About this course

In this program we have an interactive and educational course that leads you towards a feeling of expansive growth in your widowed journey. 


The Pillars of Healthy Widowhood

Throughout this course we will talk about the following in more depth than in the HOPE and HEAL e-courses:

  • Emotional and Mental Health
  • Physical Health
  • Relational Health
  • Spiritual Health
  • Financial Health
  • Fun and Creative Health
  • Purpose and Meaning Health

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to your GROW course

    • Welcome to your GROW e-course!

    • GROW Pre-Course Survey

    • Quick Review of Holistic Widowhood

  • 2

    GROW Session 101: Emotional and Mental Health

    • Growing in Widowhood: What Does that Look Like?

    • Where Joy Hides and How to Find It

    • Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 3

    GROW Session 102: Physical Health

    • Somatic Experiencing and the Power of Movement

    • Foods that Heal in Grief and Growth

    • Feminine and Sexual Health in Widowhood

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 4

    GROW Session 103: Financial Health

    • Getting Organized Financially: Retirement and Beyond

    • Estate Planning For Widows: Where to Begin, What to Get Done?

    • Finding YOUR Financial Advisor For Who You are Now

    • Widows’ Voices: The Value of Financial Planning Research

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 5

    GROW Session 104: Relational Health

    • Dating and Love Again in Your Widowhood Journey

    • Blending Families and Healing Families

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 6

    GROW Session 105: Spiritual Health

    • Building Your Spiritual or Religious Life in Widowhood: Determining What Works

    • The Taboo Topics in the Areas of Spirituality

    • Sacred Healing, Empowerment and Problem Solving

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 7

    GROW Session 106: Fun & Creativity Health

    • Who Knew I'd Like THAT?

    • Surprising Yourself in a Good Way: Finding Inspiration

    • How to Find Peace With Loss Through Music

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 8

    GROW Session 107: Purpose & Meaning

    • Trusting Your Intuition: Seeing Signs

    • What's Next for Me? Career Transitions

    • A Modern Love Story: Building a Life You Love

    • Self Reflection/Self Care

    • Resource List
  • 9

    Widow Statistics and Research: Be In the Know

    • Widowhood Myths vs. Realities

    • Widowhood and Mental Health: Social Predictors of Mental Health Disorders Among Widows

    • Widow Support Impact Report & Stats
  • 10

    GROW Conclusion & Graduation

    • GROW Post-Course Survey

    • Congratulations GROW Graduate!!

"Am I Ready" Checklist

Small steps forward as I navigate widowhood.

  • Life feels uncertain without my spouse or partner

  • Hope is sustaining me, and yet, hard to grasp at times

  • I'm ready to honor this journey and learn a healthy path forward

GROW e-course

Instructor(s)

Carolyn Moor

Modern Widows Club Founder and Development Director

Carolyn Moor founded the nonprofit Modern Widows Club in 2011 from her home with two widows. A powerhouse speaker with an emerging voice in education, awareness and advocacy for women's health movement. She's spearheading and inspiring a new generation of widows to become mentors, leaders and advocates to make a positive impact on communities globally. A TEDxOaklandStudio speaker, she's been featured in the WSJ, PBS, NPR, HuffPost LIVE, The Oprah Winfrey Show, OWN, TLC, Growing Bolder Media, Pecha Kucha and the WOW Factor Leadership Podcast. Find more at carolynmoor.com Currently, she's the curriculum creator at Widow Empowerment School of Thought (WESOT) e-courses, developed Modern Widows Club 4th Annual 2021 Widow Empowerment Event in Houston Sept. 17-19, hosting the podcast HEALTHY WIDOW HEALTHY WOMAN, writing two books ‘Legendary Widows' and ‘Revolutionizing Widowhood: Our Last Social Crisis of Significance’ and pioneering the future vision for the healthy modern widow pathway forward worldwide. Her interests include humanitarian work, SUP, travel, vintage cars, interior design and architecture. Her passion is serving others in finding their own unique purpose by embracing both faith and action. Studied at Pace University, Communication Studies, Stanford University Studies in International Women's Health and Human Rights, and STLCC Meramec, Interior Design.

