We truly value the Education aspect of our mission and know the importance of continued education, resources for those we serve, and opportunities for connection with fellow professionals.
At HeartLight, we know each story is unique and the pain of grief can be intensely personal.
It is important that bereaved individuals have the meaningful support of professional and volunteer caregivers like you!
HeartLight Center is a non-profit that companions and educates people through their grief to find hope. We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Educational Signature Series
Programs for the Community and Professionals!
We welcome you to join us for upcoming presentations that explore various topics about grief, presented by professionals around the US!
Join us for our upcoming virtual, educational events with
Ted Bowman on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025
Narrative Power: Finding Words for Living, Dying, Death and Bereavement
A special presentation for Hospice Professionals, Clergy, Therapists/Counselors, Volunteers, Companions, Death Doulas, Death Care Professionals, including Funeral Directors, Leadership and Administrative Professionals, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and Victim’s Advocates.
When losses occur, words are sought…sometimes found…sometimes offered. Drawing on bibliotherapeutic and narrative therapy principles, perspectives and tools for narrative power will be presented, demonstrated and discussed. Narrative is not about having people tell their stories. Narrative is interested in power – who has the power to speak stories into existence. Voices of grievers and the bereft , thereby, are heard and validated.
Using metaphor and related prompts, participants will be invited to consider using stories as prompts for words that foster grieving and healing.
Grief Endings and New Beginnings: Attention to Each and Both
A special educational presentation for anyone who is grieving or supporting a griever.
Through our lives we meet many changes carrying with them an ending that always leads to creating a new beginning. When the loss of a loved one is one of those intersections that disrupts our lives and necessitates change, we may struggle with the new labels we are given such as widow, grieving grandparent, or survivor. We are challenged by uncertainty. Plans, assumptions, long-held hopes and dreams may be shattered. In this session, we will explore the resiliency we acquire that can bring us through our evolving lives. The more we are aware of our losses and our gains, the more prepared we can be for the uncertainty of the future and our story of who we are becoming because of our loss.
Facing the Mourning Facilitator Training
Learn to run our flagship program, Facing the Mourning. Our facilitator training will enable you to offer this program through your organization and includes a starter package.
Please join us on March 21st, 2025 for the next training on Zoom!
HeartLight Hosts:
AFSP’s Colorado Chapter is coming to HeartLight Center for an in-person Talk Saves lives training. Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide. AFSP Talk Saves Lives is coming to HeartLight Center on February 21, 2025 at 10am, and we welcome you to join us!
Request a Speaker
HeartLight Center offers a variety of educational presentations for professional organizations, community members and groups, and can be a consultation resource for you and your team for the grief work you do.
To learn more or schedule a presentation, click the button below to send us a message.
Grief Fundamentals
Whether you are grieving or working with others experiencing grief, understanding the fundamentals of grief can help us better understand what to expect, provide effective interventions, and find ways to support ourselves and those grieving.
Responding to a Disaster: Where do we go from here?
Disasters can greatly impact our human experience on all levels from individuals, families, workplaces, and communities. The ability to recognize and name what happens during a disaster can help us move forward in healthy, collaborative ways. This program will review the typical phases of a disaster, impacts of sustained stress, and introduce tools that can be immediately implemented to help individuals and teams cope with cumulative losses to prevent and address secondary trauma.
Download the Stress and Self-Care Continuum PDF Guide
Religion and Grief
Through the grief process, it is common to question religious beliefs and relationships with our faith. During the grieving process, religious leaders can have profound impacts on the grief experience. This topic will discuss ways to walk with those experiencing grief, answer questions, and guide people to find meaning in loss.
Supporting Others While You Are Grieving
When people in professional caregiving roles (therapists, clergy, religious leaders, medical staff, victim’s advocates, medical staff, first responders, etc.) are grieving, it can complicate professional roles and how we respond and continue to care for others and ourselves. This topic offers tools and resources so we can continue to support others when we are experiencing our own grief.
Sitting with Suicide Loss
Loss due to suicide presents a unique grief experience, and learning how to tend to bereaved individuals after this type of traumatic, sudden loss helps bring a different level of awareness, understanding and empathy to this type of grief.
Responding to Someone Grieving
Research supports that how we respond to people experiencing grief can deeply impact the grief experience. This topic will cover the differences between empathy and sympathy, listening versus hearing, and ways to respond to those experiencing grief.
Is This Grief… or Something Else? The differences between grief and trauma
After a loss or difficult situation, the emotions and thoughts we experience can be a result of many different things. While on the surface it may seem our responses to an event may be grief, distinguishing the differences between grief and trauma can guide interventions and tools to move through our reactions and feelings.
Grief and the Holidays
It is a common misconception that people move on and the grieving process ends with time. Holidays and anniversaries can be triggering experiences for those who are grieving. This session will review what to expect from holidays and anniversaries and how we can bring comfort, hope, and meaning-making for those who are grieving during the holidays.
Self-Care and Compassion Fatigue
Caring for ourselves is essential so we can continue to care for others. It is common for those in caregiving roles to experience compassion fatigue and burnout. This session will cover the differences between compassion fatigue, burnout, moral distress, and secondary trauma. We will then review factors that contribute to compassion fatigue and how to care for ourselves so we can continue to care for others.
Supporting Grieving Kids
While we are grieving, how do we also meet the needs of the kids in our lives? It’s common for parents and caregivers to need additional support while also supporting younger grieving individuals in our community. Learn more about grief in children and supporting bereaved adults in the role of caring for kids and themselves during the grief journey.
Grief Resources
View, Print and Explore Grief Resources!
Connect with a Grief Networking Alliance
Join a local group of professionals from a variety of grief and loss organizations.