Write a letter to your Grief

Participants will be led through excercises supporting them in the process of writing a letter to their grief. They are also invited to submit completed letters to a queer grief zine for publication.

Melissa Delizia, MSW, LSW, DSW (she/they) is a death doula, educator, professional coach and social worker whose work lives at the intersection of sacred care, transformative education, and social justice. With a Doctorate in Social Work and certifications in grief companionship, deathcare, and sacred ceremony, Melissa brings both clinical insight and spiritual depth to their offerings.

Their practice is rooted in ancestral connection, mediumship, and energy work, with a focus on holding space for queer and trans individuals navigating death, dying, and grief. Melissa approaches this work with reverence, tending to the liminal with embodied presence and a belief in the healing power of collective care and ritual.

As an educator and adjunct professor, they are dedicated to reshaping how death is taught and understood—centering marginalized experiences, challenging systems of harm, and cultivating spaces where grief and identity are honored in all their complexity. Whether teaching or learning, Melissa holds a deep commitment to equitable deathwork and heart-centered education.

Agreements for participation:

We are curious, open, and respectful - We assume good will, ask questions, and allow space for different experiences and points of view

We take care of ourselves - We stretch, take a break, eat, mute for a bit, drink, use restroom, connect with a friend, rest, call it a nights, etc.

We keep confidentiality - We speak from personal experience and take home learnings while taking care not to identify anyone other than oneself.

We use inclusive language - We speak using plain language and ask clarifying questions when we aren't sure what someone means. We take effort to use gender-neutral language as appropriate.

We are all here because we want and choose to be here - We are free to leave at any time, for any reason.

We respect each other - Anyone engaging in prejudice towards another group member will be subject to immediate removal.