Speaking
Bring Karen to your audience.
She’ll talk about the things most of us avoid. And she'll make them laugh while she does it.
Grief Is My Wingwoman
Here's what nobody tells you about grief: it's not the enemy. It's the most honest relationship you'll ever have. This talk is funny, uncomfortable, and deeply real. Audiences leave it thinking about death, grief, and their own lives in ways they didn't expect. Built for general audiences, conferences, and anyone ready to stop pretending.
None of Us Are Getting Out of Here Alive
A deeper dive into the nine-truth framework for organizations, healthcare systems, hospices, funeral homes, HR departments, and professional audiences who work alongside loss every day. And we could be doing it better.
Karen brings:
Certified thanatologist. Nine years writing about grief for a national audience. Years in the room with grieving people. Two books forthcoming. And the lived experience of someone who has lost almost everyone she loved and came out the other side with something to say about it.
Credentials
Facilitator in Transformation Certificate, Next Level Trainings — emotional intelligence and leadership (6-month program)
Member, Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)
Published:
Contributing author and foreword writer, Lead Like a Woman series (6 volumes, Amazon)
Substack: None of Us Are Getting Out of Here Alive — weekly essays on grief, death, and mourning
Podcast appearances:
Beyond the Crucible with Warwick Fairfax
Death Whispering with Karen Hewitt
Next Level Live with Alexa Henderson
Intuition of a CEO with Tom Burden
Selected presentations:
When Suicide Shows Up at Your Farmer's Market: Postvention as Community Infrastructure
Together Forward National Conference | September 2026 | Virtual
With Angela Damon, Executive Director, LOSS Community Services
No One Teaches Us: Suicide Loss, Grief, and the Aging Population
Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging | May 2026
Two-hour solo continuing education workshop for social workers, counselors, and nurses
No One Teaches Us: Suicide Loss, Grief, and the Aging Population
Connections Volunteer Center | 2026
Three-hour workshop for social workers, counselors, and community-facing staff
Suicide Loss Postvention and We Are the 135
OSU Peers REACHing Out | 2026
In 10 Weeks: The Power of Peer-Led Support Groups to Facilitate Healing and Community
13th Annual National LOSS Team Conference | 2024
Written by Karen Austin, co-presented with Jude Grant
Good Mourning: Owning and Integrating the Gift of Loss
Ohio Counseling Association | October 2019
Original workshop on transforming loss into learning, pain into purpose, and grief into gratitude
Choosing Hello in Goodbye
Capstone, Facilitator in Transformation Certificate | The Epicenter, Columbus | September 2018
Original experiential workshop — what if loss has great things to teach us?
What people say:
"When it comes to understanding how grief works, Karen is my go-to person."
— Ryan Clarkin
"Your influence has touched thousands of people through me alone."
— Jen Routte, Routte Law
"Remember when I called you and asked you how the hell to handle both grief and love in the same stride? This is why I called you."
— Leah Seaman
"Thank you for always showing up vulnerable and making space for us to show up so vulnerably and authentically. You are such a bright light and a gift in this world."
— Kristy Meyer
To book Karen:
Email imkarenaustin@gmail.com.