Psychotherapy Inspiring You to Embrace Life Fully
Alexandra Kennedy, MA, MFT
Alexandra Kennedy, MA, MFT
Psychotherapy Inspiring You to Embrace Life Fully
Psychotherapy Inspiring You to Embrace Life Fully
Psychotherapy Inspiring You to Embrace Life Fully

Speaking

As a well-known grief expert with extensive experience as a psychotherapist, Alexandra has appeared in a professional capacity in countless media markets, as well as offering key notes at conferences. In her presentations she is warm and relatable, offering inspiration, suggestions and tools for her audience to take home with them. She speaks on a variety of subjects that are tailored to her audiences.

These topics include:

  • Waking up to the magic of our ordinary lives
  • Inspiring strategies to shift from pain to purpose after loss
  • How our losses can expand and enrich our living
  • Healing relationships beyond loss
  • Self care/self-compassion
  • Recovering from trauma
  • Navigating the holidays after loss
  • Living well, grieving well
  • Healing after disaster
  • Facing loss, opening to the sacred
  • Transforming our losses, revisioning our lives
  • The healing power of mindfulness in the grieving process
  • How to compassionately support a grieving friend, family member, colleague
  • Empty nest, full heart
  • The creative, empowering role of imagination in healing grief
  • In the footsteps of St Francis
  • Dreams: wake up calls?

Speaking Engagements:

  • Hospice of Santa Cruz, Authors Presentation, Zoom, October 1, 2020.
  • Healing the Grieving Heart with Dr Ken Druck and Alexandra Kennedy, one day workshop in Del Mar, CA, August 2019
  • Hospice of Santa Cruz, Balinese spiritual and cultural practices around death and grief, April 4 2019
  • Compassionate Friends, presentation Balinese Spiritual and Cultural Practices Around Dying and Grieving, February 20 2019
  • Dying, Grieving and Living in Bali: A Social and Cultural Exploration with I Made Suryasa August 18-30 2018
  • Forever Loved Retreat, Jacob’s Heart, key note speaker, Santa Cruz CA, November 17 2018
  • Santa Cruz Hospice, Santa Cruz CA, volunteer training July 2012, February 2018
  • The Conscious Dying Network Healing Your Losses Conference, key note speaker, June 6 2015
  • International Survivors of Suicide Loss conference, key note speaker, Monterey, CA, November 22 2014, November 21 2015
  • Center for Spiritual Living, grief talk, San Jose CA, September 28 2014
  • Present at the Passing (Tandy Beal Dance Production): panels on grief, March 2014 & 2011
  • New Leaf Markets, Crisis Intervention, Grief counseling for staff, Santa Cruz CA February 2013
  • Resurrection Church, Aptos CA, January 2013

