Barbara J. Hopkinson

Barbara J Hopkinson has led bereaved families through the journey of grief for more than 12 years. Following her 21-year-old son’s death (and the loss of two babies before that), Hopkinson founded The Compassionate Friends of Greater Newburyport, MA -- a local chapter supporting families after a child dies. Barbara retired from IBM and the international corporate world, then founded the nonprofit, A Butterfly's Journey (ABJ) To A New Normal. ABJ offers resources to help individuals and families recover from the loss of a child or other acute grief, in order to find hope and a new normal. They do that through events and grief recovery classes, through providing a comprehensive online Resource Center, and through emotion-evoking photo shoots to allow grievers to express themselves simply and visually -- which sparks open discussion on grief. In addition, ABJ provides assistance to other community, healthcare and grief support organizations through education and resources. Barbara (the founder) and all board members have suffered traumatic loss and contribute in memory of their loved ones. Barbara is also certified to provide GRI Grief Recovery Method GROUP or 1-on-1 classes. In addition, she had authored two books, "A Butterfly's Journey... Healing Grief After the Loss of a Child" and a collaborative, “FAITH - Finding Answers In The Heart, Vol II." She is a model of hope, having recovered and found her new normal. Barbara lives north of Boston with her second husband, near her remaining son and three adult stepchildren. She is also passionate about cooking, photography and travel.

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