Denise is an Advanced Practice Nurse with a passion for supporting others through grief. She has over 20years of combined nursing experience in critical care and palliative care. She is a facilitator of the ‘Serious Illness Conversations Course’, an evidence-based communication framework developed by Ariadne Labs at Harvard University . As a trainer, she has facilitated workshops for a wide range of healthcare professionals, to further their practice in providing a person-centered approach to care. Through the use of the ‘Serious Illness Conversation Guide’, learners are coached in the art of engaging in reflective discussions, to capture the values, goals and preferences of patients dealing with serious illness.  She is a certified ‘Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP)’ facilitator & coordinator, through Pallium Canada. In this role, she supports healthcare teams, in developing greater knowledge and confidence, in providing a palliative approach to care.

Recent projects Denise has undertaken, includes developing and delivering post-graduate curriculum on the topic of grief, loss and bereavement, to a wide range of individuals working in mental health, social work, pastoral care, hospital and community care settings. Content created enhances the grief literacy of participants and provides them with practical strategies to support others, who have experienced significant loss.

With a growing interest in supporting the resiliency of those experiencing grief, Denise undertook training in psychological first aid (PFA). It was through this training, that she developed an enhanced understanding of the impact of grief, not only on those experiencing a traumatic event, but those whose duty it is to assist.. This led to the creation of a series of workshops, designed to expand the knowledge and resiliency of those who support others through grief.

Denise holds a Master of Science (Nursing) Degree through Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario and certification as a critical care nurse, through the Canadian Nurses Association. Her greatest joy as an educator, is building connections with others; using the process of shared learning, to foster personal growth and resilience.