, and From Grief to Peace, offer practical tools and compassionate guidance that deepen the insights shared in her talks. Just mention your interest and the quantity needed, and we’ll make sure your audience has access to these transformative resources at a reduced price.
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
I just reviewed the feedback from the event and all said that the seminar “The Relaxation Response for Dementia Caregivers” was excellent. From my point of view, the program was a gift to people who are stressed by caregiving. What I found amazing was that there was a roomful of 25 people and for 25 minutes there was not one sound but your soothing voice. Who among us takes the time to be quiet and rest? Thank you Heather.
LINDA RYAN
Arden Courts of Kensington
I thought it was amazing that in a medium sized room with over 100 people you demonstrated that we could follow your voice and relax. I would say [to others that] Heather Stang is a very knowledgeable person and she can help you learn about mindful meditation. She knows about grief, stress, relaxation and more. Heather helped over 120 people by speaking at the Western Maryland Dementia Conference; if you have a chance to work with her, I think maybe she can help you too!
SUSAN DWYER, LCSW-C
Education Coordinator
Alzheimer's Association, Greater Maryland
We were looking for an engaging speaker who could connect well with our donor families, and create a safe and comfortable place for them to learn about meditation for grief and share their experiences. My favorite part of “Meditation for Grief” was the compassion meditation. I felt it really resonated with our donor families and was something that they could incorporate into their daily lives. I also enjoyed the beginning of the workshop where she engaged the donor families and had them share a little bit about themselves and their loved ones. Heather is warm, compassionate, and engaging. She is a great teacher and makes meditation seem attainable and realistic.
KAYLA SMITH, LMSW
Donor Family Services Coordinator
LiveOnNY Organ Donation
Heather’s approach was exactly the right balance for our group. She provided historical context for mindfulness practice, then led us through a number of hands-on exercises. The large audience was a blend of novices & current mindfulness practitioners. They were all equally engaged throughout her talk. We’re already planning our next training with Heather!
JAMES KELLY
Maryland Library Association
