Motivational Speaker and Keynote Presenter
Margaret Pendergrass, LCSW, GC-C
Speaker | Therapist | Educator
Workplace Grief, Caregiving, and Burnout Speaker | Support Through Life’s Hardest Moments
When life falls apart, most people are still expected to keep going - at work and in their families. Grief, chronic illness, and caregiving don’t stay nearly contained and yet most institutions (especially workplaces) aren’t designed to support people through these realities.
My work aims to close that gap!
As a therapist specializing in grief, chronic illness and caregiver support, I offer speaking engagements and workplace trainings that help individuals and organizations respond to life’s more difficult moments with more clarity, steadiness and humanity.
Whether I’m delivering a workplace grief training, leading a manager training on difficult conversations, or speaking to caregivers and healthcare professionals, the goal is the same: how to stay present in hard moments, how to support others with overstepping or burning out and how to navigate situations that don’t have easy answers.
Presentation Topics
For Individuals and Communities
Grief support talks and caregiver education for real-life loss and long-term stress
The Myth of Moving On
Grief Support Talk | Rethinking What It Means to Live with Loss
We’re often told that grief is something we’re supposed to move through or move past. But for many people, that expectation doesn’t match their experience and that can leave them feeling like they’re doing grief wrong.
This grief support talk offers a different framework: one that makes space for the ways that loss stays, changes and becomes parts of our lives over time. Drawing from contemporary grief education and clinical experience, this presentation helps participants develop a more honest and sustainable relationship with grief.
Best for: Individuals and groups navigating loss, grief support groups, community organizations, faith communities, universities
Grieving in Slow Motion
Dementia Caregiver Training | Understanding Ambiguous Loss
Caring for someone with dementia often means living with ongoing grief. This means losing someone in pieces while still showing up for their care.
This dementia caregiver training explore the emotional reality of ambiguous loss, caregiver burnout and the complexity of long-term caregiving. Participants will gain language for what they are experiencing, along with practical ways to cope with stress, set boundaries and feel less alone.
Best for: Family caregivers, Alzheimer’s organizations, memory care communities, healthcare system, caregiver support programs
Living by What Matters
Finding Your Values and Using Them to Navigate Difficult Times
When life becomes difficult due to grief, caregiving, illness or any unexpected life change, many people find themselves asking not just what do I do now, but what actually matters.
In these moments, values can become a grounding point. When you know your core values, they provide direction to help make decisions, set boundaries and stay connected to ourselves when things feel uncertain.
This talks explore how to identify your core values and how they differ from goals or expectations. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of what really matters to them and how to use their values to create a framework for decision making and intentional living.
Best for: Individuals navigating life transition, keynote presentations, grief support groups, personal development workshops
For Organizations and Teams
Workplace grief training, employee wellness programs, and leadership development
Grief at Work
Grief shows up at work whether we acknowledge it or not. Most managers feel unprepared to respond.
This workplace grief training helps organizations support employees through loss without getting it wrong. Participants will learn how grief impacts performance, what appropriate support looks like at work, and how to communicate in ways that build trust and psychological safety.
Best for: Corporate teams, HR professionals, people managers, leadership groups, employee wellbeing programs
Workplace Grief Training for Managers and Teams
Managing Employees Through Hardship
Supporting Employees through Crisis, Illness and Caregiving
At some point, every manager will need to support an employee through grief, chronic illness or caregiving responsibilities. These situations are rarely straightforward and it’s hard to know how to best respond!
This leadership training focuses on how to navigate these moments with both empathy and clarity. Participants learn how to balance flexibility with accountability, handle difficult conversations, and support employees without overextending themselves.
Best for: Corporate leaders, manager, HR teams, healthcare administrators, organizations focused on employee retention and leadership development
How to Support Without Fixing
Communication Skills Training for Healthcare and Workplaces
When someone is struggling, most people instinctively try to fix or solve the problem. However, meaningful support requires a different skill: emotional presence.
This interactive training teaches practical communication tools for responding to distress- whether from patients, clients, employees, colleagues or friends. Participants will learn what to say (and what to avoid), how to stay present in emotionally intense situations, and how to support others without burnout.
Best for: Healthcare professionals, hospital systems, assisted living and memory care staff, social workers, educations, corporate teams
Also available as compassion fatigue and burnout training for healthcare and helping professionals
Speaking Approach
My work is not about scripts or quick fixes. The experiences that I speak about (grief, illness, caregiving) are complex and often don’t have clean solutions.
Instead, I focus on helping people:
Respond more thoughtfully in difficult moments
Communicate clearly under stress
Support others without losing themselves
Navigate uncertainty with more steadiness
Participants leave not with perfect answers, but with a stronger sense of how to move forward.
Speaking Formats
Keynote presentations
Workplace trainings and workshops
Manager and leadership development
Healthcare and caregiver trainings
Conference presentations
Support groups
Who I Work With
I partner with organizations and communities that are navigating the realities of grief, caregiving, and ongoing stress, including:
Healthcare systems and hospitals
Memory care and assisted living communities
Corporate teams and HR departments
Universities and progressional organizations
Nonprofits and caregiver support organizations
Based in the Atlanta area, I am available for Atlanta speaking engagements, Georgia corporate trainings and national conferences.
If you would like to book Margaret for a speaking engagement, please fill out contact form or you may contact Margaret at (678) 250-3996 or via her e-mail at margaret@roswellgriefcounseling.com