Love in the Face of Grief
Transformative Grief Practices for Maintaining Connection, Belonging, and Relationships After A Death
Drawing from stories in her upcoming book, Lorraine will discuss how stories of love remain in the face of grief and death. Not only are these stories of our dead available for the months and years following their death, but fostering restoration of stories and love with clients stands against the iatrogenic despair that conventional grief psychology produces by insisting clients say good-bye and find closure. This day-long workshop will be a heart-felt journey into relational worlds where love uplifts the stories of the dead for the bereaved to posthumously claim what was never lost. We will explore new ideas in grief counseling to respond to differing bereavement experiences by scaffolding theoretical underpinnings with practical application. Throughout the day, participants will learn how to have conversations with people who are living with grief by practicing with one another, showcasing that love doesn’t die when a person dies.
About the Presenter
Lorraine Hedtke, MSW, LCSW, Ph.D., is a veteran narrative therapist who has turned the world of modern-day grief psychology completely upside down. Her relational approach to grief counseling affirms the importance of love to guide us through some of the most challenging aspects of life. Her innovative approach supports the bereaved to sustain connections with those who have died, holding close to the shared stories to navigate a path forward that transforms the depth of yearning and distress grief brings. Love in the Face of Grief:
Transformative Grief Practices for Maintaining Connection, Belonging, and Relationships after a Death is her fifth book addressing grief and loss that encourages a loving new direction for the bereaved who live with a broken heart. Dr. Hedtke lectures worldwide about grief counseling, training counselors and medical professionals. Her work has been translated into Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and German. She has been featured on TEDx and is a leading voice reshaping the field of bereavement counseling.
Event Logistics
Date: April 17, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley | 2407 Dana St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Registration: https://bit.ly/LoveInTheFaceOfGrief