Thoughtful Talk
Series Completed.
Downloadable recordings are available for those who paid to participate.
Contact Lori for more details.
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Winnie the Pooh
A Personal Invitation
Thank you for taking this moment to connect.
We created Thoughtful Talk because we have witnessed the grief and guilt people carry when goodbyes approach or after we’ve lost a loved one. Questions about being or doing enough, regret and being a burden to those we love.
So often we want to say the right thing… but we freeze.
We may never have this moment again. There is no redo. No second chance. And the stakes can feel unbearably high.
Sometimes the question is, “How do I say goodbye?”
We don’t want to let go too soon, and we don’t want to miss the moment. We wonder what to say when words feel fragile, when love is present and when the future is unknown.
Sometimes the phrase is, “I don’t want to be a burden.”
We hear it in ourselves or in someone we love. Beneath it can be fear, tenderness, pride, fatigue, and the longing to protect the people who matter most.
And sometimes the thought is, “Did I do enough?”
After someone dies, grief can erase the countless moments of love and care. The mind replays conversations, decisions, and missed chances ….searching for certainty in a time that may not offer it.
Thoughtful Talk is a compassionate space to speak those questions aloud and to gently reframe them through shared reflection and conversation. No fixing. No pressure. This series is designed as 80% guidance and 20% optional sharing. You will receive practical guidance, compassionate phrases you can use and reflection prompts to help integrate what is true for you.
Our hope is to shift from self-judgment to self-compassion, and from fear to clarity, agency and peace.
If any of these phrases live inside you, you are not alone. You are warmly invited to sit with us to deepen, release and reframe the thoughts and feelings that often keep us stuck.
With care, Rhonda + Lori 💛
Talk 1
FEB 18
HOW DO I SAY GOODBYE?
You will leave this session with language you can actually use in goodbye moments, especially when emotions run high and words feel hard to find. We will explore the many forms goodbye can take and how to speak love without forcing certainty about what comes next. You’ll gain compassionate phrases, reframes and simple practices that help you stay present instead of frozen. The goal is not perfection, but confidence and tenderness in the moments that matter most.
Talk 2
FEB 25
I DON’T WANT TO BE A BURDEN
This session helps unpack what lives underneath the sentence “I don’t want to be a burden” and why it carries so much emotional weight. You’ll learn how to respond to this fear with honesty, warmth and emotional intelligence instead of avoidance. We’ll explore how care flows in both directions and how receiving support can deepen connection rather than diminish dignity. You will leave with words and perspectives that reduce fear and invite more human closeness.
Talk 3
MAR 4
DID I DO ENOUGH?
This session offers a compassionate framework for working with guilt, regret and the haunting feeling of not-enoughness that often follows loss. We will look at how grief distorts memory and erases evidence of love and how to restore balance to the emotional story we tell ourselves. You’ll leave with tools for self-forgiveness and language that honors the care that was given. The aim is to soften self-blame and make space for grief that includes tenderness toward yourself.
This series is for anyone who:
…wants a more grounded relationship with death and grief
…is supporting aging parents, family or friends
…feels afraid of “not knowing what to say”
…is carrying guilt, pressure or self-blame
…wants thoughtful conversation without toxic positivity
…believes grief deserves community, not isolation
No prior experience needed. Come exactly as you are.
Meet your Facilitators
Lori Krause and Rhonda LoPresti
Rhonda LoPresti
End of Life Coach, PCC | Home Funeral Guide
Rhonda LoPresti is an End of Life Coach who supports conscious preparation for dying through sacred ritual, practical planning and honest conversation. Her work centers on the art of saying goodbye, family-directed funerals and creating meaningful conditions at the end of life.
She is the evolver of the Spiritual Care Directive and creator of the Passing Plan, two guided processes that help individuals articulate their wishes and ease the burden on loved ones during times of grief.
A practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for over 35 years, Rhonda has developed end-of-life programs for spiritual communities and speaks regularly on conscious death care. She serves on the board of Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California and has taught at both RYG CA and Tara Mandala.
Her work is informed by accompanying her own family and many others through dying with humility, presence, creativity and care.
Lori Krause
End of Life Doula | Grief Coach, PCC
Her work is shaped by profound personal experiences of grief, including the early death of her husband and the sudden loss of close family and friends. These experiences inform the empathy and wisdom she brings to her clients.
Lori believes no one should have to navigate grief alone. With support, people can protect their emotional well-being, develop coping tools, and slowly rebuild a sense of hope. It is her honor to walk beside others through this human passage.
FAQs
1. DO I NEED TO ATTEND LIVE?
Live attendance is warmly encouraged, but recordings are included for all registered participants, so you can watch later if you can’t make it.
2. WILL THE SESSIONS BE RECORDED
3. DO I HAVE TO SHARE OR SPEAK DURING SESSIONS
4. IS THIS THERAPY?
Thoughtful Talk is an educational and supportive series. It is not therapy and does not replace mental health counseling. The intention is to offer guidance, language, reflection, and human companionship around tender topics.
5. WHO IS THIS SERIES FOR?
This series is for anyone navigating grief, anticipatory grief, end-of-life questions, caregiving, or simply wanting more grounded conversation about death and dying.
6. WHAT IF I AM NOT GRIEVING A DEATH RIGHT NOW?
You are still welcome. Grief also includes change, endings, transitions, and the quiet heartbreaks that don’t always have names.
7. WHAT IF I BECOME EMPTIONAL DURING THE SESSION?
That’s okay. Tender feelings are welcome. You are invited to take care of yourself—turn off your camera, step away, breathe, or simply listen. This is a gentle space.
8. HOW DO I RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK?
The Zoom link will be emailed after registration, along with reminder emails before each session.
9. WHAT IS THE REFUND POLICY?
Because recordings are included and space is limited, registration is non-refundable.
If something comes up and you can’t attend live, the recordings will still be available to you.