top of page

Speaking on Living & Dying

I speak to healthcare teams, faith communities, retirement communities, and public audiences about grief, mortality, and the practice of presence. Integrating fifteen years of meditation training with clinical experience in end-of-life care, I offer practical frameworks alongside contemplative depth. My aim is to support individuals and organizations in meeting change, loss, and uncertainty with steadiness and compassion. Although I can lecture, I prefer for my talks to have opportunities for interaction with the audience, in order to honor the lived wisdom present in those communities.

Topics I Speak On

Grief as a Calling

Grief is not a problem to solve, but a human experience that calls us into a deeper way of living. In this talk, I explore grief as a calling — an invitation into deeper intimacy, joy, and meaning. Drawing from my work with individuals and communities, we consider how turning toward our grief, rather than running from it allows loss to become a source of connection rather than isolation.

​Audience: faith communities, public library events, community gatherings

Supporting Loves Ones at the End of Life

When someone we love is dying, we often feel unprepared. This talk offers practical guidance for navigating the final chapter of life — including communication, presence, common fears, and what truly matters at the bedside. Emphasis is placed not only on what to do, but on how to be, and invites the audience to reflect deeply themselves on what they already know about being with dying.​

Audience: senior communities, family caregivers, healthcare students

Honoring Endings: Ritual, Memory, and Celebration

Endings deserve attention. This presentation explores how communities can honor death through ritual, remembrance, and celebration. We examine the role of storytelling, memorial practices, and cultural traditions in helping individuals and families integrate loss with love.

Audience: libraries, churches, community centers

Spiritual Care in Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Spiritual care is not just for those who identify as religious — it addresses the universal needs for meaning, connection, love, and existential realities at life’s threshold. Drawing from my work in hospice and palliative settings, I explore the role of spiritual support within interdisciplinary medical teams and offer practical tools for clinicians, chaplains, and trainees.

Audience: healthcare systems, chaplaincy programs, medical education

Embodied Awareness: The Body as Teacher

Our bodies hold memory, grief, and resilience. In these experiential sessions, participants explore awareness of breath, sensation, and movement as pathways into grounded presence. Adaptable for artists, students, and professionals, this work bridges contemplative practice with lived embodiment.

Audience: colleges, yoga studios, arts programs

Formats Offered

  • Keynote Talks (45–75 minutes)

  • Half-Day or Full-Day Workshops

  • Retreat Facilitation

  • Meditation Instruction

  • Panel Participation

  • Community Conversations

IMG_8996.jpeg

Who I Speak To

  • Hospice and Healthcare teams - The Cleveland Clinic, the University of Chicago Medical Center

  • Retreat Centers - Contemplative Care Symposium at the Garrison Institute, NY

  • Retirement Communities - Kendal at Oberlin

  • Faith Communities - Christ Episcopal Church

  • Universities - Oberlin College

  • Community Centers - The Oberlin Public Library

  • Yoga Studios - Solaluna Yoga Studio

Speaker Bio

Willie Kunert is a grief and end-of-life counselor and meditation teacher based in Ohio. With over fifteen years of dedicated contemplative practice — including time living and training at Zen centers in the United States and Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia — his work bridges spiritual depth with practical care. Willie supports individuals, families, and communities navigating illness, loss, and mortality, and he speaks regularly to faith groups, healthcare professionals, and public audiences about grief, presence, and meaning at the end of life. His teaching style is grounded, accessible, and relational, inviting honest conversation about the realities we all face.

Willie Kunert - Grief Counselor

"When we truly embrace our grief - moving through the sadness and tears - we find on the other side, a peace and clarity that has waiting for us all along."​​

Willie Kunert

bottom of page