Danielle Stobbs

Danielle is a passionate grief and loss support companion and founder of The Grievers Garden (an online and in person support space.) She is the Program Lead for Grief Support Services at Pilgrims Hospice Society, the only freestanding hospice in Edmonton, Alberta She is trained through the Grief Recovery Institute ® as an advanced Grief Recovery Specialist® running groups and one on one sessions for those grieving.

In the name of reciprocity, Danielle equally finds both grief and joy in
contributing to the grief landscape, by sharing her own personal walk with loss. While this work has more recently been fueled by the end of life journey and then subsequent loss of her own father 5.5 years ago, she has lived experience of walking through multiple losses. Some of these include miscarriage, death by suicide, and escaping a physically abusive marriage. Danielle believes that grief and loss should not be hidden in the shadows of society but given space to be what the grievers needs. Danielle is bringing the conversation of integrating grief into our lives and it into the light and help create space in our lives to live in the coexistence of joy, grief and the ordinary.

As Danielle continues to navigate her own journey with loss and grief, and further exploration in death work both professionally and personally, she has found what she refers to as ‘uninvited lessons’ of grief. These lessons
have taught her what has become the foundation of her work, based on the principle that "grief is not to be cured but to be cared for."

Danielle comes with a no “fix it” and “no judgment” energy and believes that vulnerability breeds vulnerability, creating an atmosphere of reciprocal empathy. As such, Danielle uses her own story to facilitate empowerment of others in exchanging stories around living with loss, grief, life, and love.

Danielle released the "Grief Care Journal: 52 Weeks of Reflective Care For The Griever” in 2023 with a subsequent release of ‘The Grievers Advent’ for supporting the griever through the holiday season which is available on Amazon and her website.

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Crying Over Tomatoes is OK (The Losses After Loss)

"Crying Over Tomatoes is Ok" explores the topic of secondary losses that can impact us in the days, months, and years after a primary loss. These types of losses that we experience as grievers are often not spoken about and can leave those grieving feeling isolated or like they are losing their sanity.

This presentation will help to give language to sometimes seemingly weird and out-of-the-blue triggers that occur after our loved one has died. While these secondary losses are completely normal they still take the breath out of our lungs and sharing them out loud and with others can help us see each other an care for each other more deeply.

"Crying Over Tomatoes" will touch on deeply profound moments we experience in grief, as well as some humour for levity, and gathering hope as a community as we explore our grief journeys. This presentation will team up reciprocal sharing between the presenter and attendees, and give the attendees a chance to engage in the topic of secondary losses and the ways in which we can give ourselves grace and self compassion as we move through the many complexities of loss and grief.