Life is not linear. It is complex, nuanced, and messy. I want you to know that you can learn to live with the tension and struggle in your life, that it is, in fact, good for you to sit with these for a while and learn what they have to teach you. You can learn to live with the duality in your life – the “both/and” rather than “either/or.” You have room to grow. You have a voice. You do not have to be trapped in your life, and there is a way to reinvent yourself. I am still learning this in midlife, and I share my heart, experiences, and insights on various platforms.
I speak at in-person and virtual events, conferences, retreats, clubs, schools, youth groups, and organizations. Reach out to me to check my availability here. I’d love to share my story with you and your group. Main topics about which I speak include grief and loss, ambivalence in motherhood, postpartum depression, caregiving and raising a child with a complex diagnosis, and redefining your identity in midlife.
Speaking Engagements Include:
- Catholic Conference 4 Moms (March 2015);
- Riley Children’s Craniofacial Conference (March 2015);
- RareConnect Webinar on Grief and Depression (January 2016);
- Catholic Writers Conference Online (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019);
- Goshen College Intro to Psychology class – Goshen, IN (February 2016);
- 1st Steps of Indiana Workshop – Goshen, IN (February 2016);
- St. Michael’s youth group – Schererville, IN (May 2016);
- Daughters of Isabella International – St. Vincent de Paul Elkhart, IN chapter (April 2017);
- Be It Done! Women’s Ministry – St. Vincent de Paul Elkhart, IN (August 2016, December 2017);
- St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church – Bristol, IN (March 2018);
- Women’s GRACE Group – St. Anne’s Kenosha, WI (March 2018);
- Bereavement Ministry – St. Vincent de Paul Fort Wayne, IN (April 2018);
- Disabilities Retreat – St. Vincent de Paul Fort Wayne, IN (April 2018);
- “Grieving with Mary” talk – St. John’s Goshen, IN (October 2018);
- “For Those Who Grieve” webcast through Our Sunday Visitor (October 2018);
- Women’s Day of Recollection – St. Charles Borromeo Fort Wayne, IN (November 2018);
- “Coping with the Holidays” Grief Conference – Milwaukee, WI (November 2018);
- “Recognizing, Understanding, and Navigating the Spirituality of Grief” webcast for mental health and medical professionals through Our Sunday Visitor (April 2019);
- “Simple Joy” women’s retreat in Quincy, Illinois (June 2019), collaborative event with musician Anna Nuzzo;
- Pray More Novenas Online Healing Retreat (August 2019);
- “Overcoming Challenges in Prayer and Everyday Life” at Visitation Monastery in Massachusetts (October 2019);
- “Coping with the Holidays” grief conference in Green Bay, WI diocese (November 2019) with Anna Nuzzo and Fr. Edward Looney;
- “Amazing Mercy” Lenten hour at Our Lady of Good Hope in Ft. Wayne, IN with Anna Nuzzo (February 24, 2020);
- “Amazing Mercy” Lenten retreat at St. Charles Borromeo in Ft. Wayne, IN with Anna Nuzzo (February 27, 2020);
- “Grieving with Mary” on the Morning with Mary online conference, featuring Fr. Edward Looney, Marge Fenelon, and Anna Nuzzo (May 2020);
- Red Bird Ministries Catholic Grief Summit “Anchored to the Cross” speaker (December 2020);
- FemCatholic Rest & Resilience Summit speaker (January 2021);
- Madison Diocese Council of Catholic Women 100th Anniversary Event in Madison, WI with Anna Nuzzo (June 2021);
- “Recognizing, Understanding, and Navigating Grief and Loss” at the grief retreat in Lubbock, TX (August 2021);
- Keynote speaker at a pro-life gala in Iowa (October 2021);
- Caritas Virtual Conference for Women – “Infertility, Miscarriage, and the Cross of Motherhood” (March 2022);
- “The Transfiguration of Suffering” Grief Retreat in Vandalia, IL (March 2022);
- “Understanding the Spirituality of Grief” Lenten Day of Reflection in Indianapolis, IN (March 2022);
- “Mary and Motherhood” Retreat with Anna Nuzzo in Grand Rapids, Michigan (May 2022);
- “Reviving a Troubled Marriage” and “On Loss, Grief, and Illness” at the Salesian Family Festival in New Jersey (October 2023);
- “Coping with Grief During the Holidays” at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Indianapolis, IN (November 2023);
- “Declutter Your Life” at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, TN (April 2024);
- “Recognizing the Inner Critic” on the Write These Words live interview with Claire Dwyer (6/5/2024);
- “Navigating Postpartum Depression and Crisis” at the virtual Mental Health Mom Event (October 2024)
See a sample of one of my talks from the 2019 PrayMoreNovenas.com online Healing Retreat.
