Kitchen Table Conversations
We envision a community in which the end of life wishes of all people are honored and respected and their grief is witnessed with kindness and compassion.
We provide education and resources to empower and encourage everyone to have end of life, advance care planning, and grief and mourning conversations with loved ones and health care providers. Remember, it's always too soon until it's too late. So begin to have these conversations today, then have them often.
Kitchen Table Conversations and AARP Texas will present "Your Peace of Mind End-of-Life Plan—How to Decide, Discuss, and Document Your End-of-Life Wishes BEFORE You Go." on Wednesday, July 31, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT.
Details and Register FREE
06/28/2024
Grief is like a fingerprint – totally unique to each of us. There's no right or wrong way to grieve. It's about honoring the love we have for them in a way that feels right.
05/17/2024
Check out our FREE grief, end of life and advance care planning educational webinars.
Go to www.KitchenTableConversations.org and download our 2024 Webinar Schedule.
All our webinars are free due to the kind support of AARP Texas.
BTW - You don't have to be a member of AARP to attend. So be sure to invite your friends and family.
Kitchen Table Conversations End of Life Planning, Advance Care Planning, and Grief Education
04/18/2024
Opinion | After I Lost My Son, I Realized I Needed to Stop Looking for Closure (Gift Article) Must grief for the climate diminish you, or can it do the opposite?
04/18/2024
Ellen’s Story: The Power in a Choice - Susan G. Komen® "Of all times to proactively share your data, this is the time to do it," remarked Ellen Goodwin when she spoke on her choice to participate in Komen’s ShareForCures breast cancer registry.
03/26/2024
FREE Grief Education Webinars
Why Men Grieve Differently
and How to Support Them
Thursday, March 28
10:30 am to 12:0 pm CT
Register FREE
https://events.aarp.org/event/MensGriefMar24/summary
Cherishing
The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving
and Honoring Those Who’ve Died
Thursday, April 4
10:30 am to 12:0 pm CT
Register FREE
https://events.aarp.org/event/CherishingApr24/summary
Expected Loss
Coping with Anticipatory Grief
Thursday, April 11
10:30 am to 12:0 pm CT
Register FREE
https://events.aarp.org/event/AnticipatoryApr24/summary
You’re Lonely
Finding Your Way
Thursday, April 18
10:30 am to 12:0 pm CT
Register FREE
https://events.aarp.org/event/LonelyApr24/summary
The Anger of Grief
How to Understand, Soothe,
and Express Your Fears After a Loss
Thursday, April 25
10:30 am to 12:0 pm CT
Register FREE
https://events.aarp.org/event/AngerApr24/summary
2024 List of Grief, End of Life and Advance Care Planning Webinars
www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Sponsored by
AARP Texas
03/13/2024
An article about the truth of what we feel in grief...
Six Months After My Husband Died It has been almost six months since my husband of 62 years died. As an end of life educator I have taught about loss and grief, and even wrote a booklet about it. BUT what I didn’t really understand...
02/25/2024
FREE End of Life and Grief Webinars
This Week
Advance Care Planning Made Easy
How to Document Your End of Life Wishes
Tuesday, February 27
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Too Much Loss
Coping with Grief Overload
Thursday, February 29
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
FREE Registration
www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Sponsor
AARP of Texas
Kitchen Table Conversations End of Life Planning, Advance Care Planning, and Grief Education
12/11/2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPSG3Hg-w7Q
Embracing Your Vulnerability During the Holidays This video with Dr. Alan Wolfelt explores the important topic of allowing yourself to be vulnerable during the holiday season.Dr. Wolfelt has been recognized...
12/11/2023
Here it is, the 4th Thursday in November. Grief is hard any time of year, but the holidays can feel particularly brutal. And Thanksgiving can be the hardest holiday of the bunch for grieving folks. It’s centered on community and gratitude, and all of it seems to highlight the empty place at the table.
It's hard to feel thankful when you're grieving.
