Grief Professional Directory
Get support from a professional trained by Claire Bidwell Smith.
The professionals listed in this directory are graduates of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief and Loss: A Comprehensive Training Program. They are not employees of Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC nor do they work directly under her supervision unless specifically stated in their listing. Each professional in this directory is responsible for the services they offer and Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC cannot be held responsible for their actions.
Find a grief professional
United States
Julia K. Morin
New Hampshire / virtual
ABOUT: Julia Morin is a writer, a Certified Grief & Loss Provider, Certified Grief Educator and Grief Support Specialist, and the face behind the Instagram community @girl_meets_grief, which she launched over Mother’s Day weekend in 2021.
Julia is a childhood grief survivor who lost her mother suddenly and tragically nearly 30 years ago when she was eight years old — less than one week after Mother’s Day — and has experienced a number of other losses in her life.
She is fiercely passionate about normalizing conversations and ending the stigma around grief, as she continues to navigate the various manifestations of this significant early loss in her own life. She is especially passionate about work around mother loss and childhood loss, as a result of her lived experiences. Her approach to grief support is rooted in the belief that grief, like love, lasts forever — and while we never “get over” it or “move on,” we can learn to move forward with it, live alongside it, and integrate it into our lives.
Having recently completed her third grief certification, Julia plans to start taking on 1:1 grief support coaching clients as well as facilitating grief support groups.
Julia’s writing on grief and mental health has been published by ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’, ‘The Mighty’ and ‘The Manifest-Station’ among others, and she has been a guest on podcasts including ‘Got Grief,’ ‘How to Grieve’ and ‘Daughters Without Moms.’
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Julianne Furniss-Green, LCSW 
Connecticut
ABOUT: jfg therapy aims to normalize grief, provide support, and create community. The foundation of my private practice is built upon my personal and professional experience with grief and loss. jfg therapy provides virtual individual and group therapy for teens ages 16+, young adults, and adults.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Adam Huttel, LCSW
New York area / virtual
ABOUT: I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over five years of experience supporting individuals through grief and loss. I currently facilitate bereavement groups and provide individual grief counseling, helping people navigate the pain of loss while learning how to live with it in a meaningful way.
My approach is warm, compassionate, and grounded in grief work, trauma-informed care, and mind-body techniques. I draw from CBT, DBT, somatic therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you connect with the parts of yourself that may still be holding onto pain. Together, we explore those parts gently, helping them feel heard and eventually unburdened.
In our work, you can expect a safe space to share your story, honor your loss, and process emotions that may feel overwhelming or stuck. I offer tools to help you manage grief not by moving past it—but by integrating it into your life with more resilience, clarity, and connection.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Amy Doman
ABOUT: Amy Doman, Certified Grief Coach, offers coaching that is unique to your situation. Living with the loss of her mother in her early twenties and recently becoming a motherless-mother, she has been unfortunately reminded how society still has a lot of work to do in the grief space.
She realized during her journey that motherless-mothers need more support before and after delivery of their baby. OBGYN’s and Pediatricians need more education around how to communicate to their patients that are in grief dealing with loss. This journey led her to coaching about grief.
Amy is a certified grief coach, certified substance abuse counselor-assistant (CSAC-A), and a graduate from George Mason University in Organizational Health Management. She is a graduate of Dora Carpenter’s From Grief to Gratitude Coach Certification Program IOPGC. In addition, she has graduated from the Grief Training program for mental health professionals and coaches with emphasis on mother loss. She has also volunteered for Hope Edelman’s book launch of “The After Grief” about the long arch of grief. Amy’s work has been featured in Washington City Paper and is a guest contributor on blogs about grief and loss. Amy is a featured coach on the From Grief to Gratitude website.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Angie Larned, Ph.D
ABOUT: I have 20+ years as a psychologist helping clients with anxiety, depression, grief/loss and relationship conflicts. I work with adolescents, college students, adults and couples who are struggling with life’s challenges or feeling stuck. I offer a non-judgmental, empathic space where we can sort through your emotions/worries and help you gain new perspectives & coping skills so that you are better able to gain clarity, build resilience and work toward your goals and objectives. With my certification as a Health/Wellness Coach, I offer a holistic perspective to understand/guide you through emotional, cognitive and wellness struggles.
I have found success using CBT, narratives, psychodynamic, strength based psycho-educational and interpersonal approaches to therapy — helping clients with anxiety, depression, grief/loss, relationship issues, trauma, health/wellness and managing stress. I have worked extensively with individuals in creative/artistic fields.
Feeling safe, supported & understood in a non-judgmental, therapeutic relationship is essential for you to express and change what’s bothering you. I want to help you gain clarity & figure out what is important to you and for your life. We will collaborate, tap into your strengths and apply new knowledge and self awareness to achieve insight and growth.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Barri Leiner Grant 
New York, NY / virtual
ABOUT: Barri is a Certified Grief Coach offering 1:1 client support and dedicated grief support groups.
She explores ways to remember and reflect on the lives of loved ones lost and loss of every incarnation, through writing, intuition, dreams, and meditation to navigate the long arc of loss.
She specializes in workplace grief support and therapeutic writing workshops. She is the founder and Chief Grief Officer of The Memory Circle
“My workshops and gatherings are bathed in a variety of exercises and modalities to release and metabolize what we are holding — while always keeping the spirit and celebration of those lost and loved, alive.”