Speaking Engagements Continued 2012-1989

  • Capella University, recorded interview for class on grief
  • Children’s Health Council, Palo Alto CA, training in Sandplay Therapy
  • California Association of Marriage and family Therapists, Santa Cruz chapter, keynote address, Living with Dying Symposium
  • American Red Cross, Santa Cruz chapter, Women’s Networking Group, August speaker
  • Monterey County Hospice, training, (3X)
  • Fetzer Institute’s Relationship-Centered Care web Forum, panelist : Conversation on Death and Dying
  • Twin Lakes College of Healing Arts, Birthwise Doula Program (2X)
  • Miriam’s Well (workshop presentation with Thomas Moore), Saugerties, New York
  • Santa Clara County Social Services Agency, Santa Clara, CA
  • Prime Time Expo, Santa Clara CA
  • Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, San Jose, CA
  • Kara Conference “Connections to the Heart”, key note speech
  • Art of Dying Conference, New York, sponsored by New York Open Center and Tibet House
  • University of California Santa Cruz Extension, organizing, coordinating and moderating workshop "Inter-Religious Dialogues”
  • University of California Santa Cruz Extension, organizing and moderating workshop "Trialogues at the Edge of the Millenium”
  • University of California Santa Cruz Extension, organizing, co-ordinating, presenting at conference on death & dying: "Living Well and Dying Well"
  • Dominican Hospital (Chaplains), Santa Cruz
  • Hospice of the Central Coast, Monterey
  • San Jose Buddhist Church, San Jose
  • St Aiden's Episcopal Church, San Francisco
  • Monterey Co. Health Department & Salinas Adult School
  • National Teleconference: Living with Grief when Illness Is Prolonged, San Jose State University, panelist
  • Association for Humanistic Psychology annual conference, Brandeis University
  • Whole Life Expo, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco (4X)
  • San Jose State University, Religious Studies, (3X)
  • Initiative for Spirituality & Aging, Conference on Aging, Spirituality & the Mystery of Death, San Francisco
  • University of California Extension, Berkeley CA
  • Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto CA
  • Association for the Study of Dreams, Santa Fe New Mexico
  • University of San Francisco, International Conference on Life Transitions Counseling, October 1992
  • University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara CA
  • Women in Management Network of University of California, Santa Cruz, May 1992 (panelist & workshop leader)
  • Resourceful Women: Managing Inherited Wealth, Palo Alto
  • Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County
  • CARE services of University of California, Berkeley
  • Association for Transpersonal Psychology, annual conference, Asilomar
  • Stanford Counseling Institute
  • Psychotherapy Center of Perugia, Italy
  • County Mental Health, Santa Cruz
  • Healing Connection, a gathering of health professionals, Santa Cruz and San Jose

National Electronic:

  • CNN "Sonja Live" (2X)
  • NPR "Talk of the Nation"
  • New Dimensions Radio (2X)

International Electronic:

  • CBC Radio, Canada "Wellness Show"

San Francisco Bay Area:

  • San Jose Mercury (6X)
  • San Francisco Examiner (5X)
  • Santa Cruz Sentinel (3X)
  • “Open to Hope” radio
  • KHSU “Chronologically Gifted” (3X)
  • “Simple Life Radio”
  • KAZU “Universal Grapevine” (3X)
  • Aptos Times
  • San Mateo Times
  • Marin Independent Journal
  • Peninsula Times Tribune
  • The Ark
  • Santa Cruz Magazine
  • Santa Cruz Good Times
  • KGO “The Karel Show”
  • KNLY “Heart to Heart”
  • KGO “Crescendo”
  • KSBW "Viewpoint"
  • KFTY TV Evening News
  • KTVU TV "Bay Area People"
  • KGO Carla Perez
  • KABL "Let's Face It" (2X)
  • KQED (PBS) "Family Talk" (3X)
  • KSFO/KYA "Straight Talk"
  • KPFA "The Morning Show" (2X)
  • KBLX "Bay View"
  • K-101 "K-One-on-One"
  • KNEW/KSAN "Bay Area Forum"
  • KPOO "In Conversation"
  • KRQR (CBS) "Sunday Magazine"
  • KDBK/KDBQ "SouthBay Today"
  • KTID/KAPX "Community Closeup"
  • KUSP "Radiogram" (3X)
    • “Body, Mind and Spirit”
  • KKUP "Changes"
  • KEST/KNRY "Seeing Beyond"
  • KAZU " Dreams Another Way of Knowing" (3X)
    • "Discovery" (4X)
    • “Roadside Café”

Boston

  • “The Frankie Boyer Show” WBIX-AM
  • Chicago

  • “Connection” WBBM-FM “Your Healthy Family” Sirius Radio Network
  • “The Karen Ross Show” Wait Radio
  • Houston Texas

  • “Wisdom Radio”
  • Humboldt CA

  • “Chronologically Gifted:Conversations on Life After 50” KHSU
  • Los Angeles

  • “A Woman’s Forum” Adrenalineradio.com (2X)
  • “Creative Health and Spirit Show” CHSR HealthyLife.net
  • Ohio Syndicated Radio