Gratitude gets presented to grieving folks as a cure for their ills: “At least you had them for as long as you did. Be thankful for the memories.” Parents grieving the death of a child are often told to be thankful for their remaining children.
None of this is helpful.
Gratitude and grief don’t cancel each other out, they sit side by side.
There are ways to celebrate and acknowledge the holiday that don’t unintentionally make things worse for grieving folks. It’s far more helpful to find gratitude for things that help us survive, things that companion you exactly where you are, things that give you even a tiny bit of comfort.
It's also ok to not feel grateful. Remember that you can choose to ignore this or any other holiday, no matter what anyone else says.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope your fourth Thursday in November has at least a few moments of peace inside of it. I wish you true reasons for gratitude, inside yourself: the company of real friends, the relief of solitude, and the shelter of love in all its forms.
11/11/2023
🗓️ Join me Friday, November 17th when I join Artifcts and Rachel Donnelly from Afterlife to share "Tips for Managing Grief and Starting New Traditions for the Holiday Season".
November 17th - 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
Register FREE https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/registe/WN_dgxWADzGSLS60pDCvt19zw
10/13/2023
Beautifully stated Kerry Egan. Thank you!
What people talk about before they die | CNN Hospice chaplain Kerry Egan, author of “On Living,” explains what people who are sick and dying talk about. Mostly, their families: mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.
10/04/2023
Listen to grief expert and author David Kessler share what to say and what not to say to someone grieving.
What to Say to Grieving Friends & Family — Grief.com New Podcast Episode: When someone we know is in grief, we may want to help them, cheer them up, or try to make things better in grief. We want to say the right thing. But it can be so awkward. In this episode, David shares what to say, what not to say, and what you can do to share the grief journey....
10/01/2023
FREE End-of-Life Planning and Grief Education Webinars
End-of-Life Planning
After Death Care
How to Make Your Final Arrangements
Tuesday, October 3
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Grief Education
Finding Meaning After Loss
Thursday, October 12
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Helping Yourself Heal
First Aid for Broken Hearts
Thursday, October 19
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
You’re Lonely
Finding Your Way
Thursday, October 26
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE for ALL webinars at www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Sponsor
AARP Texas
Kitchen Table Conversations End of Life Planning, Advance Care Planning, and Grief Education
08/12/2023
How do you grieve multipe losses?
This article calls on grief educators and authors Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Director at The Center for Loss and Life Transition and David Kessler creator of grief.com to share insights and give guidance on how to navigate this natually chaotic and challenging journey through grief overload.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/multiple-losses-grief-overload-230430178.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFV9Ob_xgoBAQHLoah2hdWnmW7-TVUvO44_EZMeAiLnP4faouBpvqMHrixIrvZQuTek7MGlWusk1pEgeZ6id90bAAlKIcCHCHrFPIqZWcrsHcjeOr5c_DfLRYpPV1ssETcTRNfVvzgB0sdD-2X7i5ig83qu93WIX_4ealg9njeb5&guccounter=2
Facing multiple losses can lead to 'grief overload.' Here's why it's important to understand, say experts. Angus Cloud died not long after the death of his father, leaving his mother to mourn them both. Facing such multiple losses prompts what's called cumulative grief, or grief overload.
07/26/2023
Support for Bereaved Parents from grief expert and bereaved parent David Kessler
July is Bereaved Parents Awareness month.
When a child dies, our world is forever changed. I would like to invite you to a free discussion on the unique heartbreak when a child dies on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at 9 am PT/ 12 pm ET.
As a grief expert and bereaved parent, I will be sharing strategies to navigate the intense pain, overwhelm, and devastation when a child dies.
Please register for this free Zoom. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who you think would benefit from this talk.
https://www.davidkesslertraining.com/bereaved-parents
07/14/2023
We are very excited to be part of this collaboration to provide grief education and support. Please pass this along.
