Find the Right Brave Widow Coach to Walk This Road With You

Sixteen days before her birthday in 2023, Sylvia experienced a profound loss when she was widowed after 44 wonderful years of marriage to James. The passing of her beloved husband was devastating, and Sylvia immediately sought various forms of support to help her navigate the difficult journey ahead. She began with counseling, then participated in GriefShare, and was later led to Emily for coaching.

Recently, Sylvia earned certification as a grief coach from the Institute of Professional Grief Coaching through their Grief to Gratitude Certification program. She also now serves as a GriefShare facilitator, supporting others as they face similar journeys of loss.

Sylvia’s background is in healthcare as a Registered Nurse, where she has held both clinical and leadership roles. Additionally, she is a licensed discipleship counselor through the National Christian Counselor Association. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree, with a focus on community health, from Wayne State University.

Sylvia is passionate about serving others, embracing a servant leader’s approach in her work. She finds fulfillment in conducting Bible studies, both one-on-one and with small groups. In addition, she enjoys reading and studying the Bible, and cherishes time spent with family and close friends.

Just three months and three days after our 25th wedding anniversary, our hearts were full of hope, waiting for the job offer Kirk was expecting the following week. That anticipation ended abruptly when Kirk experienced sudden, severe pain in the back of his head. By the next morning, he was unresponsive. He spent 23 days in the Neuro ICU before passing away. Our two children—then 17 and 19—were left to move forward without their father, their lives forever changed by the absence of his guidance, love, and the memories they could no longer create together.

Kirk and I had spent two decades working side by side at the same company, often sharing lunch breaks, walks, or carpool rides. Today, I find myself at the MedTech spinoff that grew out of that same workplace where we built our careers. Community and connection have always been important to me, and after Kirk’s passing, I knew I needed a place where I could process the loss and begin to rebuild.

Little did I know that God would use a Christian Widows Facebook group to help me find that community.  A comment from Emily Tanner resonated deeply—she described the search for hope and the determination to believe that life could improve again. Her words reminded me that I needed to find strength not only for myself but also for my children. Brave Widow Academy has been a valuable part of that journey, helping me take steps toward healing and growth.

If Sue looks familiar, that's because she joined us on the Brave Widow Show Episode #34 and again on Episode #85!

Susan Peters is the author of the best selling book, THE MIRACLE OF MARRYING MY HEART: A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERING NEW DREAMS AFTER LOSS, a co-author of the international best selling book, MANIFESTING MAGICAL MOMENTS: EMBRACE THE EXTRAORDINARY IN EVERYDAY LIFE, and the co-author of the best selling book, BREATH OF GOLD: STORIES OF HEALING AND AWAKENING THROUGH BREATHWORK. She is the creator of the “Heart to Heart Connections” Summit, “The Dreams After Loss” book reflection group, and "The 100 Hearts Connection" book signing tour. She is a grief facilitator, mentor, and guide. 

After the unexpected and devastating loss of her beloved husband, John, on Valentine's Day of 2021, she began a transformational journey of her heart to move through her grief. 

She discovered how creating new dreams helped bring her heart back into wholeness and authentic connection, allowing her to embrace the fullness of life. 

She hopes to inspire others to reconnect with their hearts after times of loss so they can once again find joy in their lives and discover what is possible by creating new dreams. 

She is in love with the new life she has chosen and truly believes that connecting into the depths of our hearts will transform grief into something beautiful!  

 Connect with Susan  

Patti was a business professional before embarking on her fulfilling work as a stay-home mom who homeschooled Stevie, her son. Meeting her husband, Steve, was an answer to prayer 35 years ago. They were married for 25 years and served in their church together. Patti started on the ‘brave widow’ journey when Steve passed away in June 2023.

With the help of Brave Widow and the community she is healing and finding purpose, joy, and new friendships. A by-product of this journey is uncovering and working through years of family trauma. She is learning healthy relationship skills and setting boundaries. 

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Emily is the Founder of Brave Widow®.  She offers 1-1 coaching on a limited basis, investing much of her time into the Brave Widow® Academy and the Brave Widow® Coaches.

Just one month shy of their 20th wedding anniversary, Emily was widowed unexpectedly at the age of 37.  She and Nathan have 4 children who were ages 10 - 19 at the time.  She founded Brave Widow and the membership community to help other young widows navigate grief, heal their heart, find hope, and dream again for their future. 

She is certified as a life coach from the accredited Faith-Based Coaching Academy and as a grief recovery specialist from the Grief Recovery Method Institute.

Prior to Brave Widow, Emily served as Senior Vice President of Revenue Cycle in the healthcare industry leading teams of ~4,000 associates in 100+ hospitals across the U.S.  She earned an MBA from John Brown University with an emphasis in leadership and ethics.   

Her passion for servant leadership, collaboration, helping people, and bridging gaps is the driving force behind why Brave Widow exists today.