Media Appearances
Television
- EWTN’s Bookmark with Doug Keck (2016)
- CatholicTV (2016);
- At Home with Jim and Joy (August 2016), (December 2020);
- The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi (2017);
- ShalomWorldTV’s Triumph: Life After Good Friday documentary (2018);
- Catholic Faith Network (CFN) morning news show in New York City (6/24/2021) – Link to view interview here.
- Caritas Conference (virtually recorded) (3/18/2022)
Radio
- NPR’s Weekend Edition (2014);
- Tony Agnesi’s Finding God’s Grace (Jan 2015);
- A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras (2015, 2016);
- Radio Maria (June 2016);
- Redeemer Mornings with Deacon Jim Tighe (2016);
- The Kyle Heimann Show (2016, 2017, 2018);
- Relevant Radio’s Morning Air (frequent guest from 2015-2018);
- The Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo (2016);
- Tough Talk Christian Radio with Tony Gambone (2016);
- An Engaging Faith with Elizabeth Reardon (2016);
- On Call with Wendy Wiese (2016);
- Living Witnesses with Mary Graham (2015);
- EWTN’s Morning Glory (2016);
- Jon Leonetti in the Morning (2016);
- Kresta in the Afternoon (2016, 2018);
- The Dan Cheely Show (2016);
- Amplify with Fr. Ron Lengwin on CBS Pittsburgh AM Radio (2016);
- Busted Halo (2016);
- St. Gabriel Radio – The Doctors (2016);
- WSFI 88.5 Catholic Radio (2016);
- Pathways of Learning on SiriusXM – TheCatholicChannel (2016, 2018);
- Divine Intimacy Radio (May 2017);
- WCAT Radio with Mary Schwarz (May 2017);
- Son Rise Morning Show (May 2017);
- Spirit in the Morning with Gary Zimak (monthly guest, Nov 2017 through 2018);
- Many Hail Marys at a Time Instagram live rosary guest (May 2020, November 2022);
- BBC Radio 2 show, At the Foot of the Cross (my poem, In the Garden, was read live on Good Friday, April 13, 2020);
- Sacred Heart Radio’s Driving Home the Faith (First appearance September 2020 – regular monthly guest as of March 2021 to present)
Podcasts and Webcasts
- Catholic Exchange Podcast (2016, 2018);
- Bringing Up Betty Podcast (2015);
- CatholicMom.com Hangout Episode 4 (2015);
- Thundering Legion Podcast (Oct 2015);
- RareConnect Webinar on Grief and Depression (2016);
- Perspectives: Digital Dating Webcast – Horror or Harmony webisode (2016);
- Girlfriends Podcast with Danielle Bean (2016);
- Catholic Comments Podcast of Creighton University (2016);
- Catholic Vitamins Podcast (2016);
- Inside the Pages with Kris McGregor (2016);
- The Will Within podcast with Regina Pontes (May 2020);
- CatholicMom.com Facebook community live presentation, Navigating Friendships During the Pandemic (July 2020);
- The Catholic Mama podcast (December 2020 – fifth interview);
- Endow podcast for women (December 2020);
- The Catholic Mama podcast (December 2021 – sixth interview);
- The Glorify Podcast (March 2022);
- The Virtuous Life podcast (May 2022);
- The Art of Parenting podcast, entitled “A Mother’s Memoir with Jeannie Ewing” (September 2023);
- Mamas in Spirit podcast (August 2024), entitled “I Shouldn’t Feel Like This”;
- Mourning Glory podcast (September 2024), entitled “Grief in a Bowl with Jeannie Ewing”
In the News:
- The Dr. Dee Show (Jan 2015);
- Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism (2014);
- The Goshen News – Health section (2014, 2015);
- The News Sentinel (Nov 2017);
- Sisters of Divine Providence (2006);
- My article, “Perspectives on Emotions” was published in Complex Child magazine (January 8, 2020);
- BBC’s At the Foot of the Cross radio show – my poem, “In the Garden” was read live (April 8, 2020)