Institute of Professional Grief Coaching (IOPGC)
Forging a future where compassion and growth intertwine, guiding us from grief to gratitude and beyond.
Is your organization being proactive in ensuring a grief-sensitive and compassionate workplace culture?
Research indicates that the death of a loved one has been recognized as the greatest life stressor that we face as humans, heading the list of stressful life events. Give your team a gift that shows you care when they need it the most.
Even after the pandemic, it seems that we are still lacking in addressing grief effectively in the workplace. Grief is an equal opportunity event and does not discriminate based on size or type of organization. It will cross the threshold of your office door at some point and can be the silent killer of productivity. Investing in grief wellness coaching support for your employees, members, or students affords significant benefits for your organization, including reducing the grief-related costs to your bottom line. Offering our unique Grief Wellness Employee Benefit Program will never go unappreciated. If only one employee takes advantage of the program, you’ve not only exceeded your ROI, but you’ve shown compassionate care and concern at a time when it is needed the most.
A Premier All-Inclusive Grief Coaching Support Program
NOT THERAPY | NOT THEORY | NOT THEOLOGY
Our grief wellness program can supplement your existing EAP, health and wellness, and work-life balance programs. The program is not based on theory, therapy, or theology, and we do not provide professional counseling or mental health services. The program's mission is compassion-led and heart-centered.
A recent HBO series “Succession” death led Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy to employ a professional grief coach to help him get through it. The Independent, April 23, 2023.
The unpredictable occasion of death will affect every workplace at some point, and no organization, regardless of size, is exempt from its impact. Employees spend the majority of their awake time with coworkers developing personal and professional relationships, and when a death occurs, the sympathetic care and concern take on a personal nature with an emotional and financial impact to the business.
Whether a CEO or blue collar worker, when grieving the loss of a loved one, you are simply a human being with a broken heart, and that broken heart can overtake the heart of your entire organization. Whether three days or three weeks away from work due to a loss, the grief is ever-present and can’t be turned off like a light switch when an employee returns and is expected to perform as a fully-functioning worker. Whether managing a traditional, hybrid, or remote work setting, one thing is constant… the effects of grief will directly or indirectly cross the threshold and penetrate employee morale, productivity, bottom-line costs, and so much more.
"Grief is a universal human experience, yet workplace culture is often inhospitable to people suffering profound loss. There are many taboos at work, and death is one of the greatest." When a Colleague Is Grieving, Harvard Business Review Magazine, July-August 2019.
"Conversations around death and dying don't have to be uncomfortable if employers are able to foster an open culture," says Paul Fraser, People Management, October 4, 2022.
"Grief doesn't have to be dark if we lighten the conversations surrounding it," says Dora Carpenter.
Program Overview
When grieving, there is pain and sadness because we are human and we deeply feel the loss of our loved one’s physical presence; however, one must return to the physical or virtual office as the aftermath lingers for days, weeks, and months following the loss. Our grief-avoidant society dismisses grief as a discussion topic which forces us to become somewhat grief-illiterate. Due to the current rise in the need for mental health services and the shortage of providers and appointments, access to these services may be limited. Our online, convenient 24/7 access, stigma-free program is an option for those not requiring mental health intervention. In addition, members have access to the program for 365 days after enrolling, so there is no worry of missing a scheduled appointment, a limited time to receive services, or feeling uncomfortable with attending scheduled in-person support groups. Program content includes:
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Downloadable journals. Members are encouraged to navigate the grieving process using the safe and private space of journaling. Journaling prompts are included such as reflection and memories, emotions and feelings, coping strategies, mindfulness and self-care, hope and perspective, and connection and help.
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Downloadable planners. Members consistently move forward in doing the grief work with planners such as the ‘Firsties Planner Kit,’ which helps integrate the loss into their new sense of normalcy during the first year following the loss.
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Mini-Courses. Mini-courses are self-paced on various topics and include instruction topics for creating memorial books, family keepsakes, and more.
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Book excerpts. Excerpts from some of Dora Carpenter’s grief-related books are in the portal for download, such as The Grief Talk Revolution: It’s Time to Talk About the Elephant in the Room, which has been endorsed by Jack Canfield, best-selling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series.
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Pre-recorded webinars. Members can listen to webinars on a variety of topics such as coping with holiday grief, the five pitfalls of grief, the ABC’s of grief, and more.
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Life coaching tools. Grief affects every area of one’s life. Personal development and self-improvement tools and exercises include grounding meditations, affirmations, balancing the wheel of life, and more.
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Private online community. The portal hosts a private community for members to share, network, and support each other.
