David Kessler Training

What David Kessler Training does

David Kessler Training is a direct-to-consumer online grief education and support platform founded and operated by grief expert David Kessler, based in Pembroke, North Carolina. The company serves two primary customer segments: bereaved individuals seeking community-based grief support, and helping professionals (counselors, therapists, first responders) seeking grief training credentials. Its core offerings include the Tender Hearts subscription community at $34/month, the 12-week Grief Educator Certification program, and several free lead-magnet courses targeting specific loss types such as child loss and suicide loss.

The business is built on a Kajabi-powered course and membership platform with Zoom integration for live sessions, a private member community, and video lesson delivery. Proprietary frameworks include the five-stage Tender Hearts Pathway and the 'Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief' model, supported by Kessler's seven published books and 40+ years of professional credibility co-built with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. The Tender Hearts community of 2,500+ members spans 25+ specialized loss-based groups, and the related Grief.com asset draws over 5 million annual visits from 167 countries, functioning as the primary organic acquisition channel.

Revenue is generated through subscription membership (Tender Hearts), premium cohort-based certification programs, one-time book sales, and freemium lead-magnet courses that funnel users toward paid offerings. The company is founder-led with 7 employees, operates without external funding, and distributes globally through self-serve online enrollment with no channel partners or resellers.

Name

David Kessler Training

Legal name

David Kessler, inc

Website

https://davidkesslertraining.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

David Kessler Training is a direct-to-consumer online grief education and support platform serving bereaved individuals and helping professionals through subscription community membership, a 12-week Grief Educator Certification program, free lead-magnet courses, and books, all anchored to founder David Kessler's 40+ year grief expertise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Grief Education and Bereavement Support

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO)

Keywords

• Grief education
• Online bereavement support
• Grief certification training
• Community grief support
• Loss recovery courses

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tender Hearts Membership: Monthly subscription membership providing access to live Zoom sessions with David Kessler, 25+ grief support groups, weekly video lessons, and 24/7 community access. Priced at $34/month with 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Grief Educator Certification Program: Premium 12-week certification program with live teaching, Zoom labs, private training website, resources, and ongoing support. Revenue from program fees; cohort-based enrollment via waitlist.
3. Free Online Courses: Free courses including Love, Loss, and Parenting is Forever and Online Suicide Loss Support Series serve as lead magnets to drive conversion to paid membership and certification programs.
4. Book Sales: David Kessler is the author of seven books on grief and loss, including bestselling Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief and companion workbook. Books sold through Amazon and other retailers.
5. Grieving Fully, Living Fully Courses: Time-limited 5-week series courses on specific loss topics (Death of a Parent) featuring live Zoom meetings with David, weekly topics, and recorded replays. Additional revenue stream from these cohort-based programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

David Kessler Training is an online grief education and support company that sells a subscription-based community (Tender Hearts, $34/month), a 12-week Grief Educator Certification program for helping professionals, and a portfolio of free and paid online courses on specific types of loss (bereaved parents, suicide loss, death of a parent, spouse loss). The platform delivers live Zoom sessions, video lessons, and specialized loss-based support groups led by founder David Kessler.

Product overview

David Kessler Training is a grief support education platform offering multiple online courses and community-based products. The core offerings include: (1) the Tender Hearts community — a subscription-based online grief support platform providing 25+ specific loss-based groups, weekly live Zoom sessions with David Kessler, video lessons, and the Tender Hearts Pathway framework for guided healing; (2) the Grief Educator Certification — a comprehensive 12-week training program with weekly live teaching, Zoom labs, worksheets, and ongoing post-certification support for professionals wanting to guide others through grief; and (3) standalone free courses including Love, Loss, and Parenting is Forever for bereaved parents, and the Online Suicide Loss Support Series for those affected by suicide loss. The company also publishes books including the bestselling Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tender Hearts: An online grief support community offering over 25 specific loss-based groups, weekly live Zoom sessions with David Kessler, and a pathway to healing grief.
• Grief Educator Certification
• Grief.com

