While Dana serves as full-time professor, she is an industry expert available to keynote, speak, and teach virtually for your corporation, organization, conference, faith gathering, college/university, or retreat.
Please email live@thewatermarkagency.com for all speaking inquiries.
Dana is an energetic and sought-after presenter, leading sessions and trainings at national and regional conferences, businesses, civic organizations, universities, and faith communities, including Duke University, UNC Health Care, North Carolina Chaplain’s Association, Cone Health, Vanderbilt, GTU at UC Berkeley, Wake Forest University, Elon University, University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Health Ministries Association, and her own alma mater, Salem College.
Dana’s keynote, facilitation, lectures, workshop, and retreat topics include:
- Coping with Trauma: Empathetic, practical, and accessible tools for dealing with on-going stress, isolation, loss, and suffering.
- Death, Dying, and Grief: Conducting honest conversations surrounding end-of-life care and legal planning, grief support and resources, and theological rituals for dying and grief
- Meditation and Mindfulness: Practical steps for establishing a meditation practice, contemplative practices in early church history, meditation practices and modern culture
- Sabbath: Theological and practical steps for establishing a congregational, family, and individual sabbath practice of rest, worship, and community. Dana’s keynotes and retreats include her expertise on the scriptural basis Judeo-Christian history of sabbath, as well as its intersection with American culture and economics
- World Religions and Interfaith Dialogue: Fostering inter-religious conversation, addressing faith differences and similarities, interfaith marriage, and comparative theology
- Writing as a Spiritual Practice: Utilizing writing as a tool for spiritual growth
Testimonials
“UNC Hospitals’ CPE programs at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough are frequent fliers with Dana. We find her warm manner and understanding of hospital chaplaincy’s need for interfaith competency make Dana a valuable contributor to our educational programs. We have combined virtual and in-person education in our programs in the season of COVID, and have found Dana adept at providing an engaging educational experience for our students even over a video connection. We are grateful for Dana’s willingness to share her expertise and living wisdom in interfaith life and ministry, and look forward to continuing our highly valued working relationship!”
Rev. Dr. Tammerie Day, BCC, PhD, Associate Director, Clinical Pastoral Education, Department of Pastoral Care, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC
“Dana Trent is a dynamic speaker who brings wisdom from her ministry, teaching, and writing to life. We invited Dana to speak intending this to be an in-person event for our current, alumni, and prospective Stephen Ministers about Desert First-Preparing For Death While Savoring Life. When Covid-19 restrictions required this event to be transformed into a webinar, Dana’s flexibility and teaching experience made the process seamless. She projected an energy, connection, and conversational tone with the group through the webinar that made it feel as if we were all together in one room. Immediately following the webinar I received very positive feedback from many participants about the content and the connection they felt with Dana. They all complimented her ability to listen and respond as if face to face with the participants even though, in reality, we were connected by Zoom. Dana expertly shared her screen for visual support of her points when needed and smoothly transitioned back to showing herself on the screen to continue the conversational feel of the webinar throughout our meeting time. I look forward to seeing Dana speak in person in the future, and would not hesitate to invite her to speak via webinar to my group again if the circumstances warrant that format.”
Heather Garrabrant, Continuing Education Coordinator for Stephen Ministry at White Memorial Presbyterian Church
“It was a pleasure for us to host Rev. J. Dana Trent as the keynote speaker for the September meeting of The Woman’s Club of Raleigh. While we all would have preferred to meet in person, Dana graciously joined our Zoom meeting and helped us navigate through our first virtual meeting! Her topic was “Coping During a Pandemic” and I assure you her message was well received. Dana exudes compassion, both in her presentations as well as in her books. I am delighted to recommend her for many topics including anxiety, grief, meditation, and other spiritual topics.”
Pam Somers, Women’s Club of Raleigh