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Pop-up events. Occasional pop-up virtual events are held to further inform, educate, and support members.
Who is the Program for?
Executives - Managers and Supervisors - Human Resources Professionals - Professional Mental Health Practitioners - Federal and Local Governments - Community Organizations - Small Business Owners - Death Care Professionals - Unions - Trade Associations - Healthcare Organizations - Educational Institutions - Churches - Hospice Organizations - First Responders Organizations - Nonprofit Organizations - Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Facilities - Legal and Eldercare Practices - Insurance Agencies - Entrepreneurs - Coaches - Health and Wellness Programs - Correctional Institutions - Law Enforcement Organizations - Military and Civilian Personnel ... and more
Attention Counselors, Therapists, and Mental Health Professionals
Supplement your current service offerings with resources clients can use between sessions.
Meet Our Founder
Dora Carpenter is the curator of the My Grief Coach® Wellness Program and facilitator of the Employee Benefit Program. She is a serial entrepreneur, celebrated death care professional, personally licensed by the late Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. to teach Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway® work in the United States, and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization webinar series faculty member. Dora is the founder of the Institute of Professional Grief Coaching. She is a graduate of Strayer University and holds professional certifications in life, grief, and relationship coaching. Her mission is to help individuals go from pain to peace, heartbreak to happiness, and grief to gratitude in the shortest time possible. Coach Dora has trained and certified grief coaches in the United States, Canada, Cayman Islands, Spain, Brazil, Kuwait, Slovak Republic, Pakistan, Kenya, United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
"During my years of working in the cemetery and funeral home industry, I experienced the loss of coworkers, family members of coworkers, pets of coworkers, and personal family members and friends. Even as death care professionals, we were never prepared, instructed, offered grief support, or educated on what to do, how to respond, or how to help each other cope with these workplace-related losses. We were allowed a brief time to cry it out amongst ourselves, but were instructed to quickly return to our offices to handle the business of serving the grieving families that walked through the front door. How do you work as a death care professional but have no knowledge of how to handle a death that affects your very own workplace? If not addressed, the painful emotions of loss such as disbelief, sadness, anger, vulnerability, isolation, denial, guilt, and regret can lead to unresolved grief, which ultimately has a negative impact on individuals, families, workplaces, schools, communities, and our grief-avoidant society as a whole. We must do more to address this unavoidable, sensitive event and normalize the conversation surrounding loss, death, and grief."
Dora Carpenter, Founder, Institute of Professional Grief Coaching
Author | Coach | Trainer | Speaker
Beata, Slovakia
"Thanks to this program I was able to shift towards gratitude. The extremely sensitive, safe, and welcoming environment that Dora created was what allowed me to stop resisting, accept the situation, and look forward to a new future. Thank you Dora. You are a role model for me. You live what you teach."
Maxine, Florida
"So many suffer in our communities silently in the deep, dark depths of grief. There is help out there and Ms. Dora has created a very organized ICF certified program to help individuals and those in the workplace receive the help they need. The goal is to go from grief to gratitude and celebrate living life in joy again! I recommend this program."
Cherylann, Massachusetts
"I signed up to enhance my value as a Client Care Specialist at an Elder Care Law Firm. I was so excited when I came across Dora's program. It was a perfect match for me. I take away so much knowledge but also a Tool Kit of exercises I can use to help my clients. It was a great decision and I cannot wait to start implementing my skills."
What are you waiting for?
It's not a matter of IF loss, death and grief will visit your workplace . . . it's a matter of WHEN.
Investing in grief wellness coaching support for your employees, members, clients, or students affords significant benefits for your organization, including reducing the grief-related costs to your bottom line. You do not have to choose a membership package based on the number of employees. You can start with as few as 50 members. You will receive quarterly engagement reports and can upgrade at any time. Program participants have 365 days portal access after registration. For much less than a cup of coffee per day, if only one employee takes advantage of the program, you’ve not only exceeded your ROI, but you’ve shown compassionate care and concern at a time when it is needed the most.
Take advantage of the following enrollment specials through December 31, 2023.
What happens next . . .
After your enrollment is processed in our office, we will begin setting up your account. When completed, you will receive an email with your unique access code and can immediately share this benefit with your employees, members, clients, or students. Again, thanks for joining our mission to create grief-sensitive and compassionate workplaces around the globe!
Disclaimer: Our programs are not based on a conceptual, intellectual, or theological perspective. The program, its instructor(s), and coaches provide education and support. We do not imply, infer, or attempt to fix, heal, or cure grief and do not imply or provide professional counseling or therapy. If you are experiencing serious suicidal thoughts that you cannot control, please call or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to http://988lifeline.org.
