CALGARY, AB – One Life Counselling & Coaching has introduced a grief-informed leadership development workshop designed to give managers practical tools for supporting employees experiencing loss and major life transitions.
The workshop was developed after a Calgary workplace approached One Life seeking support for managers whose direct reports were experiencing grief.
One Life co-owner Darrah Wolfe partnered with Registered Psychologist Leanne Luchinski to develop this evidence-informed, workplace-focused program.
Wolfe brings a background spanning organizational leadership, engineering, coaching, and positive psychology to the program; she holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Luchinski is a Registered Psychologist with One Life who works with teens, adults, seniors, and couples and provides grief counselling among her areas of practice.
“Many leaders want to support employees experiencing grief, but they’re often worried about saying the wrong thing,” said Wolfe. “Our goal is to give leaders practical tools and confidence so they can respond with compassion while staying within their role.”
The workshop, which can be taken virtually or in person, focuses on helping leaders recognize meaningful changes in employee behaviour, approach difficult conversations with empathy, and develop practical short-term support plans. Participants also learn a straightforward conversation framework they can apply when an employee is navigating a difficult experience.
The program takes a broader view of grief than bereavement alone. Participants explore forms of grief including anticipatory grief, ambiguous loss, delayed grief, and disenfranchised grief, along with common misconceptions about how people experience and respond to loss. The workshop combines grief education with reflection, group discussion, and applied practice to help leaders translate what they learn into workplace conversations.
One Life Counselling & Coaching is a Calgary-based counselling and psychology practice offering individual, couples, and family counselling alongside coaching, workshops, and group programs. Its team of psychologists, counsellors, and coaches provides evidence-informed support for concerns including grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, relationships, and major life transitions. One Life offers in-person services from its NW Calgary office as well as virtual services.