Kitchen Table Conversations along with California Hospice Network members Mission Hospice, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, and YoloCares are collaborating to offer a wonderful three-part workshop series: Hope & Healing Grief. These are free, virtual, and open to anyone.
Workshops include:
Anticipatory Grief - July 26th, 6-8pm
Guilt of Grief - August 23rd, 6-8pm
Anger of Grief - September 27th, 6-8pm
Register FREE for one, two, or all three!
Hope & Healing Grief Series Kitchen Table Conversations along with California Hospice Network members Mission Hospice & Home Care, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, and YoloCares are offering this free three-part workshop series: Hope & Healing Grief. Please join us!
05/10/2023
FREE In-Person
Advance Care Planning Made Easy Workshop
Wednesday, May 17
Planning for the future is important for everyone. For solo agers, deciding, discussing, and documenting what matters to you is even more important to make sure your wishes are understood and honored.
Attend our FREE In-Person Advance Care Planning Made Easy Workshop and…
- Think about what matters most to you because we can't plan
for everything, but we can talk about what is most important.
- Learn how to choose a healthcare proxy/agent because you
need to have someone you trust to speak for you when you
can’t speak for yourself.
- Learn how to document your end-of-life wishes so that
everyone (loved ones and healthcare providers) are on the
same page – literally!
Join us!
FREE In-Person Workshop
Advance Care Planning Made Easy
How to Decide, Discuss, and Document
Your End of Life Wishes
10:30 am to 3:30 pm CT
Lunch Provided
Register FREE - Seating Limited
https://kitchentableconversations.org/advance-care-planning
FREE Follow-Up Webinar - SAVE the DATE
• After Death Care and Support
How to Make Your Final Arrangements
Tuesday, May 30
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
https://kitchentableconversations.org/end-of-life-planning
Sponsor
AARP Texas
Kitchen Table Conversations End of Life Planning, Advance Care Planning, and Grief Education
05/02/2023
FREE Webinar
Thursday, May 4
Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died
You feel love in the present as much as you did in the past. But how do you continue to love and honor the special people in your life who have died as you fully live your own remaining precious
days here on earth?
It's instinctual to want to continue to hold dear someone you love who has died. Cherishing - to protect and care for lovingly - is a way to do just that. After all, they're a love of your life. You will
no doubt love them deeply for as long as you live.
During this webinar, you will be invited to explore the mindset, and review suggestions and practices that will help you integrate cherishing into your daily routines.
You’ll learn…
• The Art of Cherishing and How to Practice It in Your Daily Life
• How to Use the Six Reconciliation Needs of Mourning to Help
Integrate Loss Into Life
• How the Six Opportunities of Cherishing Can Help You Live Fully While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who’ve Died
• The Seven Key Ingredients to Creating Meaningful Rituals That
Will Support You Spiritually and Emotionally
This webinar is based on a book written by Alan D Wolfelt, PH.D. titled, Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died.
Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died
Thursday, January 12, 2023
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
More FREE Webinars in May – SAVE the DATES
Grief Education
• Complicated Grief – How to Understand, Express, and Reconcile Your Especially Difficult
Grief
Thursday, May 11
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Expected Loss
Coping with Anticipatory Grief
Thursday, May 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
End of Life Planning
• After Death Care and Support
Tuesday, May 30
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Our Sponsor
AARP Texas
04/30/2023
Save the date(s)...
I hope you can join me for a free online series on Mother’s Day Grief. This time of year can be such a challenge. My inbox & social media is already full of Mother's Day messaging.
It can be overwhelming to so many of us who are grieving the death of a mother or are in grief after a child has died.
💔 When You're Grieving Your Mother
Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 3 pm PDT/ 6 pm EDT
💔 When You're a Mother Grieving a Child
Thursday, May 11, 2023, 3 pm PDT/ 6 pm EDT
Please share with any friends, family or groups that you may think may find helpful.
Click the link below to register for live event and replay. www.davidkesslertraining.com/mothers-day
04/27/2023
FREE Webinar
Thursday, May 4
Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died
You feel love in the present as much as you did in the past. But how do you continue to love and honor the special people in your life who have died as you fully live your own remaining precious
days here in earth?