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Clare Duplace
Asheville, NC / Virtual
ABOUT: English speaking; She/Her pronouns; Creative grief practitioner; MA in Mindfulness Studies; Bereavement and end of life doula; After death care/home funeral guide; end of life celebrant; Contemplative care; Creates grief and bedside companioning kits (trained herbalist and flower essence practitioner); Poetic medicine facilitator; Legacy supporter; Narrative medicine; Grief educator
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Diana R. Terrill PhD
Towson/Baltimore, MD / Virtual
ABOUT: Diana R. Terrill, PhD is a seasoned clinical psychologist with a passion for guiding individuals through the intricate terrain of grief and loss. She completed her doctorate in psychology at The American University and her clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Diana’s interest in grief work began early in her career, fueled by both her personal experience and the awareness that grief is an integral part of the human experience. Through advanced training and clinical experiences, Diana has come to believe that intentional grief work can lead to deeper connections and a more meaningful life. In addition to her specialization in grief and loss, she also has significant experience and interest in working with women’s issues, relationships from an individual perspective, and mood and anxiety disorders. Diana primarily approaches case conceptualization from a psychodynamic and relational perspective, yet often employs an integrative approach, utilizing cognitive-behavioral strategies and mindfulness practices to enhance the therapeutic process. Her compassion, authenticity and integrative approach enable her to create a safe space where she empowers her patients to work towards greater understanding of oneself, healing and growth. She currently provides individual therapy, although looks forward to expanding into group work in the coming months.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Elizabeth Crunk PhD, LGPC
Maryland / Virtual
ecrunk@elizabethcrunkphd.com
www.ndtraumacounseling.com/elizabeth
ABOUT: I provide individual therapy to adults facing diverse forms of loss and grief, including complications in grieving, traumatic bereavement, anticipatory grief, non-death loss, and life transitions. My sixteen years of research and specialized training in grief and loss, as well as nearly seven years as a grief therapist in private practice, equip me to support people through these challenging experiences. Prior to transitioning to full-time practice, I taught counselors-in-training as an Assistant Professor of Counseling at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and served as a Past President of the European Branch of the American Counseling Association. I have authored or co-authored over a dozen scholarly works published in peer-reviewed journals, and was the lead developer of the Coping Assessment for Bereavement and Loss Experiences (CABLE), a validated scale for assessing constructive strategies for coping with the loss of a loved one. I provide culturally responsive, inclusive, queer and trans-affirming, and neurodivergence-affirming care, and I am a size/weight-inclusive, body-affirming therapist.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Elizabeth Jones LMSW
Brooklyn, NY / Virtual in NY
ABOUT: I deeply believe that we are all worthy and capable of finding meaning, connection, and self-acceptance in our lives. As a therapist, my role is to work with and accompany you as we uncover, understand, and navigate the challenges that might be hindering your ability to experience life with more ease. My approach to therapy is grounded in psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and attachment-based perspectives. By engaging in therapy that gets curious about how our past experiences and relationships play a role in shaping our present circumstances, I believe we have the capacity to inform and shift our future selves. I prioritize creating a space that is non-judgmental, safe, and client-centered. At every stage, our work together will uniquely respond to your present needs and future goals. I have experience working with adult individuals who are navigating depression and anxiety, trauma, major life transitions, and relationship difficulties. Of note, I hold a strong interest in working with those who are experiencing the complexities of grief and loss, and have received specialized training in working with adults who have experienced mother loss. I welcome the opportunity to both work with those seeking out therapy for the first time and those who may be further along in their journey with therapy.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Jessica Correnti MS, CCLS
Baltimore, MD / virtual
contact@kidsgriefsupport.com
ABOUT: Jessica is a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) with over 16 years of experience who specializes in helping children and teens of all ages process and cope with difficult life experiences. The first 14 years of her career were spent in the hospital setting (pediatric intensive care units, emergency department, inpatient, and surgical units). Jessica is also the author of the children’s grief books The ABCs of Grief, Forever Connected (a bereaved sibling book), and Por Siempre Conectados (Spanish version of Forever Connected) After experiencing personal heartbreaking losses, Jessica saw first-hand the gaps in grief support outside of the hospital setting for children and families and was inspired to fill the need by opening up her private practice, Kids Grief Support. Kids Grief Support offers in-person support in Baltimore County and virtual sessions globally. Jessica’s credentials as a CCLS offer expertise in child development and the impact of stressful life events on the child. Jessica utilizes therapeutic play, art, movement, music, writing, and psychosocial support to help children process, mourn, and cope with grief related to death and non-death losses, changes, and transitions.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Training Program
Karen Gurian, MD, ACC
McLean, Virginia / virtual
ABOUT: I am a retired OB/GYN physician and now work with clients as a certified life coach and grief educator. I integrate my knowledge from the loss of my mother during childhood with my personal and professional experiences in obstetrics. As well as coaching motherless daughters, I coach people whose reproductive stories haven’t gone as planned. This includes infertility, complicated pregnancies, postpartum stress, abortion, adoption, miscarriage and stillbirth. I offer support to those struggling with both new and old grief. My coaching is client led, compassionate, and a safe place for difficult emotions.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Kelsey Moro L-CAT, BC-DMT, RYT-200
Syracuse, NY / Virtual
ABOUT: Kelsey received her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy from Lesley University in 2019. Since then she has worked at multiple grief organizations across the country facilitating individual and group grief support services for children, teens, and adults. As a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist, Kelsey can approach grief in a unique way due to the incorporation of movement and emphasis on the mind body connection that her work entails. Kelsey is also a 200-hour certified yoga teacher and received her Advanced Grief Yoga® Teacher Certification with Paul Denniston to further her exploration of the embodied elements of grief through movement. Most recently, she has had the opportunity to join Claire on her in person retreats where she shares her Flowing with Grief® practice that allows retreat participants to engage in grief processing through the body. Kelsey is the founder of Riverbend Grief Movement LLC, a private practice in Syracuse, NY where she continues supporting adults who are grieving. Kelsey offers both individual and group grief support, as well as various Flowing with Grief® practices.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program and Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Kim Callahan, LCSW
West Islip, NY / Virtual
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Megan Malick
Lancaster, PA/ Virtual
ABOUT: Megan Malick offers one-on-one grief and logistics coaching, small group experiences, and workshops that support heart-led Gen-X and Millennial adults navigating anticipatory grief, end-of-life planning, and the overwhelming tasks that follow death, divorce, or disability. She is the founder of A New Path, a practice dedicated to integrating the emotional, practical, and spiritual dimensions of loss. Megan invites you to bring both your feelings and your to-do lists—because she knows we often have to juggle both. Megan has a particular passion for supporting oldest daughters—those who often carry the emotional and logistical weight of their families. Through her debut book, A New Path: A Practical Workbook and Planner for the First Year of Grief and Settling Your Person’s Affairs, she offers compassionate guidance for those stepping into formal roles like Power of Attorney or Healthcare Proxy for a parent—roles where responsibility and grief often arrive hand in hand. She also facilitates Planning for Peace™ groups, Wholly Listening™ sessions, and provides education for professionals who walk alongside grieving clients. Her offerings help metabolize the invisible labor of loss—paperwork, planning, and presence—into meaningful acts of love. Megan works in English and brings a trauma-informed, spiritually inclusive approach rooted in compassion, clarity, and community.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Mia Gyesky Author, Mindfulness and SEL Educator, Therapeutic Art Facilitator, and Certified Grief and Loss Practioner
Fairfield and Westchester County/ Virtual
Featherandferncenter@gmail.com
ABOUT: Meet Mia Gyesky — author, mindfulness and SEL educator, therapeutic art facilitator, and certified grief & loss practitioner. She is the founder of Feather & Fern, a nurturing, holistic center devoted to helping children and families move through life’s tender transitions with care and connection. At Feather & Fern, Mia offers heart-centered programs that weave together mindfulness, expressive arts, somatic tools, and social-emotional learning to support emotional regulation, healing, and growth. Whether a child is experiencing grief, anxiety, trauma, or a major life shift, her programs provide a safe, creatively inspired space to process emotions and reconnect with inner resilience. Using a gentle blend of art, movement, journaling, nature walks, breathwork, and guided reflection, Mia empowers children and families with developmentally appropriate tools to express their emotions and build emotional literacy. Her mission is to help every child know they have the right — and the ability — to name, feel, and share what they carry.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Randi Cutler Hall LMFT, Grief Support Specialist
Philadelphia PA/ Virtual
randi@realnessrising.com
ABOUT: Randi Hall is a Grief Tender and Support Specialist. She specializes in Parent Loss and motherless mothers and is passionate about running grief groups, facilitating personalized memorials and ceremonies, and working privately with individuals and couples. Randi facilites virtual Motherless Mothers support groups in the weeks and months leading up to Mother’s Day and is dedicated supporting Mother’s and Daughters who have lost their Moms through the various life cycle events that arise throughout the calendar year such as death anniversaries, holidays, and birthdays as well as special occasions such as weddings and transition to parenthood. She believes that you shouldn’t have to navigate these important moments alone.
