Laurel O’Sullivan, J.D. & Grief Advocate/Coach
As a certified grief educator and advocate, I have dedicated over 25 years to helping individuals and organizations navigate profound transitions. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the pursuit of truth—both in the world and within myself. It’s why my journey began as a public interest lawyer, where I championed social justice and empowered nonprofits to amplify their voices. In 2013, I founded the Advocacy Collaborative, LLC, equipping nonprofits and foundations with the tools to establish advocacy as a leadership strength and catalyst for mission fulfillment.
Over time, my work took on a deeper, more personal dimension. My personal experiences with loss—including the passing of my father, the father of my children, and most profoundly, the death of my 18-year-old son, Patrick, to suicide—have deeply informed my work. These experiences have instilled in me a profound understanding of grief and resilience, which I bring to my coaching practice. I am committed to creating a compassionate space where clients can honor their grief, uncover inner wisdom, and move forward with renewed purpose.
In addition to my legal and advocacy background, I integrate intuitive approaches such as astrology, Gene Keys, Human Design into my practice. This unique blend of professional experience and personal insight allows me to guide clients through life's transitions, helping them transform adversity into personal growth and purpose.
I reside in Evanston, Illinois, with my husband, Tim. In my free time, I combine my love for travel and hiking, continually seeking new paths and perspectives.
Grief changes us, but within it lies the potential for growth, connection, and a renewed sense of possibility. You don't have to navigate it alone. I invite you to reach out and explore how we can work together to transform your loss into a catalyst for meaningful change.
My Journey
From Lawyer to Consultant & Coach
In 2008 Laurel pivoted from a 12-year career as an environmental public interest lawyer to become the Vice President for Policy at the Donors Forum and a champion for changing the Illinois nonprofit and philanthropic sector. For five years Laurel raised millions of dollars while leading multiple state and national initiatives to empower nonprofits and engage philanthropy at a deeper level in public advocacy.
In 2013, Laurel started the Advocacy Collaborative. For the next four years, she pioneered her AdvocacyForward approach teaching and training thousands of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders on how to use their voices for greater impact in the public arena as well as consulting to nonprofit organizations on how to integrate advocacy as a leadership streategy.
ln 2018, Laurel’s desire to go deeper in working with individual leaders led her to add coaching and advising social impact leaders and entrepreneurs interested in changing the world to her practice.
My Process
Laurel digs deep and inspires all her clients, to find their mission and their truth, overcome their fears and advocate for the change they are seeking from a place of clarity, deeper meaning and greater purpose and impact. She does this by diving deep into understanding their unique contribution or source of power, along with any obstacles from the past that are impeding their progress while surfacing their best opportunities to create the change they are seeking. She synthesizes all this information to create a roadmap or plan for each client to achieve their goals with maximum impact. To each engagement, Laurel brings deep professional knowledge about what it takes to create lasting change as well as an intuitive and empathetic approach based on her personal and professional experience navigating transitions.