Lisa Keefauver
Visionary behind the movement for reimagining grief, author of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss.
Lisa Keefauver is an in-demand speaker, author, podcast host, and grief activist bringing warmth, wisdom, and wit to help grieving people and purpose-driven companies re-author the stories around loss and transition that keep them stuck.
For more than 20 years, Lisa Keefauver has helped more than half a million people reshape limiting personal narratives, transforming their relationship with grief and moving them from numbness to aliveness in a world full of loss.
She began her career as a social worker and narrative therapist in 2004, expanding her activism through roles as clinical director, non-profit co-founder, clinical supervisor, and facilitator of personal and professional growth and healing. Lisa's insights on grief are also deeply informed by her personal losses, including the death of her husband Eric in 2011 and surviving Breast Cancer in 2024.
Her impact is expansive, as the creator of Reimagining Grief, renowned host of a long-running top-rated grief podcast and inspirational TEDx and in-demand keynote speaker. She is changing the lives of individuals and organizations as an engaging retreat leader, grief guide, and grief-smart workplace consultant. As author of the internationally acclaimed book Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss, she is having a global impact on grief literacy.
Knowing grief is in every workplace, Lisa created Grief-Smart Workplace, a suite of offerings to help organizations become more grief-literate. Fortune 500 companies, national hospice and medical organizations, educational institutions, and non-profits have invited her to deliver keynote addresses, online and onsite workshops, leadership consultations, grief support, and more. Lisa's unique approach to shifting our grief culture led to an invitation to teach the Loss and Grief course at the University of Texas at Austin.
As a thought leader, Lisa's wisdom, warmth, and engaging personality have led to her appearing as a keynote speaker on dozens of stages. She's appeared on TV, radio, and podcasts including WNYC NPR, CBS Austin, NBC Seattle, and Medicinal Media. Her contributions have also appeared in media outlets like The Sunday Paper, Thrive Global, and Modern Loss.
While grief is universal, each journey is unique, and the stories that guide us play a pivotal role in shaping our well-being. My mission is helping you move from numbness to aliveness in a world full of loss.
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Individual Grief Support Guide
I trained as a narrative therapist and have supported individuals for more than 20 years. I’ve also lived through devastating losses myself, which is why I’m passionate about holding space, bearing witness, and helping people reimagine the limiting stories that keep them feeling stuck in grief. I’d be honored to be your guide!
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Workshops, Gatherings, and Retreats (In-Person and Online)
Life is practice. It’s a motto I live by, and this curious, playful approach to life’s transitions. Both the ones we choose and the ones forced upon us. I believe this is central to living a meaningful, fulfilling life. We’re not meant to walk this path alone, which is why I’ve created a series of Centering Aliveness (TM) workshops and retreats that help us learn and practice centering aliveness in a world full of loss. Let’s learn and grow together!
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Keynote Speaker
Conference organizers and audiences alike have noted my ability to make a heavy topic feel light, and even humorous sometimes. My popular TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less, and recent End Well talk, Centering Aliveness in a World Full of Loss, have inspired grievers, grief and death care workers, and organizations to reimagine how they support individuals navigating all types of loss. I’d love to light up your event!
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Grief-Smart Workplace Consultant
Here’s a workplace formula worth knowing: 100% of us will grieve multiple times in our lives, and we spend most of our waking hours at work…so grief is already in your workplace. From Fortune 500 companies to universities, medical centers, hospice organizations, nonprofits, and school districts, I’ve helped leaders build grief-smart workplace cultures. Through grief education, bereavement policy consultation, and leadership coaching, teams are equipped to offer meaningful support through all kinds of grief, from personal losses to organizational transitions. I’m here to support your company culture!
Contact Lisa
Email: lisa@lisakeefauver.com
Website: www.lisakeefauver.com
Based in San Diego, CA. I support individuals and organizations both locally and worldwide to reimagine grief by learning to move from numbness to aliveness in a world full of loss.
Lisa Keefauver writes about grief on Substack, has been a keynote speaker for TEDx and End Well, and is the author of best selling book Grief is a Sneaky Bitch.