Graduate of Hope Edelman and Claire Bidwell Smith’s Mother Loss Program
Steph Bayan, LMFT
Hudson Valley, New York/Virtual
ABOUT: Steph Bayan, LMFT, is a grief-informed psychotherapist supporting adults navigating parent loss, mother loss, complex grief, anxiety, and major life transitions. Drawing from somatic practices, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness, Steph helps clients reconnect to themselves, move through old patterns, and make space for healing. She completed Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Training and offers individual therapy, women’s mother-loss groups, and parent-loss grief groups for adults. Steph works with clients virtually and in person, and welcomes adults of all backgrounds. Please reach out for a consultation if you’d like to connect.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Stephanie Pearce LCSW, PMH-C, FT
Sciota, PA/ Virtual in PA
info@stephaniepearcetherapy.com
www.stephaniepearcetherapy.com
ABOUT: Stephanie Pearce is a licensed clinical social worker for PA & NJ, with her physical office located in Scoita, PA. She is also a certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist, EMDR & Brainspotting certified, as well as certified in Dissociation studies. Ms. Pearce also earned her Fellow in Thanatology through the Association of Death Education & Counseling (ADEC). She is passionate about supporting clients who experienced mother loss & are also navigating infertility, pregnancy & perinatal loss, postpartum mood disorders, postpartum adjustment & mothering without their mother.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Philadelphia, PA / virtual
ABOUT: I am a certified grief coach and masters-level social worker who specializes in providing individual and group grief support to fellow motherless mothers.
I facilitate online 6-week motherless mothers support groups.
I also provide grief support to motherless mothers through 1:1 virtual coaching sessions.
“My mom died several years ago and raising kids has been challenging without her. This group helped me work through my grief. Hearing other’s stories made me feel less isolated/alone in my grief experience. Thank you Susanna for this supportive, safe space to really delve into this difficult topic!”
“Susanna led a beautiful, non-judgmental dialogue for our group each week. She helped us all tap into our individual stories so that we could move forward in our grief while also nurturing common threads so we didn’t feel alone. It was such a wonderful, easy process and I feel so connected to the other women in our group!”
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Sheila Jordan, M.Ed
Charlottesville, Virginia / Virtual
ABOUT: I am so proud to be a Certified Grief and Loss Coach through both Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman with a specialty in mother loss. I am the Founder of A Reimagined Life LLC where I offer a variety of different kinds of in person and online services to help bring more clarity, connection and greater calm to the grieving.
I lost my own mother 30 years ago, and I understand the kind of challenges and lingering pain that can be felt throughout a lifetime as a result, but I also know how that journey can be full of hope and healing. It’s my privilege to help others through their grief journey in whatever manner feels most meaningful to them.
As a Certified Parent Coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting, I specialize in how the journey of parenting can help in healing from loss to become a stronger version of who you wish to be.
Graduate of the Grief & Loss Training Program and Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Teresa E. Doniger, LPC 
Washington, DC metro area / virtual
ABOUT: I am a mixed race multicultural psychotherapist with more than 15 years of experience working with children, teens, and adults. I currently work with people who are 18+ years of age. I have worked in various settings from community mental health organizations, to group practices, and I currently own and operate a private psychotherapy practice (Cura Counseling, LLC) based in Washington, DC. Keywords that influence my work are vitality, thriving not just surviving, and insight. I am especially passionate about working with people who are bereaved and who have a desire to maintain connection and bonds with their deceased loved ones.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Allison Lindsey Durant
New Orleans, LA / virtual
allison@neworleansgriefcenter.com
ABOUT: I have a passion for providing safe, supportive space for individuals grieving as this was not my experience when I lost my mother almost 40 years ago. Through compassionate and active listeners, we are likely to feel more accepted along our grief journey.
