Honouring Legacies. Holding Space for Grief.
Honouring Legacies. Holding Space for Grief.
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Heidi Dunstan | Certified Grief Educator
When we lose someone—a partner, a parent, a child—a friend—our world often doesn’t know what to do. People struggle for the right words, or say nothing at all. Grievers are left feeling judged or silenced, and those precious stories and memories—the legacies—begin to fade. Legacies slowly get silenced.I know this because I lived it.
When I lost my husband, Mike, unexpectedly, I quickly discovered how unprepared we are to handle grief. Friends who loved me didn’t know what to say, and sometimes their words hurt deeply.What I wanted more than anything was to say his name, to share our stories, to keep his memory alive as I learned to love him in this new way. But instead, I felt pressured to “be okay” before I was ready.
That experience shaped my mission: to help people understand grief, release judgment, and honor the legacies of those they love.
About
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Get In Touch With Heidi DunstanMy Message
- Grief is as unique as a fingerprint—there’s no right or wrong way.
- Judgment is grief’s kryptonite—it silences connection.
- We need to stop asking how someone died—and start asking how they lived.
- Legacies live on when we say names, share stories, and create space for memories.
Speaking & Workshops
Through keynotes, workshops, and trainings, I teach communities, organizations, and individuals how to:- Support grieving friends, colleagues, and family with compassion.
- Replace harmful platitudes with words that comfort.
- Ask the right questions—“What made them laugh?” “What did they love to do?”—so legacies can live on.
- Create cultures where grief is honoured, not silenced.