Hi. I’m Danielle, the author of this little corner of Substack I’ve called Grief Casseroles.
I’ve been writing since childhood. I’ve even published a few pieces here and there. My husband, Toby, read almost everything I wrote. Whenever I showed him something new, he’d read it and say, “You need to start a Substack! This kind of writing shouldn’t be sitting here where no one can read it.”
Toby was always nudging me forward, always encouraging me to step into my voice and share my writing with the world.
Neither of us imagined that when I did, I’d be writing about his death.
What others are saying about Grief Casseroles:
“Incredible material that stabs the heart. If there’s such a thing as ‘grief wisdom,’ this is where you’ll find it.” - Chris Cannon, writer “Danielle’s memory and artistry fashion an exacting lens that renders pain and love with surpassing vividness.” - Robert Basil, Communications Professor “Gorgeous writing with deep and honest emotional clarity.” - Susan Plett, writer, editor, and therapist “Vivid, poetic, and engaging. Danielle tackles difficult and 'taboo' subjects with precision, and sometimes even humour. Reading her stories has helped me with my grief and will certainly help you with yours.” - A subscriber
What is Grief Casseroles About?
Grief is a universal human experience that we share but don’t talk about. Our avoidance leads to mishandling, which leads to more avoidance. As a result, people are often left completely alone in their grief.
In some small way, I’m hoping to change that.
Grief Casseroles is where I weave poetry, metaphor, and story together. It’s where I create art with words. It’s where I try to give shape, texture, and clarity to the confusing, the terrible, the unnameable, the beautiful. And everything in between.
Grief is not always about death. Yes, I do write about that kind of grief, and I write about other things here too, like growth, connection, childhood, family, friendship, and more.
Although I am a therapist, the writing I offer on Grief Casseroles is not about my therapy practice or about offering professional therapeutic advice—it’s about being human together. My greatest hope is that what you read here might help you make sense of something, might help you see something in a different way, or might help you feel a little less alone.
Grief Casseroles is 100% AI-free. You can read more about that here.
Okay, but why is this called Grief Casseroles?
The name Grief Casseroles comes from a poem I wrote about my sister’s death. She died in a terrible, preventable incident. She was only 16 years old. Her name was Shannon.
Shannon is not the only person I have lost. Her death is bookended by two others: the death of my dad who died when I was 13, and the death of my husband, Toby, who died unexpectedly in 2024.
I have had more than a lifetime of grief casseroles. It’s nothing to brag about, but it’s the truth.
About Subscriptions
Reading and subscribing to Grief Casseroles is 100% free, but I do labour over every story. These Grief Casseroles aren’t the frozen, mass-produced kind: Each piece is made from scratch and takes many days to create, which is why I typically publish biweekly instead of weekly. Many stories are free initially and placed behind a paywall later.
When you subscribe to Grief Casseroles, you are connecting to the words, experience, and art of a real human being. We live in such a busy world with so many things reaching for our time, attention, and money. I never want this to feel like another one of those things.
For those who feel called to purchase a paid subscription, thank you. Your generosity helps keep this thing going. A paid subscription is $10 CAD per month and comes with additional benefits.
About me
I am a published writer with a master’s degree in counselling psychology. I live in the Greater Vancouver area.
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