I offer support groups specific to early mother loss as well as general grief groups and intensive day long retreats. Please refer to my website for more information. www.neworleansgriefcenter.com
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Cris Sanhueza 
Southeast
ABOUT: Born in Chile, Cris Sanhueza is an artist and social worker who facilitates creative expression to support wellbeing. Through painting, writing, crafting, and collage workshops, grief support groups and helping professionals process feelings, reduce stress, build connection, and create meaning. Cris offers virtual and in-person workshops in both English and Spanish.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Heather Connelly, MA,
LPC-A, MFT-A
Austin, TX/ Virtual in TX
heather@ihearyoucounseling.com
ABOUT: I am an Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate based in Austin, TX, specializing in supporting motherless daughters and motherless mothers, as well as pre-teen and teen girls. Having lost my own mother at the age of 7, I am passionate about helping others navigate similar journeys of loss and healing. I utilize a family systems approach, recognizing that many of us have experienced not only the loss of our mothers, and for some, shattered and estranged families when tragedy strikes. In addition to my focus on loss, I have a deep passion for helping girls through difficult transitions in life. I’ve written a guided journal for pre-teens, All of Me – https://www.allofmejournals.com/, originally created to help support my own two daughters. The journal provides encouragement, tools for self-expression, and a safe space to navigate life’s challenges during these formative years. With real-life experiences as a motherless daughter, a motherless mother, and a career in K-12 education as a school teacher and corporate executive, I bring a unique blend of empathy and insight to my practice. I am also building a supportive community for motherless daughters and motherless mothers in the greater Austin, TX area and invite you to join us on this journey of growth and connection.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Jen Pines
Atlanta, GA / Virtual
ABOUT: I am a Certified Life Coach and Energy Leadership™ Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), as well as a certified grief coach. I am so glad we have found each other. I am a mom, wife, animal lover and endurance fitness gal with goals, yet I needed some help reaching those goals. I am here to guide you, help you gain results and reach those goals. We want an end result that aligns with our values. I have the tools and understanding to help you to gain insight into the life you see yourself living.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Jodeci Paige, M.Ed, LCMHCA
North Carolina/ Virtual
hello@plantedplacetherapy.com
www.plantedplacetherapy.com
ABOUT: Jodeci Paige is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in North Carolina who specializes in helping those who experience anxiety, depression, and adjustment challenges due to grief after facing a tremendous loss. She is trained in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy, and throughout her own grief journey, she was led to participate in various grief education programs. Jodeci provides an open-minded, nonjudgmental space and a willingness to understand the depths of your unique story.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Pam Monjar, LPC-MHSP, NCC, CGP
Brentwood, Tennessee
ABOUT: Grief and loss are part of my life’s story and what I know is that they are a story of the heart – it changes us. As a Certified Grief Professional, I offer individual, couple, and specific grief group therapy sessions. We start where you are and my role as a companion on the journey is to help unpack the impact of grief and loss. On the journey, we engage in storytelling, activities, and exercises to transform grief and create space to heal. Sharing our grief and loss story is the first step to repairing the pain of loss. I am passionate about helping others navigate what might feel like one of the most difficult times in their life.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Sacia Washington
Charleston, South Carolina
Sacia@guidedhealingclinicaltherapy.com
www.guidedhealingclinicaltherapy.com
ABOUT: Empowered by the tragic and untimely loss of her nephew, Sacia made a complete professional pivot from education into counseling. Specializing in grief and loss, supporting clients through the complexities of life, self-esteem issues, depression/anxiety, sexual orientation, gender identity, and relationship issues. She places significant focus on multicultural issues while working best with teenage, young and mature women as well as providing an affirming space for members of the LGBTQA+ community.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Courtney Bledsoe, LCSW
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
ABOUT: I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Perinatal Mental Health professional. My special areas of interest include perinatal mental health and grief and loss. I have a particular passion for working with motherless daughters and motherless mothers. I facilitate groups for new parents and am currently developing groups for motherless daughters/mothers.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
ABOUT: Jennifer Eckert is a certified grief coach and licensed speech-language pathologist. She has worked for over 10 years assessing and helping clients in public schools and private practice. The loss of Jennifer’s mother and her own personal grief journey opened her heart to helping others integrate grief consciously in their everyday life. She combines her background of communication, creativity and compassion to work with clients in one-on-one and small group settings.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief and Loss ‘Program
Mandy Jankus 
ABOUT: Mandy Jankus is a mental health coach, grief attendant, and human communication instructor who lives in the greater Chicago area. She’s certified in the curriculum of Dr. Brené Brown, which focuses on understanding shame, courage, and vulnerability.
In her work, Mandy helps people learn how to deal with what they feel. An advocate for emotional wellness, she guides clients through the process of recognizing and processing their emotions in a healthy way to achieve greater mental well-being.
She believes that pizza cures all, water heals, and conversations with strangers give that warm, fuzzy feeling. Mandy is mom to two littles and wife to an educator, and her family loves their two dogs and two guinea pigs (though Mandy still wishes for a goat).
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Miranda Malone, LCSW, CAGCS
ABOUT: With nearly a decade of experience in the states of Wisconsin and New York, Miranda has managed to craft a realistic approach to therapy. Miranda’s goal is to provide her clients with the knowledge and skills necessary to create the lives they have always dreamt of living. Miranda offers a holistic individual therapy approach, welcoming and incorporating all aspects of the human experience: mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
Miranda values the aligned therapeutic relationship and specializes in grief, mother loss, anxiety and trauma. Miranda assists her clients in managing physical symptoms such as racing heart, dizziness, panic attacks, racing thoughts, nausea, fatigue and/or emotional reactions such as helplessness, avoidance, hypervigilance, sadness, fear, anger, and grief.
As a therapist, Miranda is conversational, calm, open and direct. She prides herself on creating a comfortable yet energizing space for each of her clients. Miranda aims to improve her client’s life experiences, discover ways to develop clients’ strengths, and learn new skills and insight into how a client’s past may impact their present. Befriending death allows life to flow and your only responsibilities are to live and to die; what happens in between is your story.
Miranda currently offers individual therapy sessions in person at her office in Milwaukee, WI and virtually via Zoom. Miranda currently runs a motherless daughters support group in person in Milwaukee on the first Tuesday of every month from 6-7:30pm CST. Miranda will be offering an in person 8 week Mother Loss Process Group beginning Fall 2024.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Nichole Geibel LISW-S
ABOUT: I work with clients who are grieving and those who have had trauma with their loss. I utilize EMDR and grief counseling to help clients to walk their journey through grief.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Tommy Sheridan
ABOUT: Tommy earned an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Although she specializes in child and adolescent development, she sees clients across the lifespan. She is deeply committed to supporting individuals through the joys and challenges of life and helping them thrive at every stage of their journey. As a Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program graduate and certified death doula through Going with Grace End of Life Training, Tommy brings a unique depth of understanding to her work. Her work in hospice care helps families navigate the end-of-life process with compassion and sensitivity. Her commitment to supporting individuals and their loved ones during these profound moments underscores her dedication to fostering resilience and connection, even in the face of life’s most difficult transitions. Her personal experiences further enrich Tommy’s therapeutic approach. As a breast cancer survivor, she intimately understands the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges of navigating a health journey. This personal insight allows her to connect with individuals on a deeper level, providing empathy and understanding for those facing health struggles.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Therese M. Grieco MA, LPCC
ABOUT: I focus on Perinatal Mood Disorders (i.e. Postpartum Depression/Anxiety, Postpartum OCD, etc.), Grief/Loss, Relationship Concerns, Women’s Issues, Anxiety, and Depression.
