Our Story: It’s Personal

Justine was a successful, happily married meeting planner when her seemingly healthy husband died suddenly of a heart attack at age 44. Realizing she needed professional support to get through this shocking and excruciating loss, she set out to find a professional grief counsellor in Toronto.

Her first attempt was not a good match. Her second attempt was equally challenging.  Thankfully, Justine persevered and found the help she needed within eight weeks.  She didn’t know how lucky she was. Through a peer-led loss group, she heard many stories of people struggling to find the support they needed. It is now her goal and her passion to change that.

Believing that early intervention and care had such a positive impact on her healing journey, Justine is committed to providing others with the same opportunity. Thankfully, her sister Eileen is a social worker. The two have teamed up to provide expedient access to helpful resources and skilled, compassionate bereavement counsellors. Their long-term goal is to open an accessible, affordable bereavement centre that serves as a hub for those needing a helping hand through their grief journey.

Our Mission

To promote health for grieving adults by providing referrals to essential healing support services, including healthcare professionals, educational programming and community resources.

Our Grief Counsellors

Finding a grief counsellor in Toronto who is accessible, affordable and a good fit for your unique needs and personality can be challenging. That’s why we have done extensive research to bring together a community of caring, knowledgeable counsellors who specialize in grief and bereavement.

Our counsellors are not employed by us; rather they are independent practitioners who have chosen to become part of our community. All Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services counsellors have been vetted for their professional credentials and commitment to providing expert, compassionate bereavement healing services. Our counsellor listings provide you with basic information about location and professional background. Complete the intake form to start the process and let us do the rest.

Learn More
grief-counselling-toronto

Find a Grief Counsellor in Toronto

If you are ready to begin your healing process check out our list of bereavement counsellors.

Get Started

Join Our Professional Community

Want to offer your services to Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services?

Contact Us

Our Founders

Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services is founded by dedicated sisters and co-founders Justine Silver and Eileen Jadd, both of whom have experienced first hand the excruciating pain of grief and the tremendous value of healing services.

Together, Eileen and Justine have set out to try to help others navigate through their grieving process and get the help they need without the obstacles Justine faced when her husband passed away suddenly at the age of 44.

Justine is a certified Event Planner and as well as a Peer Facilitator. Eileen is a Registered Social Worker and a Certified Bereavement Educator.

Eileen Jadd, MA,
RSW, Bereavement Educator

Co-Founder

Justine Silver,
BSc, Grief Care Professional

Co-Founder

Our Board Of Directors

Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services relies on insight and guidance from board members who volunteer their time and professional expertise to assist with policy development, operational oversight and major organizational decisions.

Roy Blachowitz

Roy received his medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1985. He then spent two cold years working as a Family Physician in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He joined Thornhill Medical Centre in 1991 after completing a family medicine residency at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Toronto teaching medical students in his practice. He is also on active staff at Mackenzie Health Hospital working in the Continuing Care Department and provides home based palliative care in the community.

Eileen Jadd

Eileen Jadd has been working for community service organizations in Toronto, both professionally and as a volunteer for over 25 years since obtaining her Masters degree in Community Service at Brandeis University in Boston. Eileen also obtained a Social Work degree from York University.
Eileen has had diverse experience working with organizations catering to clients of different ages and backgrounds. Her experience ranges from supervising a team of social workers at Circle of Care, to serving as museum educator at the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Centre to chairing the Board of Directors at the Toronto Heschel School.
Prompted by the sudden death of her brother-in-law, Eileen began her new role as a Bereavement Educator. Having obtained her certificate in Bereavement Education from the University of Toronto Social Work Continuing Education Department, Eileen has been focussing her skills in assisting the underserved grief-stricken population of the GTA.

Stephen Margles

Stephen is the owner of Jade Metals Corp., a privately-owned steel wholesaler in Toronto. Stephen graduated with Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. He is the former Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Board of Directors at the Toronto Heschel School. He also volunteers his time as a baseball coach and team manager with youth teams at North Toronto and North York associations.

Gaela Mintz

Gaela Mintz is passionate about improving the lives of individuals and families. Prior to opening a full-time private practice, Gaela worked at children’s mental health agencies and the Toronto District School Board’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention Office. Gaela has extensive experience providing therapy and consultation to young people. She has sub-specialities in the area of sexual violence and supporting individuals with LGBTQ+ identities. Gaela has sat on several advisory boards. She  has presented widely at conferences, hospitals, schools, agencies, camps and other not-for-profit organizations. Gaela has a Master of Science of Social Work from Columbia University and a Master of Arts from the Jewish Theological Seminary. 

Anne Morais

Anne Morais has 20 years of grant writing experience and has raised over 31 million dollars to
support social service, health, employment, education, and youth programs in Toronto and abroad.
Her passion is logic models and outcome-based program development. Anne has delivered grant
writing workshops to over 100 non-profit agencies in the Greater Toronto Area. Previously, Anne sat
on the Research Ethics Board at Sunnybrook Hospital for six years representing the needs of
marginalized communities in the context of health research. Anne holds a Masters in Philosophy
and Bachelor of Education.

Justine Silver

Justine has brought together her years of experience as a highly motivated, detail-oriented professional Event Planner and her deeply personal experience as a griever to co-create Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services. Originally from Houston, TX, Justine made Toronto her home in 1996. She was married for five years to her beloved husband, Stewart Silver, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 2011. With the support of her family, friends, professional counsellors and fellow grievers, she was able to access tools and techniques to help her begin to move forward in her life.

Now, working closely with her sister, she is putting her extensive non-profit sector experience, Grief Care Professional certificate, and strong organizational and planning skills to work to develop and deliver invaluable not-for-profit community resources to grieving men and women throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Justine currently lives in Toronto with her partner and Boston Terrier Lilah.

Reports

Senior Bereavement Pilot Project Impact Report | Funded by the Government of Canada New Horizons for Seniors Program

Read About It
Scroll to Top