Sean Leehan is a Master’s Level Intern at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center, who recently joined the team in the summer of 2024. Sean is currently pursuing a degree from Merrimack College in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.

After experiencing a significant loss in his life, Sean’s mission has always been to be a helper, resource, and advocate for others. He is passionate about finding ways in which to create and build new spaces for healing and wellness, while maintaining. nurturing, and strengthening current programming. Sean strives to advocate for mental health resources and accessibility in his communities and for all clients, and hopes to one day develop TedX presentations for this purpose and with this advocacy mission in mind. Sean values building community and rapport, leading with empathy and understanding, and working within an evidence-based and holistic framework.

Sean has previously worked with children and adults of all ages as a Director and Stage Manager for professional and community-based theatre organizations nationwide. He is excited to continue finding ways to integrate arts-based programming and creative arts therapies such as drama, music, movement, and painting into clinical and therapeutic settings and sessions.

Emily was first introduced to Hope Floats in 2021 and quickly knew she wanted to help spread the kindness that Hope Floats brings to the community. In 2022, she began as a volunteer facilitator with their Mike’s Club program. When she was asked to join the Hope Floats team in 2023, she was honored to accept the offer. She continues to volunteer, and hopes to continue to volunteer for many years to come!
Emily was born and raised in Massachusetts and appreciates the sense of community that comes with the small-town feel of Kingston. She enjoys baking cookies, spending time with her family (and her cat, Annie!), and painting.

 

My name is Grace, I am a new intern here at Hope Floats! I will be here for the school year as I am pursuing my masters in mental health counseling while specializing in expressive therapies at Lesley University. I am originally from Connecticut but currently live in Weymouth MA. I love all things art, yoga, going to the beach, and overall spending time outside.

Denise has been the co-founder and Executive Director of Hope Floats since 2008. After the devastating loss of her oldest son Michael, she and her husband Ken, founded the nonprofit bereavement and education center as a way to support other families and adults who are dealing with loss and grief.

She is responsible for over-seeing all support programs, events, and workshops at the center. She a contact person for individuals seeking support services and counseling and for doing the delicate work of in-takes, both over the phone and in person, for individuals and families who wish to attend support groups, retreats, or our family program, Mike’s Club. She also organizes various fundraisers, seeks out strategic partners and sponsors. She overseas financial operations and manages correspondence with private donors, business sponsors and grant providers.

Denise holds a Master’s Degree from Lesley University. She is a long-time educator and entrepreneur. She taught elementary school, primarily as an inclusion teacher, for 13 years and while she has left public schools, she continues to teach in new ways at Hope Floats. She strives to apply her skills and her life experience to support adults, children and their families who are grieving.

Liz is the Executive Director and Board Member at Hope Floats. She found herself seeking support at Hope Floats after experiencing a significant loss of her own. After years of volunteering as a co-facilitator for the Pregnancy, Infant, Toddler Loss Support Group, she was very eager and excited to accept her position as Managing Director.

Volunteer work is Liz’s passion. She has experience with kinship foster care, adoption, and supporting friends and family through loss, mental illness, and addiction. Liz understands that life isn’t always straight and narrow, and people need to be met where they are on their journey through healing.

Liz graduated for UMass Amherst with a double major in sociology and psychology with a minor in education. She worked in the medical insurance field for 16 years before joining the Hope Floats team. She currently volunteers as a co-facilitator for the Mike’s Club teen group at Hope Floats.

Maureen F. Walsh is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, grief therapist and educator. Maureen is certified as a Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death, Education and Counseling (ADEC). While working as a school nurse/health teacher Maureen started the school bereavement program and coordinated it for14 years. She developed Lessons of Life and Loss, a grade 1-8 school bereavement program, which she has presented to faculties of various schools on the South Shore. Maureen began her own grief practice, Grief Weavers LLC in 2007 in which she sees private patients and speaks at schools and community organizations about grief issues. In 2017 Maureen moved Grief Weavers to Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center where she continues her private practice as well as facilitates the Sibling Loss Support Group, assists in Mike’s Club and is part of the H.E.A.R.T program. (Hope Floats Education and Awareness Response Team).

Abby is a Program Manager at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center and has been a part of the Hope Floats team since 2021.

After experiencing two major losses as a child, Abby is passionate about working in the field of mental health, specifically using creative art therapies such as art and music to help children and their families cope with grief and loss. Abby manages the Mike’s Club Program at Hope Floats, helping with the academic year program, Mike’s Club Summer Camp, and Family Nights. Additionally, Abby manages the Hope Floats social media pages, creates content to promote programs and events, and sends out our email newsletter, “Hopeful Happenings.”

Abby earned her Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy and minor in Psychology from Berklee College of Music. She is a Board-Certified Music Therapist, as well as a singer/songwriter. Abby enjoys playing guitar, writing songs, and performing in her free time.

Meaghan is the Mike’s Club Clinical Director at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center. Meaghan has been affiliated with Hope Floats since March of 2016 as a Private Practice Social Worker and has been assisting with Mike’s Club since the Fall of 2015.

Meaghan assists with researching current best practices in bereavement support services and disseminating this information to Hope Floats staff and those we serve. She also conducts outreach to local schools and agencies in order to increase the community’s awareness of Hope Floats and the many support services we offer. Meaghan assists with the evaluation process to help assess and ensure the ongoing quality of Hope Floats’ services and helps in locating and coordinating with guest speakers.

Meaghan holds a Masters Degree from Boston College in Social Work and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Stonehill College. She has previously worked as a clinician and a supervisor providing intensive home-based family therapy services to at-risk children and families. She continues to meet with clients at her private practice located at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center.

Heather Gray is the Program Manager for the Mike’s Club Program.

Heather began her journey at Hope Floats in 2018 volunteering with children and adults in our Mike’s Club program. She later served as a masters level intern facilitating a variety of groups, workshops and individual support sessions to those coping with grief and loss, medical diagnoses and other life challenges.

Heather also provides individual counseling services at Hope Floats and is currently accepting new clients. Heather has experience supporting individuals of all ages. She previously worked as a Therapeutic Mentor and Therapeutic Training & Support worker providing intensive therapy services to at-risk children, teens, and their families.

Heather earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Simmons University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Bridgewater State University. She has a strengths-based approach to working with clients and incorporates a variety of therapeutic modalities to ensure that the client experience is individualized. She works from a trauma-informed perspective and provides a healing space where clients feel safe and supported. Heather believes in a Holistic approach to therapy and uses her knowledge of CBT, Solutions-Focused, and Narrative techniques to provide compassionate and effective support to her clients. ,