Since losing my mother to complications of breast cancer when I was nine years old, I have a heart for helping people to integrate all grief/loss into their life in a positive way, while still feeling their feelings and being real.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Carla Harless, LMT, CPT-RES
Fredericksburg, TX / virtual
ABOUT: I am a massage therapist and movement educator, not a grief therapist or counselor, but I have had numerous experiences with the deaths of beloved family members and friends and see the need for supporting those left behind. I believe that, like any other natural human process, grief requires movement so I provide movement practices along with self-care techniques to help tend to the physical aspects of grieving.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Genna Reeves, Ph.D.
Alberquerque, NM / virtual
ABOUT: Invictus by Genna: Grief & Loss Services provides professional grief peer support for individuals facing many types of loss, including death, caregiving challenges, divorce, estrangement, infertility, and chronic illness. Founded by Genna Reeves, Ph.D.—an INELDA-trained end-of-life doula, Certified Grief Educator, and experienced researcher—Invictus offers one-on-one sessions, couples/group support, structured group programs, and educational workshops. Grief peer counseling includes space to share your story without judgment, explore emotions, and learn coping tools such as writing exercises, self-care practices, breathing techniques, and personalized rituals to honor loved ones or milestones. Clients can also receive help with obituary and eulogy writing, planning memorial projects, and connecting to local resources. With a commitment to cultural humility and inclusive care for all backgrounds, Invictus serves clients across New Mexico and virtually, providing skilled and supportive sailing through uncertain waters with clarity and compassion.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Dr. Olivia Wedel, LPC, NCC, LCDC, PMH-C
Grapevine, TX (DFW Area)
droliviaw@oliviawedelcounseling.com
ABOUT: I’m a licensed therapist in Texas specializing in women’s mental health and perinatal mental health. One of my main specialties is the intersection of grief due to mother loss and postpartum/maternal mental health. I offer intensives (90-120 minutes) as well as more traditional therapy sessions (60 minutes). I do in person, virtual, and walk and talk sessions. I love helping women find moments of happy when things are hard. My office is a safe space for crying, laughing, and expressing any emotion and thought that comes up on the journey to healing. .
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Sydney Warren LCSW
Oklahoma City, OK/ Virtual
ABOUT: With over 25 years of clinical experience, I have devoted my career to enhancing the quality of life for adults and older adults who struggle with issues related to mental health, aging and life transitions. I have worked in diverse settings including hospitals, assisted living facilities, long-term care centers and private practice. With specialties in geriatric mental health, dementia care, caregiving, grief, and severe mental illness, I offer a holistic approach empowering clients to thrive and adjust in later stages of life. My services include comprehensive assessment, psychotherapy and care management as needed, both virtually and in person.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Christy Lowry R-PLC
Graduate of Hope Edelman & Claire Bidwell Smith’s Mother Loss Program
Michele Bourgeois, LCSW
michelebourgeoislcsw.com
ABOUT: Michele Bourgeois, LCSW has been working with children and adults for over 25 years in educational and therapeutic settings. Her experience includes psychotherapy in private and agency settings, school counseling, facilitated groups such as adult divorce education classes, peer mediation trainings, and adult mediation services. Michele appreciates the Solution Focused Brief Therapy model because it regards the client as the expert on their lives. SFBT sees the therapist as one who assists the client in defining their preferred future and identifying what works for them to get there. The SFBT model is based on the belief that what we focus on grows, therefore, leans towards focusing on solutions more than problems. Michele is also trained in Claire Bidwell Smith’s Conscious Grieving model and appreciates the opportunity to support clients through their grief. Personally, Michele enjoys mindfulness and meditation, yoga, hiking, mountain biking, and nature, including bird watching. Her roots are in Southwest Louisiana, where she lived for 38 years, and her wings brought her to Boulder CO in 1998.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Angel Thomson, MS, LMFTA
Seattle, WA
ABOUT: Angel Thomson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate specializing in grief and loss. Her own experiences of loss are what led her to become a therapist. Angel offers individual grief therapy, grief therapy for couples, and grief support groups online to residents of Washington State. She is also the creator of Grief Club, a grief community, book club, and writing circle designed to help people feel less alone in their grief. https://patreon.com/GriefClub
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Asha Wilkus-Stone, Psy.D.
Santa Barbara, California
drwilkusstone@gmail.com
ABOUT: Dr. Asha Wilkus-Stone sees adults, college students, couples, and health professionals. Her style of honest exploration is reflective, relaxed, and insightful. Her humanistic approach integrates dynamic and interpersonal modalities with skills. She values the altered states that accompany life transitions, including loss, grief, birth, trauma, love, launching, and the liminal. In addition to supporting general mental health, Dr. Wilkus-Stone specializes in loss and grief, both in psychotherapy and in consultative support for health professionals. She also works with fertility and complicated perinatal journeys, traumatic experiences and crisis. To learn more, please explore her website or set up a free consultation.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Angela Schellenberg, LMHC
Redmond, WA / Virtual
ABOUT: My approach to counseling is holistic, humanistic, and client-centered. I am trained in Trauma, Attachment, EMDR, Grief and Loss, and Sudden Instant Death. I work with you, and together, we create an individualized approach to counseling that supports your goals. My professional background is in Trauma, PTSD, Grief, Loss, and Early Parent loss. Anxiety, Depression. CBT, Family Systems Counseling, Narrative Therapy, Restorative Retelling, EFT, Matrix Reprinting, Multicultural Cultural Counseling, Feminist, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Since 2000, I have had the experience of living abroad as an elementary K-8 Certified teacher in Shanghai, China, Chiangmai, and Saudi Arabia. I specialize in trauma, EMDR, Individual, couple, child, teen, and family counseling. I work with people who have suffered a traumatic loss, grief, PTSD, early childhood trauma, complex trauma, grief, loss, anxiety, and depression. Motherless Daughters, Gun Violence survivors. I work with couples and families to help them with communication and relationships. If you are struggling with something in your life right now or have experienced childhood trauma, I hope that you know that you are not alone. Trauma can impact identity, self-esteem, and safety. This can make it difficult to regulate your emotions. We have to feel it to heal it. Together we will find tools that work for you. I offer a safe space and a strength-based narrative.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Caroline P. Cárdenas, Ph.D., MSN, RN
Kaua’i, HI/ Virtual
CarolineCardenasPhD@PsychoOncologyCare.com
ABOUT: Dr. Caroline P. Cárdenas, Ph.D., MSN, MA, RN is a devoted Mother Loss Grief Coach who brings nearly 24 years of lived experience and professional expertise to her work. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Psychology from Meridian University, along with a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University. Her groundbreaking doctoral dissertation, The Significance of Play in Restoring Compassion, explores how body and movement play fosters empathy, restores compassion, and enlivens a sense of meaning and purpose in the lives of helping professionals experiencing compassion fatigue. After losing her beloved mother at the age of 21, Dr. Caroline has walked the path of mother loss with depth, grace, and resilience. With over two decades of experience as an oncology and hospice nurse, Dr. Caroline—a proud second-generation Puerto Rican woman—now serves as a compassionate guide for women navigating the complex and tender journey of maternal grief. As a play researcher, advocate, poet, and writer, she works at the intersection of joy and sorrow, supporting clients in acknowledging their emotional landscape while reconnecting to wonder, vitality, and the sacredness of remembrance. Her approach supports women in moving toward self-realization, renewed joy, and creative expression. In her presence, clients find more than support—they find a sanctuary for reflection, remembrance, and meaningful transformation. Through her heart-centered and research-informed practice, Dr. Caroline helps women turn grief into a powerful pathway toward healing, connection, and wholeness.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Cathy Trenary, LPCC
