Charlene Lam
Grief Speaker
Charlene Lam is a certified grief coach, speaker and curator of The Grief Gallery. She believes that we are ALL curators after a loved one dies.
Her Curating Grief framework helps people feeling weighed down by all the physical and emotional “stuff” to feel lighter. Taking a creative, accessible approach to grief, Charlene offers hope to grieving people for moving forward after a loved one’s death to live their own fullest lives, with their health, careers and relationships intact.
Originally from New York City, she’s spoken on stages and delivered workshops in London, New York City and Lisbon.
Speaking Topics
Curating Grief: How to Choose What to Keep After a Loved One Dies
A creative, inspiring approach to choosing what to keep and what to discard.
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F*ck Your Rainbows and Silver Linings: Grief Has No Set Timeline
Grief is normal, not a disorder, and it has no set schedule nor time limit.
…
Working Through Grief and Loss
How to get things done even while dealing with the practical and emotional aftermath of loss.
…
Contact hello@charlenelam.com or book a call
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Speaking Testimonials
Charlene was a guest speaker on a Motherless Daughters Community call and wow! — she delivered so much more than we ever could have imagined! Charlene is creative, innovative, and warm, and her story is instantly relatable. Call participants raved about her visit for days
Charlene is a thought leader with a fresh, unique voice on how we can hold space for our grief –– and I could not be more grateful for her contributions to the grief, end-of-life and creative industries.
Charlene is a wonderful speaker! As part of a panel at the Good Grief Festival, she spoke eloquently and movingly about her mother’s death, exploring the ways we can intentionally curate our grief and connect with those who have died through objects and places. Charlene and the other members of the panel were universally praised for their warmth and wisdom.
BIO
About Charlene
As curator of The Grief Gallery, Charlene Lam presents exhibitions internationally online and in-person about grief and loss, often featuring the belongings of people’s lost loved ones.
After the sudden death of her mother in 2013, she tapped her creativity and instincts as an independent curator to guide her through her own experience of grief.
When she decided to help other people with her grief, she developed her Curating Grief framework to give grieving people a creative, accessible way to process their losses.
She’s spoken about her creative approach to grief as part of the Good Grief Festival (UK), the Gone Too Soon virtual retreat, the Let’s Grieve summit presented by the Grief Support Network, and as a featured speaker on Reimagine.
Her podcast appearances include What Works with Tara McMullin, Grief Out Loud by Dougy Center, The Widowed Parent Podcast, and Grief is My Side Hustle.
In 2022, she was selected for the inaugural edition of the PAUSE Starlight Business Development Residency for people of color in the grief and end-of-life space. She also received a Juror’s Choice Award for her participation in the DesignTO x Fieldwork Design Residency in Toronto.
She’s the author of the forthcoming book Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies.
A proud New Yorker, she splits her time between NYC and Lisbon, Portugal, and travels frequently for work and leisure.
To book Charlene to speak at your event or for your community, contact hello@charlenelam.com or book a call.
Get In Touch
- hello@charlenelam.com
- +1 917 376 7339
Grief Workshop and Talk Descriptions
Curating Grief: How to Choose What to Keep After a Loved One Dies
What you choose to keep and discard shapes your ongoing relationship with them.
After a loved one dies, we’re often confronted with the painful task of sorting through their belongings. But how do you decide what to keep and what to discard, when you’re potentially paralyzed by grief and overwhelmed by emotions?
In this personal and relatable talk, grief curator Charlene Lam shares her creative approach to dealing with the practical and emotional aftermath of loss. An enlightening talk that can free bereaved people to move forward with more clarity and peace, whether they’re grappling with the tangible or intangible aspects of grief.
This topic can be presented as a TEDx-style talk, an interactive presentation or a workshop.
…
F*ck Your Rainbows and Silver Linings: Grief Has No Set Timeline
Grief is normal, not a disorder, and it has no set schedule nor time limit.
Grief has no set timeline. Platitudes aren’t helpful. Don’t force your rainbows and silver linings on someone when they’re in their own storm of grief and loss.
…
Working Through Grief and Loss
How to get things done even while dealing with the practical and emotional aftermath of loss.
As busy professionals and responsible human beings, how do we stay productive and present when we’re grappling with grief, bereavement and loss? In this practical and thoughtful presentation, certified grief coach Charlene Lam talks about working through grief on multiple levels:
- Processing death, grief and loss in a healthy way AND
- Somehow managing to perform as a business owner, consultant, manager or employee, not to mention parent, spouse, caretaker, etc!
She shares the accessible frameworks she’s developed to help herself and others in the aftermath of losing a loved one. This topic can be customized to address different kinds of grief and loss.
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More Testimonials
Charlene always brings fantastic insight, knowledge and enthusiasm. She is able to connect with audiences, groups and individuals alike.
I have had the honor of working with Charlene on multiple events, and it is always a pleasure to be in collaborative relationship with her. She has such a way with the subject matter – she brings a calming, hopeful presence into what can easily be difficult conversations to facilitate. Her workshops have been truly transformative, and serve as enriching resources that live far beyond just the day of the live event.
I booked Charlene as a Guest Expert to speak to my midlife women’s membership circle on the topic of grief and lessons in letting go. The whole process of setting up the call was smooth and straightforward, and Charlene had helpful suggestions on what might be beneficial for the format.
Many of the women in the circle are introverts and sensitive people, and of course, grief can be a very tender topic. But it was immediately clear that Charlene was a perfect match for our group.
As well as offering valuable insights about the grief process and ways we might choose to navigate it, Charlene had such wonderful warmth and presence. She was able to create a safe space in which everyone felt comfortable to share, and also effectively hold that space for the duration of our call.
I plan to invite Charlene to join us again for another session next year because our time with her was so useful. I highly recommend her services.
AS SEEN AND HEARD ON
