Melissa McCreery Douaire, M.Div., M.Ed., GC-C has years of experience walking beside the grieving. Since the death of her mother in 2005 she has been passionate about helping those who grieve and supporting them through their journey. In 2009 Melissa became a Stephens Ministry Leader through her work at her United Church of Christ (UCC) church. She trained those who worked and supported many within her UCC church family during their most challenging days. Melissa is known and recognized for her gifts as a compassionate listener, faithful optimist, and knowledgeable confidante. Melissa earned her Masters in Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary and is an ordained UCC minister. Earlier in her career after earning a Masters in Education from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Education from DePauw University, Melissa taught at the elementary level working with diverse populations. Melissa recently taught ELA at the college level. Melissa teaches through webinars, facilitating retreats, and speaking engagements.
Melissa recently started a grief consulting practice, Whole Person Conversation©, after becoming a Certified Grief Counselor (AAGC) that works with individuals, small businesses, schools, and now Innovative Educators. Her passion is to acknowledge and address the grief we will all eventually experience, understand the impacts of loss, and treat each other kindly and gently while walking through dark days back into the light of hope.