Santa Monica, CA/ Virtual
ABOUT: I’m a licensed therapist and coach offering individual, couples, and group support for those navigating grief, life transitions, anxiety, and relationship challenges. I’m dedicated to walking alongside people as they move through the nonlinear landscape of loss. My hope is to be a steady presence through that process—offering support, perspective, and tools that help reconnect you to meaning, inner resilience, and what matters most. As a Latina of Peruvian descent, I bring a culturally sensitive lens to my work and honor the role of ancestry, identity, and spiritual connection in the grieving process. I’m also fluent in Spanish and experienced in supporting clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. My style is integrative and relational. I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, somatic practices, and narrative therapy. I also bring in Buddhist psychology and hold certification in psychedelic-assisted therapy through Naropa University. For those interested in more holistic work, I also offer intuitive energy healing as a certified Holy Fire Reiki Master. Outside of individual sessions, I lead a virtual women’s group that blends mindfulness and parts work—a space for reflection, connection, and shared growth. I work virtually with therapy clients in California, and offer coaching and energy work to clients in other locations.
Languages: English and Spanish Location: Virtual / Based in California
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith Grief and Loss Program
Los Angeles, CA / Virtual
ABOUT: Chanel Brenner is a poet, author, grief writing guide, and mother whose work helps others move through their grief in more compassionate, integrative, and supported ways. After her young son died in 2011, she began to write. The act of writing became a way to process her pain, honor her son, and stay connected to him. What began as raw expressions of early grief became more polished, published works and workshops to support others in their own grief journeys.
Her writing traverses the full spectrum of grief with honesty, vulnerability, and compassion, from the viscerality of early loss to the gradual unfolding of healing. She is the author of two poetry collections: Smile, or Else and Vanilla Milk: A Memoir Told in Poems and her work has appeared in numerous publications. She leads Writing through Grief and Writing through Child Loss workshops and one-on-one sessions, offering a space for bereaved parents and others to process their grief through writing and community.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Portland, OR/ Virtual
chelsea@chelseawaves.com
ABOUT: Guided by her journey of tending to grief after her mother’s death by suicide, Chelsea brings lived wisdom into her service as a Threshold Guide. Her approach is rooted in years of dedicated service as a certified Death Doula and Grief Companion. Through 1:1 sessions and intimate gatherings, she offers a grounded presence that embraces the courage of an open heart and whole-hearted acceptance of each individual’s experience. Through empathic resonance and intuitive insight, Chelsea helps those she serves find a slower pace, creating spaciousness for natural unfoldment while honoring the unique opportunities for growth within the vast opening that loss creates. Chelsea views death as a transformation of relationship. By honoring the dreamworld as a pathway for enduring connection, she walks alongside individuals exploring dreams as authentic portals for healing, awakening, and connection with spirit beyond death. Based near Portland, Oregon, she is available virtually and in person.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Sacramento, CA / Virtual
christy@christyyates.com
www.christyyates.com
ABOUT: Christy is a Licensed Educational Psychologist, former school psychologist, author, speaker and coach. Her book, “Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation” recounts her journey as a working mother of two who managed the care of her parents, both of whom had dementia. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, and a strengths based approach to wellness she delivers content, workshops and coaching to support families. She works with individuals, care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and credentials in both education and school psychology.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
California
ABOUT: Certified Grief Educator and Award-winning and deadline-driven content strategist with editorial and production credits in internet, print, television and radio. Currently Content Manager, Communication at CuraLinc Healthcare.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Seattle, WA
christine@christineturrentine.com
ABOUT: I am a grief & loss coach, and I create grounded, compassionate experiences to meet grief, loss & life transitions through the wisdom of the body. Currently I offer in person and online yoga, one-on-one coaching, and online book club sessions. Having lost my mother at the age of 23 to suicide initiated me into my own grief work. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Board Certified Women’s Health Coach, and Certified Grief and Loss Practitioner. My approach to grief integrates coaching, somatic practices, and yoga – utilizing the wisdom of the body to meet you where you are on your grief journey. My heart is in this work as I believe that grief is the ultimate expression of how deeply we have loved. If you are interested in finding out more, click over to my website – I look forward to connecting with you! Christine Turrentine, PT, DPT, NBC-HWC, RYT-500
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Heidi Shaffer, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, MSM
Pierce County, WA
ABOUT: Heidi has a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. Her background is originally in Oncology Rehabilitation as an Occupational Therapist. She has a certification in grief therapy. Heidi’s passion is around grief and loss. Her specialty areas include oncology, dementia, teens, parent loss and elderly. Heidi has an extensive medical knowledge and background working with the hospital system for over 20 years. Heidi is known for her compassion and ability to listen, process, and offer feedback.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Jessica Treat, MA, LMFT 
Benicia, CA
ABOUT: Hello! First off, I am sorry for the circumstances that have led you here. My name is Jessica, I too have experienced a great loss, and prior to that happening, I had no idea how different grief and loss is from depression, or anxiety, or trauma. I had no idea who would show up for me and who would not, I had no idea what I needed or wanted, and what I’d find the most comfort in. It is all the things, all the time. In my own path of healing, I can offer you a variety of approaches that we can discuss and decide on what you feel is best for your journey to heal. I am trained in EMDR, EMDR Flash, CBT, DBT, Emotional Resolution, Integrating Mindfulness into CBT for Self Compassion and Self Criticism, and of course, the lessons learned in integrating multiple techniques to address all the faces of grief in Claire Bidwell Smith’s training. Currently, I am in training for Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and have found a great deal of my own healing in Ketamine Therapy. My approach is warm, caring, flexible, and I do my best to hold my clients in support while also giving them the information and tools to help them in the direction they seek to go.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Lisa Kolbe-Beard
Hayward, CA / Virtual
ABOUT: I’m a Martha Beck certified life coach, drawing from a series of challenges that fueled my journey of self-discovery. Losing my mother at 14 set me on a long path toward self-acceptance, leading me to discover my own identity and values. I learned how to face the fear of dying young like my mother did, and of leaving any children I might have without a mother. As a former divorcee who found my perfect match a few years ago, I also offer compassionate guidance to women who seek fulfilling and authentic relationships, particularly those who aspire to build a lasting union. My commitment to fostering authentic connections and empowering individuals drives my passion for guiding others on their own journeys of self-discovery and growth.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Mary Tabata, MS, MBA, ACC
Los Angeles, CA / virtual
ABOUT: Mary is an ICF credentialed coach with special interest in life transitions, academic writing and research, leadership, and grief and loss. Mary brings her background in education, leadership development and values work, organizational change, and aging studies to bear on her coaching practice. A mother of five and an active member of the recovery community, Mary uses a collaborative coaching style in individual and group settings to help her clients achieve their goals. Come and get equipped with the insight you need to “phinish strong.”
