The summer before my junior year of college, my life changed in an instant. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) left me with memory loss and the inability to read or process information the same way. I felt like I had lost who I was. During that long season of confusion and healing, my mom was my constant—my grounding support when everything else felt uncertain.

When she passed away from cancer just a few years later, the grief hit me like a second wave of loss. I was a flight attendant at the time and given only three days of bereavement leave. I was expected to smile and serve—while my heart was silently shattering.

Years passed, and I tried all the usual ways to cope, but nothing truly helped. I really thought time would make it better for me. But looking back, I think I just felt numb. I was functioning on the outside, but inside, the pain never really went away—it just stayed buried.

Then a friend introduced me to the Grief Recovery Method®. It was the first time I found real tools—not just talk—for healing. I discovered that my TBI wasn’t just a physical trauma; it was an emotional one too. I also learned there are over 40 types of loss we often carry silently, believing time will heal what action actually can.

That’s why I do this work today.

I’m Kelli Sheumaker, an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®. I offer one-on-one support, group programs, Helping Children with Loss, and Pet Loss services. I work with clients online across the U.S., and provide in-person support in the Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, and West Sun City areas of Arizona.

If you’re carrying unresolved grief, you don’t have to do it alone. I’d be honored to walk beside you as you take the brave steps toward healing—with your heart fully heard, your pain validated, and your hope renewed.