Hello, I’m an herbalist, shepherd, naturalist, educator, and Grief Recovery Specialist located in Olympia, Washington.

Our lives are made up of relationships and connections, all of which make up the richness and landscape of our worlds. No relationship or experience is too small that it is incapable of leaving us with feelings of loss, grief, incompleteness or unfinished business. That grief can often leave us feeling stuck, lost, and hopeless. It can be challenging to relate to the world around us or overwhelming to do so.

Unfortunately, mainstream culture and education often doesn’t offer us much useful information when it comes to tools and understanding of grief processing. It’s my honor and gift to be able to share the wisdom and relief the Grief Recovery Method has to offer. You will learn how to process grief, alleviating the symptoms which can make life feel so challenging and impossible without diminishing any of the meaning and importance of our losses.

These are challenging times we’re living in. There is much to grieve collectively in addition to the other expected and unexpected losses, deaths and life changes we experience throughout our lives. I’m grateful to have encountered the tools in the Grief Recovery Method and to be able to share those tools with others. This program is about giving you the tools you need to work through past, current and future losses whether you have access to a practitioner or not.

If there is a youth in your life who is struggling, I also offer an educational program for parents, caregivers and teachers on how to support youth of all ages through grief and loss. As a youth worker and educator for the past 15 years, I am incredibly passionate about this topic. I have worked for Outward Bound, founded multiple Forest Preschools, program directed summer camps at the YMCA and led camps for children of diverse identities and backgrounds as my life's work. Some common topics that I've seen cause grief in the lives of youth include divorce, new siblings, injury, breakups, moving, losing a family member, friendship, pet or working through issues around identity while navigating their lives. This includes expectations, struggles and judgements within peer groups, society and family around issues such as financial insecurity, racism, sexism, queer and trans identity (LGBTQI+), neurodivergence, and so many more. The tools I will share with you will allow you to support and offer tools to youth in your life. As many of us know there is an unprecedented mental health crisis among children and teens, we will explore some tangible things you can do to support the youth in your life.

Some examples of losses adults may experience:

Death of a loved one (or a less than loved one)
Divorce or the end of a significant relationship
Death or loss of a beloved pet
Move or change of address
Dissatisfaction or feeling unfulfilled in life
Dissatisfaction with the nature of some existing relationships
Additional stress in the workplace or in the home
Empty-nest syndrome
Job loss or retirement
Changes to financial circumstances/lifestyle
Serious illness and/or changes in health
Aging parents
Addiction or mental-health related issues that have impacted your life and/or the life of a loved one
Betrayal or loss of trust
Loss of safety
Sexism
Gender-based Violence
Struggles related to being Queer, Trans, or LGBTQ2I+
Racial discrimination and grief
Societal Expectations
Loss of Independence due to starting a family
Marital Struggles
Colonization and/or cycles of family violence

Programs I offer ( I will soon be offering these programs online as well as in-person):

Eight week, Grief Recovery Support Group*
Seven week, one-on-one, Grief Recovery Support sessions (scheduled by appointment)
Four week, Helping Children with Loss Support Group
Six week, Pet Loss Support Group

To ensure the safety and success of the group offering for all participants, making a commitment to attend all sessions is essential.  This is not a casual drop-in support group.
 
* The minimum number of participants for the Grief Recovery® Support Group is 6.  If the minimum is not met 7 days prior to the scheduled commencement of the group, the group will be cancelled and registration fee will be refunded.