Friends of California Grief Center,

We owe much to the women who have shaped the heart of our nation’s care and resilience—women whose courage, compassion, and commitment have redefined what it means to protect, to grieve, and to heal. Through their leadership in fire safety, grief counseling, and mental health, they have not only served their communities but transformed lives.

To Chief Tonya Hoover (b. 1960), whose groundbreaking work in fire prevention and public safety has saved lives and educated generations. As one of the first women to serve as California State Fire Marshal and later as a leader within FEMA, her clarity, strength, and dedication have helped forge policies and practices that protect families, homes, and entire communities. She has stood at the frontlines, not just in emergency response, but in shifting the culture of safety toward one of preparedness and care.

To Dr. Therese A. Rando (1951–2022), whose lifelong devotion to grief counseling illuminated the dark terrain of loss with empathy, knowledge, and dignity. A pioneer in the field of thanatology, her groundbreaking contributions to the study and treatment of mourning brought solace to those suffering and tools to those who support them. Her work has made it possible for many to find meaning and movement in the aftermath of heartbreak.

And to Dr. Thema Bryant (b. 1973), whose voice and vision in the field of mental health continue to create space for healing that is holistic, trauma-informed, and rooted in justice. As a clinical psychologist, professor, and ordained minister, she brings deep spiritual and psychological wisdom to her work—offering pathways of liberation and wholeness, especially for those navigating the intersections of identity, adversity, and healing.

May their work remind us that the path to safety and restoration is paved not only by those remembered in textbooks, but by those who show up with open hearts, clear minds, and unwavering service. It is through their courage to lead, to feel, and to guide others through fire, sorrow, and struggle that so many have found resilience, hope, and the strength to carry on.

Embers of Grace: A Morning of Mindfulness and Renewal with Trudy Goodman

Honoring Five Years of the HOPE Group: Healing Ourselves Through the Present Experience
Saturday, March 29th | 10:00 – 11:30 AM (PST) (Zoom)

Life rarely unfolds like a carefully drawn map. It moves more like a river—twisting, surging, at times gently winding, and at others, bursting its banks. In the wake of loss and uncertainty, we don’t need a perfect path forward—we need a raft, a rhythm, and companions to carry us through the current.

On this meaningful morning, we gather to mark five years of the Mindfulness & Deep Suffering HOPE Group—a sanctuary for truth-telling, stillness, and healing in motion. What began as a response to pain has grown into a wellspring of presence, resilience, and community.

We are deeply honored to welcome back Trudy Goodman—acclaimed mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, and founding teacher of InsightLA—for her annual dharma offering. Trudy’s wisdom is like rain after fire: gentle, cleansing, and life-giving. With decades of experience, she brings a unique voice to these times—one that holds both the raw ache of being human and the boundless beauty of awakening.

We’ll begin with a grounding meditation to settle our minds and bodies. Then, Trudy will guide us in a heartfelt talk on how to remain present amid life’s tremors and thresholds—what it means to root ourselves in awareness when the ground feels like it's shifting beneath us.

Following the talk, we’ll open the space for shared reflection, deep listening, and honest conversation—an invitation to name what strengthens us, what softens us, and what keeps the inner flame alive.

Come just as you are: tender, tired, hopeful, or uncertain. Whether you carry ashes or embers, together we’ll create a circle where healing happens—not by fixing, but by witnessing, by breathing, and by remembering that even in the aftermath… light still lives.

🔗Register Here

Women of the Fire: A Catharsis Theater Gathering for Grief and Grace (Los Angeles)

The fires of 2025 came like thieves in the night—stealing homes, memories, people, beloved pets, and entire chapters of life. But not everything was lost.

Women who held babies on their hips while ash fell from the sky. Women who dug through rubble, looking for the wedding ring, the journal, the cat. Women who burned in quieter ways—through loss of health, the death of a parent, a marriage unraveling, or simply the invisible ache of being a woman in a world that too often forgets how much is carried.

To you, we offer this circle.

Catharsis Theater is not about performance—it's about presence. It's a place where grief can unfold like fog lifting off the morning fields, where sorrow is not something to fix but to hold and honor, together. Perhaps loss is a fire no one should tend alone—its heat too fierce, its smoke too blinding, until another hand finds yours and pulls you from the burning. Led by grief therapist Brian Stefan, LCSW, this afternoon is an invitation for women who have known loss—of any kind—to gather, to witness, to breathe.

No acting. No pretending. Just the bravery of showing up.

📅 Sunday, March 30, 2025
⏰ 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 West LA (address shared after registration)
🎭 Facilitator: Brian Stefan, LCSW, California Grief Center
💵 Cost: Free, in honor of Women’s History Month

🔗 Register Here

This Women’s History Month, we gather not just to mourn what’s been lost, but to celebrate what endures: the fire inside that cannot be extinguished.

Upcoming Opportunities for Connection

💛 Mindfulness-Based Grief Relief (MBGR) Practice Group

Healing Ourselves through the Present Moment (HOPE)

📅 Next Virtual Session: Saturday, April 26 | 10:00 AM (PT) | 1.5 hours (Zoom)

🔗Register Here

At the California Grief Center, we offer grief therapy and group experiences designed to support you through loss. Visit www.caligrief.com to learn more about our services and upcoming events.

With care and compassion,

Brian Stefan, LCSW

Founder, California Grief Center