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Michelle Michicoff, MSW, LCSW
Long Beach, CA
ABOUT: I am a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker who provides strengths-based, inclusive, and trauma-informed mental health care. I work in a range of specialty areas, including anxiety, depression, life transitions, women’s issues, relational issues, attachment, parenting concerns, and grief and loss, with a special interest for work with motherless daughters and motherless mothers. I wrote my Master’s thesis on the impact of early maternal death on adult daughters’ attachment dynamics. I am a Native speaker of both English and Spanish, and am happy to conduct our sessions in either language, or a combination of both, depending on your preference.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Rose Miller Grief Coach
Aptos, CA
3ra.of.bloom@gmail.com
ABOUT: From a young age, Rose carried the quiet belief that something was wrong with her—learning to survive, to fit in, and to care for others while holding unspoken pain. The death of her first love in college, followed by the loss of her brother and later her father to suicide, became initiations that transformed grief into her greatest teacher. Through years of healing, self-love, and embodied spiritual practice, Rose learned that she was never broken—only unheld. Era of Bloom was born from her embodied knowing: a sacred offering for those walking with grief, inviting tenderness, transformation, and the possibility of blooming again. Rose offers 1:1 sessions for suicide loss + grief support.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Sabina Starr Zobel CME, CEDRC, PSS
Ashland, OR/ Virtual
ABOUT: Sabina is a certified coach specializing in the areas of eating disorders and grief. She is the single mother of one amazing neurodivergent teen son. Having worked in the healthcare field for 18+ years and obtaining her Masters in healthcare policy she carries a passion for advocacy in the area of mental health. Experiencing many losses in her adult years, including her mother, as well as several loved ones to suicide, she felt called to help others navigate this journey of loss and reconnection. She brings her love and training in the field of mindfulness to her sessions as a way to be with your grief in those moments with compassionate support. Having developed more of an appreciation for life herself, Sabina believes that we can navigate our grief in a way that allows us to experience life more fully. She loves to meet people where they are at, bringing her whole self to every client, her lived experience, compassion and understanding, deep presence, support, insight, reassurance, along with all of the tools she has adopted along the way to create a more fulfilling life.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Dr. Sarah Blanning DSW, MSW, LCSW
Alaska/ Virtual
sarah@hopefulpathcounseling.com
ABOUT: I provide individual therapy throughout Alaska via telehealth from my home in Wasilla, and i accept most privates insurance. I specialize in grief and childhood trauma, including the trauma of losing a parent as a child. As a motherless daughter myself, I am both personally and professionally aware of the impacts that early loss have on us throughout our lives. I also treat the associated symptoms of depression and anxiety. My focus as a therapist is on befriending our nervous system responses so we can soothe ourselves when needed, building our ability to be self compassionate, and deeply understanding what makes our lives meaningful and purposeful so we can pursue those things wholeheartedly.
Graduate of Hope Edelman and Claire Bidwell Smith’s Mother Loss Program
Sara King
San Diego, CA
ABOUT: My name is Sara King and I have completed the coursework for a Masters in Counseling, but am not a licensed therapist (at least not yet). My areas of interest are grief, trauma (especially the emerging field of Developmental Trauma), Somatic Experiencing, attachment, and addiction- which I feel is one of the frequent places where all of these issues converge. I want to make grief, and “having feelings” in general, more socially acceptable and widely understood as part of the larger conversation about mental health.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Stephanie McWoods
Oakland, CA
ABOUT: I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices Holistic Healing. I am passionate about living a liberated, authentic, and joyful life, it is what my ancestors dreamed of for me. My hope is to join you in your journey of untangling trauma and grief, decolonizing your thoughts, attuning to your body, listening to your intuition and living your most authentic liberated life!
Groups are 6-8 weeks in length. They occur twice a year.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Theodora Blanchfield, AMFT 
Los Angeles, CA
theodora@shaktitherapyhealing.
ABOUT: My name is Theodora Blanchfield, and I am a pre-licensed therapist who “gets” grief as both a therapist and someone who has experienced loss herself. My interests include working with grief and its intersection with depression and anxiety. As an adoptee who lost her adoptive mother, I’m particularly interested in working with those who are also dealing with that double loss. I also offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to help you access and process emotions that might be too difficult to work with otherwise. I strongly believe in the healing powers of the outdoors and movement, so walking therapy is another option.
