With society often rushing us along right in the thick of difficult emotions around grief, Philotimo Life offers a refreshingly direct approach to navigating major change — and the personal growth that comes with it.

Founded by Maria Vassilliou, who transformed her own experience and observations around grief into a mission to normalize the conversations around it, the name Philotimo draws from the Greek concept of “love of honour,” and embraces Maria’s philosophy of living with purpose and leading with love. It’s this ethos that infuses every aspect of her work, parlaying her experience with 1:1 grief coaching sessions into wider community connection moments — all to increase accessibility around one of life’s toughest topics to as many people as possible.

Her guiding principle? That death literacy is life literacy, reflecting the understanding that becoming more comfortable with grief, no matter its cause, can actually enrich how we experience life itself.

This all said, Philotimo Life is not just about death. Maria welcomes all iterations of the feeling, from career changes to divorce, or from graduations to moving — understanding that pivotal life moments, positive or negative, often carry their own form of grief that deserves attention, action, and care.

Within such, Philotimo Life creates spaces for community connection through programming such as Mourning Lattes and Grounded Strands. These gatherings use coffee and art as creative soft-openers, leading the way for supportive discussion, sharing, learning, and accessibility around topics typically avoided.

Recognizing that grief impacts workplace dynamics and team wellbeing, Maria also facilitates grief coaching within professional settings by way of corporate training, workshops, and marketing and storytelling consulting.

Philotimo Life offers a thoughtful next step in the healing journey, both around grief itself, as well as the rippling impact of stress and burnout that can often accompany it. At the root of much of her work, about revisiting the past, but rather creating a bridge to what your future looks like. Working one-on-one, Maria develops customized programs that help you discover your next direction, navigate obstacles, and embrace life’s next possibilities.

Whether you’re seeking support while charting your path forward after loss, or looking to connect with others who understand your experience, Philotimo Life offers a compassionate and practical approach to this all-too-often taboo topic.