Products and services

• Tender Hearts Grief Group A transformational online grief support community offering 25+ specific loss-based groups, weekly live Zoom sessions with David Kessler, and 24/7 private community access for bereaved individuals seeking peer support and structured healing.
• Grief Educator Certification A comprehensive 12-week grief training program that helps counselors, therapists, coaches, and other helping professionals confidently guide others through grief while healing their own hearts. Includes weekly live teaching, Zoom labs, worksheets, and ongoing support.
• Love, Loss, and Parenting is Forever A free online course for bereaved parents where David Kessler walks through the healing process after the death of a child or grandchild, including a bonus sibling loss course.
• Online Suicide Loss Support Series A free 3-week video series covering the specific challenges of grieving a loved one lost to suicide, helping participants find peace and remember with more love than pain.
• Grieving Fully, Living Fully: Death of a Parent A 5-week online course exploring the unique grief that follows the loss of a parent, featuring live Zoom meetings with David Kessler, weekly topics, recorded replays, and bonus content on Grief 101, Grief Yoga, and Tips for Professionals.
• Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief (Book) David Kessler's bestselling book extending the classic five stages of grief with a sixth stage focused on finding meaning after loss, sold through Amazon and other retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grief.com reaches 5+ million annual visitors from 167 countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Project Angel FoodminorOthersDavid Kessler serves as a founding member of Project Angel Food, a well-known non-profit organization. This is a volunteer/advisory role rather than a commercial partnership.
• KajabicoreTechnology or IntegrationKajabi provides the course platform, membership site, payment processing, and content delivery infrastructure for davidkesslertraining.com. The website URLs reference kajabi-cdn.com for content delivery.
• Empathy.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Kessler serves as Chief Empathy Officer for Empathy.com app, indicating a strategic partnership or advisory role with the empathy-focused technology company.
• Grief.comcoreOthersGrief.com is David's own brand and website (5M+ annual visits, 167 countries) that serves as the primary content and discovery platform, with Certified Grief Educator listings and extensive grief resources. Operated by David Kessler, Inc.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Modern Loss: Digital media and community platform addressing grief and loss, founded by Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birkner. Comparable to David Kessler Training in serving bereaved individuals with editorial content, community, and events.
• The Dinner Party: Peer-based grief support community for twentysomethings who have experienced significant loss. Comparable to Tender Hearts in organizing grief support around community-based, loss-specific group experiences.
• Refuge in Grief: Grief support platform led by Megan Devine, offering courses, writing, and community for grievers. Directly comparable to David Kessler Training in monetizing grief expertise through online courses and a community-based model.
• Evermore: Nonprofit advancing bereavement care through research, policy, and programs. Comparable in building a national platform around grief support and bereavement education.
• What's Your Grief: Online grief education and community platform founded by Litsa Williams and Eleanor Haley. Directly comparable to David Kessler Training in offering grief-focused content, courses, and a support community for bereaved individuals and professionals.
• Open to Hope: Online grief media and resource platform featuring interviews, articles, and community for people experiencing loss. Comparable to David Kessler Training in combining grief education content with a global online audience.
• Dougy Center: Pioneering grief support center providing peer-based groups for grieving children, teens, and families, plus training programs for professionals. Comparable in offering grief facilitator training analogous to the Grief Educator Certification.
• GriefNet: Long-running online community of email-based grief support groups covering many loss types. Comparable to the 25+ specialized loss-based groups within Tender Hearts in delivering peer grief support at scale online.
• Our House Grief Support Center: Los Angeles-based grief support center providing group programs and professional training, with Fredda Wasserman (a Kessler endorser) as a leader. Comparable to David Kessler Training in offering professional grief education programs.

Emerging players

• Cake: End-of-life planning platform offering resources, planning tools, and a marketplace for funeral and related services. Adjacent to David Kessler Training in serving the broader deathcare and bereavement space with digital tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/david-kessler-training

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about David Kessler Training