Speaking & Guest Lecture Topics

Narrative Approaches to Grief and Loss

This session explores grief through narrative rather than diagnostic or stage-based models. Using The Five Widows Club as a literary case study, students examine how storytelling supports meaning-making, identity reconstruction, and emotional processing after loss. The lecture invites participants to consider narrative as a complementary framework alongside clinical, theological, or social science approaches to grief.

Key areas of focus include:

Narrative meaning-making after loss
Limitations of linear grief models
Story as a reflective and educational tool
Implications for professional practice and care

Formats: Guest lecture, seminar discussion, reflective workshop

Gendered Grief and Social Expectations

This lecture examines how gender norms, cultural expectations, and social roles shape grief. Drawing from narrative examples in The Five Widows Club, students explore how unspoken rules about emotional expression, strength, and recovery often constrain widows, widowers, and caregivers.

Key areas of focus include:

Gendered expectations around mourning
Social permission and emotional suppression
Cultural narratives of resilience and “moving on.”
Implications for inclusive and ethical care

Formats: Lecture with facilitated discussion, sociology or gender studies seminar

Supporting Bereaved Students Ethically

Designed for faculty, student affairs professionals, and helping disciplines, this session addresses ethical considerations when supporting bereaved students in academic environments. The lecture emphasizes presence, boundaries, and trauma-informed care rather than over-intervention or avoidance.

Key areas of focus include:

Recognizing grief without pathologizing
Ethical boundaries in student support roles
Avoiding harm through assumptions or platitudes
Creating supportive academic environments

Formats: Professional development session, campus workshop, classroom lecture

Grief Literacy for Helping Professionals

This session introduces grief literacy as a foundational competency for professionals in counseling, social work, healthcare, ministry, and education. Through narrative reflection and discussion, students explore how grief presents across contexts and why traditional training often leaves professionals underprepared.

Key areas of focus include:

Expanding grief understanding beyond death
Common misconceptions about grief responses
Narrative empathy and professional presence
Integrating grief literacy into practice

Formats: Lecture, cohort training, interdisciplinary workshop

Story as a Tool for Meaning-Making and Care

This lecture explores story as a human-centered tool for care, formation, and reflection. Students examine how narrative fosters empathy, deep listening, and ethical accompaniment, particularly in moments of loss and transition. The Five Widows Club serves as a case study in story-based learning.

Key areas of focus include:

Story versus problem-solving approaches
Meaning-making in grief and transition
Narrative competence in professional roles
Reflective practice through literature

Formats: Seminar, reading-based discussion, interdisciplinary lecture

Vicarious Grief, Burnout, and Professional Sustainability

This session addresses the emotional impact of working alongside grief, trauma, and loss. Students and professionals explore vicarious grief, compassion fatigue, and burnout through narrative reflection, emphasizing sustainability rather than self-sacrifice.

Key areas of focus include:

Understanding vicarious grief and emotional residue
Differentiating burnout from grief exposure
Professional boundaries and sustainability
Reflective practices for long-term resilience

Formats: Graduate seminar, professional development, wellness-focused lecture

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