Hosting GriefWalks and Grief Tending Rituals from one day workshops to full-weekend retreats, supporting those who feel called to process their grief in a group setting. Practices include movement, music, meditation, ceremonies and rituals, creative expression and integration support.
Hi there, I'm Dave.
I'm a songwriter and working musician with a music career spanning 30+ years, I'm also a dad to a very lively, soon-to-be teenage boy. I was performing five nights a week around Sydney until the pandemic hit in 2020, and since the lockdowns I've been drawn to share my music in therapeutic spaces, such as sound journeys, yoga classes and for disability clients. Inspired by my older brother who has Down's Syndrome, I now provide disability support and offer bereavement support services to individuals and families.
In my role as a wedding musician I’ve performed at upwards of 500 wedding ceremonies, holding space musically by creating soundscapes to meet the needs on the day. While performing these duties, I developed an intimate understanding of the ebb and flow of ceremony and cultivated a deep reverence for the power of ritual. I bring that wealth of experience together with my training in Bereavement Support, Grief Ritual Facilitation and End Of Life Care to create a gentle environment that supports those who are grieving a loved one.
Over seven years of training and volunteering in bereavement support, I've witnessed the profoundly transformative effects of creating ritual space for processing grief. As a former bereaved child, I know how powerful it would have been to experience this when I needed it most, and due to my own journey through grief, I'm passionate about making these opportunities available for others.
In the mid to late 90’s I spent time living with several remote Central Desert communities in the Northern Territory. My time amongst Aboriginal people instilled a lifelong love for the land on which we are lucky enough to inhabit and out of respect for the traditional owners, I prioritise maintaining a lasting and meaningful connection with nature.
I pay my respects to our traditional custodians and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing connection to the lands and waters of this country. I also acknowledge the unfathomable depths of trans-generational grief that have been inflicted upon Australian Aborigines at the hands of colonising cultures. I am honoured and blessed to work on Gayamagal and Cammeraygal lands, in Gadigal country of the Eora nation. I live on stolen land and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.
Certifications and Training:
Grief Coaching Certificate - David Kessler and Nancy Levine - 2026
Early Parent Loss training - David Kessler - 2026
Grief Ritual Facilitator Training - Francis Weller - 2025
Grief Educator Certificate - David Kessler Training - 2023
Immersion weekend with Stephen Jenkinson - 2023
Midwifing Death - Certificate III - Training from Dr Michael Barbato - 2021
Healthy Grieving Program - Facilitator Training - Feel The Magic - 2021
Dying2Learn certificate - Caresearch (Flinders University) - 2021
Palliative Care NSW - Volunteer Training - 2020
Bereavement Support - Volunteer Training - Hammondcare - 2020
Grief Mentor Training - Feel The Magic - 2018
Mental Health First Aid + Basic first Aid and CPR