It's instinctual to want to continue to hold dear someone you love who has died. Cherishing - to protect and care for lovingly - is a way to do just that. After all, they're a love of your life. You will
no doubt love them deeply for as long as you live.
During this webinar you will be invited to explore the mindset, review suggestions and practices that will help you integrate cherishing into your daily routines.
You’ll learn…
• The Art of Cherishing and How to Practice It in Your Daily Life
• How to Use the Six Reconciliation Needs of Mourning to Help
Integrate Loss Into Life
• How the Six Opportunities of Cherishing Can Help You Live Fully
While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who’ve Died
• The Seven Key Ingredients to Creating Meaningful Rituals That
Will Support You Spiritually and Emotionally
This webinar is based on a book written by Alan D Wolfelt, PH.D. titled, Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died.
Cherishing - The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who've Died
Thursday, January 12, 2023
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
More FREE Webinars in May – SAVE the DATES
Grief Education
• Complicated Grief – How to Understand, Express, and Reconcile Your Especially Difficult Grief
Thursday, May 11
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Expected Loss
Coping with Anticipatory Grief
Thursday, May 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
End of Life Planning
• After Death Care and Support
Tuesday, May 30
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Our Sponsor
AARP Texas
04/25/2023
FREE Webinar
Thursday April 27
Why Men Grieve Differently and How to Support Them
There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Our grief as a man or a woman is as unique and individual as we are, however, there are differences.
Men tend to think their way through grief, while women seem to feel their way. Women often perceive men as void of emotions, and reluctant to share their feelings. Maybe it’s because men are taught to honor the pain of loss, then hide any feelings associated with it. And when men and women try to talk with one another about their grief they quickly find they are speaking two different grief languages.
In this webinar, we will:
• explore the root cause of these differences,
• discuss how to replace expectation and judgment with
understanding and compassion, and,
• learn practical helping skills you can use to give the men in your life heart-centered support.
The webinar is based on a book by Elizabeth Levang, Ph.D., titled When Men Grieve: Why Men Grieve Differently and How You Can Help.
Why Men Grieve Differently and How to Support Them
Thursday April 27
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Future Webinars and LIVE Workshop - SAVE the DATES
End of Life Planning Webinars & LIVE Workshop
• Your Peace of Mind End of Life Plan
How to Decide, Discuss and Document Your Final Wishes BEFORE You Go
Tuesday, April 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• LIVE Workshop
Advance Care Planning Made Easy
How Decide, Discuss and Document Your End of Life Wishes
Wednesday May 17
10:30 to 3:30 pm CT
Lunch Provided
Jewish Community Center – Austin, TX
• After Death Care
How to Make Your Final Arrangements
Thursday, May 30
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Grief Education Webinars
• Cherishing
The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who’ve Died
Thursday, May 4
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Complicated Grief
How to Understand, Express and Reconcile Your Especially Difficult Grief
Thursday May 11, 2023
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Expected Loss
Coping with Anticipatory Grief
Thursday, May 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Our Sponsor
AARP Texas
04/22/2023
Being a companion to someone in grief is a profound privilege.
When we bear witness, we help create a safe space within which the mourner can freely share their feelings without being judged.
When you are bearing witness to someone's grief, remember Dr. Wolfelt's advice to help prepare yourself to being a companion who is ready to bear witness;
Ears open
Mouth shut
Presence available
Not attached to outcome
Divine momentum
Enjoy the read...
Companioning Tenet Five: Bearing Witness Companioning is about bearing witness to the struggle of others; it is not about judging or directing these struggles. by Alan D. Wolfelt PhD
04/19/2023
FREE Webinar
Tuesday, April 25
Your “Peace of Mind” End of Life Plan
How to Decide, Discuss, and Document Your Final Wishes BEFORE You Go
Getting the practical side of your affairs in order will give reassurance that everything is taken care of by those you most care about. By prioritizing, addressing, and sharing your end of life and after-death wishes and by having the necessary conversations, you will unburden your loved ones from having to make difficult and necessary decisions as they grieve and mourn.