  • “The Louie Free Show”
  • Atlanta GA

  • “AM Atnens” WGAU-AM
  • Pomona CA

  • KMNY "Vera's Voice"
  • Pittsburgh

  • KDKA (NBC) "Amplify" (7X)
  • Minneapolis MN

  • KTOE “Life After Loss”
  • KQON
  • Escanaba, MI

  • WCHT “Powertalk Radio”
  • San Bernadino, CA

  • KCAA “Relationships 2.0”
  • Santa Fe NM

  • KSFR “Journey Home with Diego Mulligan” (9/2010)
  • KIOT "Transition" (2X)
  • The Sun (Santa Fe)
  • Santa Fe Reporter
  • Denver CO

  • KQXI "Addiction Free Radio"
  • Boulder CO

  • KGNU "Tributaries"
  • Jackson MI

  • "Between the Lines"
  • Fargo North Dakota

  • KFGO
  • Podcasts:

    • 7 Stones Radio with Lori Ross

    "Alexandra was an extraordinary keynote speaker, counselor, and guide for our Survivors of Suicide Loss Conference. Her insight into grief and the healing process reframed our sorrow and created the potential for transformation. We were blessed by her presence and deeply grateful for her passion and energy." — Dawn McGahan, LCSW, American Foundation of Suicide Prevention

    “Known to us as our 'grief and loss’ expert, Ms. Kennedy has supported and inspired our students to understand and work with their own grief and loss, support and counsel others in their grief, and write deeply and extensively on the topic for their final integrative papers and projects. Her evaluations from students were strong, with students thanking her for her professional skills, generosity of spirit and her strong abilities in the classroom. Strong, fair, heartfelt, dedicated and an expert on her topic, Ms. Kennedy is an asset to the communities she serves in her various capacities. Grief and loss are difficult yet necessary parts of the human experience, it takes a deft hand to both provide these services and to teach others to do so. Ms. Kennedy does all that and more, with sensitivity and grace. I am honored to have included her on our academic roster and highly recommend her as professor, lecturer, contributor and practitioner. She is a gift." — Doreen Maller, LMFT, PhD, Retired Chair Holistic Counseling Psychology, John F Kennedy University


    Alexandra has been interviewed in USA Today, the Monterey Herald, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Examiner, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, New Woman, Baltimore Sun, Daytona Beach News Journal, East West Journal, LA Daily News, Anchorage Daily News, and the Boston Herald as well as on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," CNN's "Sonja Live", KQED's "Family Talk," CBC Radio Canada "Wellness Show", KDKA "Amplify", "Open to Hope Radio" and "New Dimensions Radio." See below for a more extensive list.


    Her articles have appeared in Yoga Journal, Mothering Magazine, Magical Blend, Shaman’s Drum, Science of Mind, Vibrant life, AHP Perspective, New Dimensions Newsletter, and the California Therapist.


    The following books have included her articles, case studies, and references to her work:

    • "The Women Doctor’s Guide to Health and Healing" by Linda Nooney
    • "Encyclopedia of Human Development" by Salkind
    • Case study in "The Praeger Handbook of Mental Health and the Aging Community", editors Doreen Maller and Kathy Longsam
    • “Opening Our Hearts to Death” chapter in Brazilian book Morrer Nao Se Improvisa by Bel Cesar
    • "My Mother, My Friend" by Mary Marcdante
    • "Life After Grief" by Darrelyn Gunzburg
    • "After Loss: Hope for Widows, Widowers and Partners" by Linda Donovan


    She had been an adjunct faculty member of John F Kennedy University (2003-2018), the University of California Santa Cruz Extension (1994-2006) and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (1993-2004) where she taught a popular graduate level class on grieving.


    Her articles have been published online at: innerself.com, groups.msm.com, learnwhatsup.com, beyondindigo.com, care-givers.com, wisdomseekers.org, smartnow.com, griefsupport services.org, mothering.com, magicalblend.com, ahealthyme.com, myprimetime.com, griefcompanion.com, visonmagazine.com, healing.about.com, womanspiritrising.com, beliefnet.com, greifcompanion.org, among many others.

    Alexandra Kennedy

    Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
    Santa Cruz, California
    (831) 464-2083
    Contact by Email Email Alexandra