Keynote Proposal
Keynote Topics
- Breaking the Silence: Why We Need to Talk About Postpartum Depression A compelling call to end stigma and open conversations about maternal mental health in healthcare, workplaces, and communities.
- Grief Reimagined: Reframing Loss in Spiritual Care Exploring new ways to understand and support grief, offering hope and healing through compassionate spiritual care.
- The Power of Resilience: Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones An inspiring journey of transforming challenges into opportunities, showing audiences how resilience fuels vibrant living.
Compassion as Catalyst: Inspiring Change in Ourselves and Others A motivational keynote on how compassion sparks transformation, empowering individuals and communities to create lasting change.
TALK # 1: Grief Reimagined: Reframing Loss in Spiritual Care
I help spiritual leaders gain an expanded understanding of grief so that they can recognize and validate everyday losses and provide compassionate support.
Keynote Description
Grief is often defined as a natural response to the death of a loved one. But what about the quieter, everyday losses—chronic illness, chronic pain, miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a beloved pet? These experiences are frequently overlooked, minimized, or misunderstood, leaving individuals to grieve in silence.
In this keynote, Grace Tallman draws from her clinical expertise and invites us to broaden
Intended Audience
- Clergy and faith leaders
- Spiritual care providers and chaplains
- Mental health professionals and counselors
Learning Objectives or Takeaways
Participants will:
- Recognize that grief encompasses more than bereavement after death
- Identify and validate often-overlooked losses in their communities
- Gain practical, compassionate strategies to support individuals through ambiguous and disenfranchised grief
Testimonial
“Grace Tallman was an absolute delight to have as a speaker at our event! Her exceptional public speaking skills, including engaging audience interaction, confident body language, and her strong, clear voice, captivated our audience from start to finish.”
-Amber Needham, London, Ontario. Event coordinator
TALK # 2: Breaking the Silence: Why We Need to Talk about Postpartum Depression
Keynote Description
The arrival of a child is often portrayed as a time of pure joy—but one in seven mothers endure a dark period of postpartum depression. I was one of them. When I tried to speak out, I was silenced by someone I trusted. This talk breaks that silence. It calls on healthcare teams to lead with compassion and vigilance. With early intervention and empathetic care, we can rewrite the experience of postpartum depression from one of suffering to one of support and healing.
Learning Objectives or Takeaways
- Experience the Reality: Gain firsthand insight into the lived experience of postpartum depression through a personal and powerful narrative.
- Reframe the Approach: Discover three transformative strategies that move beyond conventional diagnosis to support healing and recovery.
- Remove the Roadblocks: Identify and learn how to dismantle the top three barriers that prevent women from accessing the care they deserve.
Testimonial
Grace brings vibrant energy and passion to her speaking. She explains concepts in a clear and concise manner. Grace’s lived experience with postpartum depression provides the expertise we are looking for in this subject.
–Ellen PZ. Occupational Therapist, Community Mental Health Team, St. Joseph Health Care, London, Ontario
References
Rev. Ann Corbet, Conference Organizer, Siloam United Church, London, Ontario, [email protected]
Amber Needham, Author, Event Coordinator, Digital Content Creator, London, Ontario [email protected]
Counseling
Intro Statement “Certified grief counselor and educator, helping individuals and families navigate loss with compassion and hope.”
Services Offered
- Individual counseling face-to-face or virtual sessions
- Group workshops and support circles
- Guidance for healthcare and faith-based communities
Resources for resilience and healing
Credentials
- Registered Nurse
- Certified Grief Counselor
Published memoirist and author of Stronger: Stories of Grief and Resilience
Specializing In Peri-natal Loss And Maternal Mental Health
- Still birth
- Miscarriage
- Neonatal Loss
- Abortion
- Postpartum depression & anxiety
- Difficult pregnancies or delivery
- Infertility and IVF
Grace was exactly what I needed to guide me through the early raw moments of my maternal mental health journey. While other therapists just didn’t seem to meet the needs I had, Grace guided me through practical strategies to improve my anxiety and PTSD post birth. I am forever grateful to her continued care in my journey. Ellen, London, Ontario
Grace continues to help me through the ongoing process of our IVF story. After my miscarriage, she helped me navigate through the depths of grief with effective tools and concrete methods to help me address this dark period of my life. I am ready for my next chapter in life, thanks to Grace! I recommend Grace to any person who wants to find the light again within any dark period they are experiencing. Rose, London, Ontario
BIO:
Grace is a grief counselor and author with 10 years of crisis mental health experience. She holds a nursing degree from Western University and advanced grief training from Western and King’s. Her memoir, The Birds Still Sing, reflects her personal journey through postpartum depression and deepens her empathetic approach to supporting women through loss.