Keynote Speaking Engagements with Deborah Collinsworth
Grief Coach • Public Safety Advocate • President, Lewis County DUI Victims Impact Panel 30- or 60-minute presentations available
Finding Light Through Loss - My Journey from Grief to Purpose
A deeply personal and moving presentation exploring how grief reshapes us—and how healing leads to purpose.
What You’ll Experience
- The raw reality of grief and its impact on everyday life
- Transformation and growth after profound loss
- Support strategies for self and loved ones
- A compassionate call to build systems of care
Who It’s For
Anyone who’s experienced loss, supports someone grieving, or works in education, caregiving, emotional wellness, or leadership. You’ll leave changed, affirmed, and inspired.
“Grief changes us, but it can also lead us to a deeper purpose.” — Deborah Collinsworth
The Gift of Grief - How Loss Awakened My Purpose
On May 18, 2017, Deborah’s daughter, Cheyllyn, was killed by an impaired driver. What began as heartbreak became a mission for advocacy, healing, and transformative public service.
In This Presentation, You’ll Explore:
- Turning pain into purpose
- How grief can shape leadership and legacy
- Emotional safety in schools, workplaces, and families
- Creative tools for healing and remembrance
- The urgent need for grief literacy in our culture
This Talk Is For You If You...
- Have felt the ache of loss
- Work with grieving individuals or families
- Want to respond to grief with compassion—not silence
- Believe healing begins with honest conversation
“Grief gave me a compass—not one that avoids pain, but one that points toward meaning.” – Deborah Collinsworth
When Grief Becomes a Verb
Grief isn’t just something we feel.
It’s something we live. Something we do.
What to Expect:
In this deeply personal and transformative talk, Deborah shares the journey that began the day her daughter died—and the path grief carved through silence, sorrow, and ultimately, meaning.
Through six poignant chapters, she explores:
- The silence that follows loss
- The language we lose—and the one we must learn
- How grief can become a teacher, a compass, and a verb
- Why our culture needs a new way to speak about sorrow
- How love can move through us, even after death
Who This Is For:
- Anyone grieving a loss
- Friends and family supporting someone in grief
- Therapists, caregivers, and community builders
- Anyone seeking deeper understanding of love, legacy, and healing
Why It Matters:
“We’re not just grief-avoidant.
We’re grief-illiterate.”
This talk is a call to change that.
To speak the unspeakable.
To honor the ones we’ve lost by living with purpose.
Creating Grief-Informed School Cultures: A professional development workshop for educators, leaders, and staff
Grief Is Already in Our Schools
Loss doesn’t wait for permission. It shows up in lesson plans, empty chairs, and exhausted hearts. This workshop invites educators to name grief, respond with presence, and build emotionally safe cultures—without needing to be therapists.
What You'll Learn
- What grief really is (hint: it’s not just about death)
- How it affects focus, attendance, behavior, and culture
- Language that soothes rather than silences
- How leaders and teams can show up with warmth—not perfection
- Take-home tools for staff, students, and families
What You’ll Receive
- A grief toolkit with sample phrases, rituals, and visuals
- Templates for caregiver outreach, student planning, and staff support
- Leadership guides and referral checklists
- Memorial ideas and anniversary tracking tools
Let’s Normalize Grief
Let’s stop pretending grief isn’t part of the school day. Let’s build classrooms where emotional safety is policy—not an afterthought.