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Welcome to Curating Grief

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Why Curate Grief?

Curating Grief is a creative, accessible way to explore grief and loss, through the objects — and the stories attached to them. Grief coach Charlene Lam explains how.

What does it mean to “Curate” Grief?

Curating is Choosing with Intention. 

1. After the death of a loved one or a significant loss, we are often faced with difficult choices. What to keep. Who gets what. What to say or do.  

When we’re faced with these situations, we can use curating as a beautiful lens for making these choices.  

2. As grieving people, we are facing circumstances outside of our control.  Death, loss, illness.  It can be very empowering to see the choices that we do have.  To see what we do have control over.

3. Everyone can curate. Whether you have physical items or not. Whether your loss is recent or years ago.

You are likely already curating. You are choosing what takes up space in your life every day. Physical space and emotional space.

Let’s choose with intention.  Let’s Curate Grief. 

hi!

I’m Charlene

After my mother died suddenly in 2013, I found myself drowning in grief … and her belongings.

It’s a common problem: Feeling overwhelmed, stuck and unable to move forward after the death of a loved one. My uncommon solution: Curating an exhibition about my mother!

Now I help other people with their grief and experiences of loss, using the lens of curating.

As curator of The Grief Gallery, I present international exhibitions featuring the belongings of loved ones lost.

As a certified grief coach, I use my Curating Grief framework to help grieving individuals navigate loss in a creative, accessible way.

(And you don’t need to be an artist or creative, or to even have any physical objects, to curate!)

Grief Support

Free Grief Gathering

Join us for The Grief Gallery’s free monthly grief gathering, on Zoom the last Wednesday of every month at 2pm ET. 

Curating Grief – The Book!

My first book Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies comes out November 2024. 

Hands with file label with "Grief" misspelled as "Greif"

Individual Grief Support

Want personalized help with your grief? Feeling stuck? Find out more about individual grief coaching.

Newsletter

Sign up for updates, invitations to events and grief resources.

WHY OBJECTS?

Meaningful Objects and Grief

The belongings and physical objects can teach us a lot about grief — and be a starting point for healing and connection.

THE FILM

Curating Grief: Loss and Objects

A short film about Curating Grief by London-based filmmkaer Jamie Max Lee, shot on location in Lisbon.

HOW IT STARTED

Curating Grief: How to Choose What to Keep

Struggling with choosing what to keep after a loved one dies? In my signature talk, I share the origin story behind The Grief Gallery and some key Curating Grief concepts.

Grief Events

I love speaking about grief, from death-related loss to life's many transitions. Visit my Speaker Page or contact me at hello@charlenelam.com to learn more.

Monthly Grief Gathering

Join The Grief Gallery's free monthly grief gathering, on Zoom the last Wednesday of every month at 2pm ET

Next gatherings: Wed Nov 27th, Sun Dec 22nd (special date)

Guilt & Regret Workshop

Guilt and regret are such common emotions amongst grievers -- and some of the most painful.

Join me for a live 90min workshop on Zoom. Wed Oct 2nd at 2pm ET /7pm UK

Exhale Wellness Festival

A new online festival helping people to navigate life’s challenges and changes, from the team behind the UK's Good Grief Fest. Oct 5-6

 My group coaching session How do I unpack and process my grief? is Sat Oct 5th at 11am ET/2pm UK time.

Meet me in ...

Did you know I offer 1:1 coaching and private retreats in-person? You are welcome to come to Lisbon, Portugal where I'm based. Plus these options:

Los Angeles, CA - Nov 2024

End Well conference, Fri Nov 22nd

Grieftastic Book Fair, Sat Nov 23rd

PAUSE BIPOC Resource Fair (free), Sat Nov 23rd

NYC and the Berkshires - Jan 2025

Grief Camp at Kripalu, Jan 12-17

NYC details to come

Mexico - Feb 2025

Nayarit Riviera (by Puerto Vallarta)

Contact me at hello[at]charlenelam.com to inquire

Charlene Lam

I help grieving people to feel lighter and less burdened after losing a loved one, using the lens of curating and the tools of coaching.

hello@charlenelam.com

New York, NY | Lisbon, Portugal

hello@charlenelam.com

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