Cyndi Williams

Cyndi Williams, LCSW is a mental health advisor and contributor for Modern Widows Club. She has more than a decade of experience supporting families navigating grief and loss. She is currently working as a mental health therapist at Family Life Counseling in St. Louis, Missouri. Widowed in 2013, she is the solo parent of adult children Nate, Noah, and Jocelyn, and grandmother to Matthew. Follow @CyndiWilliamsLCSW on Facebook

Megan Kopka

Megan is passionate about helping women (especially divorced women and particularly widows) find financial security and the freedom to live full lives through planning and investing. Her experience as a former math teacher, wife, mom, Widow, solo parent, caregiver, medical advocate, business owner, and feminist give her unique perspectives when it comes to integrating money and values. Megan has two grown children she cherishes for spending time with: Bruce, a Third Mate in the Maritime industry and Jaden, a recent college graduate of UNC Charlotte and aspiring pilot. Megan is the co-advocate for the Cape Fear community of the Modern Widows club and serves as part of the organization Golden committee. Megan Kopka, CFP®, CRPC® NAPFA Registered Financial Advisor CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ Kopka Financial, LLC Phone: 910-800-0095 www.kopkafinancial.com

Instructor(s)

Lyn Kienholz

Program Director

Lyn Kienholz found Modern Widows Club in 2011 after the loss of her husband Mike. She launched the Minneapolis West Community in 2013 and served widows in her home until 2019 when she transitioned to the Modern Widows Club HQ Team as the Program Director. Lyn believes that meeting widows where they are at either in-person or on-line can dramatically change the trajectory of a widows journey. As the Program Director for Modern Widows Clubs partners with our Communities and Clubs along with creating content for all of our programs. She is the Meeting & Event Planner for Modern Widows Club Widow Empowerment Event. Lyn lives with her second husband Jeff and their blended family of 6 kids near Minneapolis, MN. She owns Red Thread Consulting Group and her interests outside include boating, hiking, beach vacations along with curling up with a cup of tea and a good book during long Minnesota winters.

Dr. Marissa Magsino

Dr. Marissa Magsino who knows the effects of grief and loss both as a widowed woman and as a professional physician. Understanding what is physiologically happening in our bodies is important and Dr. Magsino brings a practical guide regarding health issues of Widowhood aim towards disease prevention. From our research data, the physical impact widowhood has on the body in the areas of stress, anxiety, brain fog, PTSD and adrenal fatigue can cause serious illnesses. Come learn the warning signs, and how to address them. Your health in this stage of life requires real advocacy and learning from someone who knows. Dr. Magsino is both an internist and functional doctor who gets to the root of the issues. She’s brilliant and wants to share how to journey through this and create a holistic pathway.

Tara Gidus Collingwood

Tara Gidus Collingwood, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, and fellow Wister. You can find her at dietdiva.net.

Instructor(s)

Jenn Fortune

"She courageously takes a breath and opens up her heart and mind to consider love again..." Does this resonate with you? If so, join MWC Dating Club Co-Leaders Jen Johnson and Jenn Fortune as they take you on a journey into dating after loss from a soulful perspective. Choosing to love again takes great courage from a widow's heart and in today’s world, the dating scene is very different than it was even 10 years ago. Jen & Jenn will help guide you in preparing for a new chapter of love with an open heart while equipping you with the wisdom and awareness that's necessary for dating now.

Jen Johnson

"She courageously takes a breath and opens up her heart and mind to consider love again..." Does this resonate with you? If so, join MWC Dating Club Co-Leaders Jen Johnson and Jenn Fortune as they take you on a journey into dating after loss from a soulful perspective. Choosing to love again takes great courage from a widow's heart and in today’s world, the dating scene is very different than it was even 10 years ago. Jen & Jenn will help guide you in preparing for a new chapter of love with an open heart while equipping you with the wisdom and awareness that's necessary for dating now.

Dr. Linda Shanti McCabe

Linda Shanti McCabe is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified grief counselor, and author of “After Your Person Dies: Affirmations for traveling with grief, making meaning, and going on.” Follow her on Instagram at @griefandart.

Instructor(s)

Rev. Michele Grace Lessirard, C.Ht

Carrying a drum, walking with Spirit, she helps you clear your path of the soul loss you've endured so you can access new levels of creativity and joy. Rev. Michele Grace Lessirard, C.Ht. is an artist, interior designer, shamanic teacher and healer who combines the visible elements with the invisible or spiritual aspects of the home and self. She teaches women how to use the shamanic path of direct experience to affect positive changes in their lives. She is a full-time shamanic practitioner and teacher, SoulCollage® facilitator, a graduate from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and member of Sandra Ingerman’s Shamanic Teachers Alliance. . You can find her online at www.MicheleGrace.com