Attend this webinar and learn how to:
• Plan and document your wishes in case of medical or other emergencies
• Track important medical and insurance information
• Store key information on property, vehicles, and non-financial assets
• Document what you have and what you owe
• Make the "unseen" visible by creating a digital estate plan
• Express your final wishes for how you& #39;d like to be remembered
• Provide grief support to your loved ones before and after your death
• Store and digitally access all your final wishes documents
Regardless of whether you're young or old, healthy, or ill, this webinar is for you!
Remember, when it comes to completing Your “Peace of Mind” End of Life Plan, it's always too soon until it's too late.
Your “Peace of Mind” End of Life Plan
How to Decide, Discuss, and Document Your Final Wishes BEFORE You Go
Tuesday, April 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Future Webinars & LIVE Workshop - SAVE the DATES
End of Life Planning Webinar & LIVE Workshop
|
• LIVE Workshop
Advance Care Planning Made Easy
How to Decide, Discuss, and Document Your End of Life Wishes
Wednesday, May 17
10:30 to 3:30 pm CT
Lunch Provided
Jewish Community Center – Austin, TX
Grief Education Webinars
• Why Men Grieve Differently and How to Support Them
Thursday, April 27
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Cherishing
The Art of Fully Living While Still Loving and Honoring Those Who’ve Died
Thursday, May 4
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
• Complicated Grief
How to Understand, Express, and Reconcile Your Especially Difficult Grief
Thursday, May 11, 2023
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Our Sponsor
AARP Texas
Kitchen Table Conversations End of Life Planning, Advance Care Planning, and Grief Education
Grief naturally and organically comes calling over time. And it is OK to feel it when it does. How do these moments come and go in your life?
04/11/2023
FREE Webinar
Thursday, April 13
What to Say and What NOT to Say to Someone Grieving
Someone you care about has suffered a loss. As a supportive friend or family member, you instinctively want to offer comfort but don’t know what to say.
Then in a moment of emotional
awkwardness and with the best of intentions, you say:
• “He’s in a better place.”
• “There is a reason for everything.”
• “Aren’t you over him yet, he has been dead for a while now?”
• “You can have another child still.”
• “She was such a good person God wanted her to be with him.”
• “I know how you feel.”
• “Be strong.”
You meant no harm, however, what you just said was not helpful or supportive.
So, what do you say and what do you not say to someone grieving?
Attend this webinar and learn:
• 64 of the Worst Things You Can Say and How to Avoid Them.
• 64 of the Best Things You Can Say and the Best Ways to Say Them.
• Why Grief is a Journey NOT a Destination.
• How to “Companion” the Griever on Their Journey Through the Wilderness of Grief.
• Six Common Grief Emotions and How They Impact a Griever’s Daily Life.
• How to Deal with the Physical Symptoms of Grief.
• 6 Grief Myths and How They Can Prevent the Griever from Moving Forward.
This webinar is based on the book Sympathy and Condolences: What to Say and Write to Convey Your Support After a Loss by Alan D Wolfelt, PH.D.
https://www.centerforloss.com/bookstore/sympathy-and-condolences/
What to Say and What NOT to Say to Someone Grieving
Thursday April 13
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
More FREE Webinars in April – SAVE the DATES
Grief Education Webinar
• Why Men Grieve Differently and How to Support Them
Thursday, April 27
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
End of Life Planning Webinar
• Your Peace of Mind End of Life Plan
How to Decide, Discuss and Document Your Final Wishes BEFORE You Go
Tuesday, April 25
10:30 am to 12:00 pm CT
Register FREE
http://www.KitchenTableConversations.org
Our Sponsor
AARP Texas
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Category
Contact the organization
Telephone
Address
78704
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