I work in a kind, supportive way and incorporate a little humor when appropriate—there can be a real dark humor in the absurdities of life and death and it’s a great release! It is my goal to help clients feel that they’re not alone and everything they feel is valid—especially if other people in their lives aren’t making them feel that way. My approach is somewhat of a blend of CBT and psychodynamic—meaning, I like to give you tools to help right now as we get deeper. There are no quick fixes in therapy, but you’re coming because you’re in pain and you deserve some tools to deal with the pain as we work through it.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
International
Blair Kaplan VenablesKamloops, B.C. , Canada
ABOUT:
I’m a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert, coach, motivational speaker, and Founder of The Global Resilience Project. My expertise has been featured in media outlets, including Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. I was named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed me as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch, and I empower others to be resilient from stages around the world. ‘MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases my life story. I co-host the Resilient A.F. podcast and specialize in helping people strengthen their resilience muscles using scientifically proven methods. I guide grieving high performers with my Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and my fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In my free time, you can find Blair writing, reading, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Nova Scotia, Canada
ABOUT:
I am a mental health therapist with specialized training in grief and loss as well as many lived personal experiences with loss. I support clients at any age above 18 who may be struggling with anxiety, health anxiety, low mood, feeling disconnected in their life and relationships, feeling alone in their grief and/or who may be concerned about how their experiences as a child may be impacting their adult relationships.
I work with clients virtually in 1-1 sessions using a bio-psycho-social framework that allows us to explore and gain insight and awareness into all aspects of your life that may be contributing to how you are feeling, thinking and or behaving today. Together we can create a path forward toward clarity, meaning, and feeling better.
Video Sessions are available to clients in the following provinces – Nova Scotia, NFLD, PEI, Ontario, and Alberta. Direct Billing to most major insurance providers is also available if your private health insurance provides coverage for Social Work Services.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
ABOUT:
Hi, I’m Janice, clinical director of Your Road Forward a private practice in Ontario, Canada. I am not a stranger to facing difficult life transitions. As a teenager, I suffered the loss of my mother and as an adult, the pain of divorce. It is important to remember that these transitions are not what defines us but can become a catalyst for personal resilience and growth. I have found significant meaning in parenting my two daughters. My daily work as a therapist, helping people in our community, is also very rewarding. However, as my young adult children move forward in life I experience both feelings of delight and sadness as I transition into the empty nest stage of life. Each life transition has challenged my own search for meaning and purpose. One of the benefits of therapy is the bond that occurs between therapist and client. The strength of this bond will directly reflect in your progress and healing during therapy. When you find the right therapist and develop a trusting connection, it gives you a safe place and an objective perspective that differs from your relationship with friends and family. I look forward to the opportunity to become your therapist or connect you with one of our caring team at Your Road Forward.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Instagram @geborgentherapy
ABOUT:
I am a mental health therapist with a focus on supporting clients through life transitions. I specialize in perinatal and reproductive mental health as well as grief support. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety, depression, body image concerns, relationship stressors, and/or grief and loss. Many of my clients have also experienced trauma and are seeking support to feel more grounded, secure, and less impacted by their experience.
My focus in therapy is very relational and attachment focused, while also using tools and skills that are grounded in research. I often draw on psycho-education, relaxation-based strategies, mindfulness, and distress tolerance/ emotion regulation skills. I find that my clients appreciate a warm and empathic approach, as well as the opportunity to reflect and share in a non-judgmental space, feel validated and listened to, and learn skills that help them cope better.
As a motherless daughter and motherless mother myself, I am particularly drawn to support clients who have experienced grief and loss. This includes working with clients who have lost their parent, had a perinatal loss (e.g. miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant loss, etc.), and/or are navigating the journey to parenthood while grieving their own parent.
I support clients on an individual basis and also work with couples ( my couples work mostly focuses on supporting clients through grief and loss or the reproductive journey/ perinatal mental health concerns). I am planning on offering a group for motherless mothers in the near future and would love to hear from you if you’d be interesting in taking part in such a group.
Aside from my role as a therapist, I am a first-generation immigrant with roots in Germany and Iran. I speak both English and German. I am a mother to two young children and love the outdoors, being creative, running, cooking/baking, and learning.
Please reach out today if you’re looking for support on your grief and loss journey or with any other aspect of your life that you think I may be able to support you with.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Vancouver, BC, Canada/Virtual
linda@lindaquennec.com
www.lindaquenneccounselling.com
ABOUT:
I work with highly sensitive, creative individuals experiencing challenges with navigating grief, depression, anxiety, or feeling a sense of being misunderstood. I work from a Jungian depth-oriented approach and also incorporate AEDP, IFS, EMDR and narrative therapy.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Tanya Barr, MEd, RCC
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
tanya@tanyabarrcounselling.com
ABOUT:
Tanya Barr is Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, located in Vancouver, BC. She specializes in working with Anxiety, life transitions and grief and loss. She works from a client centered lens and believes that the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of change. Tanya has additional training in AEDP, EMDR, ACT and other modalities.
From both her professional training and personal experience, Tanya has a deep understanding of grief and loss. Having lost her mom as a young adult she knows first hand the process that comes with grief. Whether the loss is a recent one or from many years ago Tanya ensures that her clients feel respected and heard.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Riham Jarjour 
Egypt
ABOUT:
Born in Damascus-Syria 1979. Married, has 2 children, lives in Egypt B.A in Education M.A in Psychology Founder of Rihamiat Podcast: Empowering Arabic-speaking women around the world. Published “Naya And Friends” the first book in Arabic for teenage girls. An illustrated encyclopedia about Puberty and Menstrual Cycle Languages: Arabic \ English
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Silvia Lobina
Drogheda, County Louth
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss and Mother Loss Programs
Charlene Lam
Lisbon, Portugal / virtual
ABOUT:
Charlene Lam is a certified grief coach and curator of The Grief Gallery. She helps grieving people to deal with all “the stuff” after a loss, both physical and emotional.
After her mother died suddenly in 2013, Charlene leaned into her creativity and instincts as a curator to guide herself through grief. She developed her Curating Grief coaching framework to help people heal in a creative, accessible way.
Her training includes certification through The Life Coach School; Being Here, Human; and Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief and Loss program, as well as ongoing training through PESI and the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition. She holds monthly grief gatherings, delivers talks and workshops, and works 1:1 with select clients.
If you’re feeling burdened by responsibilities, regrets and resentments, she can help you to feel lighter so you can move forward with living your own fullest life.
Originally from NYC and now based in Lisbon, Portugal, Charlene works with clients worldwide via Zoom and Voxer, and in-person in Lisbon, including personalized grief retreats.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith’s Grief & Loss Program
Adina Belloli MA, MSc, Psychotherapist
London, UK / Virtual
ABOUT:
Adina Belloli is a psychotherapist, grief specialist, and published clinician with experience in child, adolescent, and adult psychotherapy. She holds multiple degrees in psychology, psychotherapy, and international healthcare and public policy (BA, MA, MSc) and has dedicated her career to understanding grief, attachment, and the lifelong impact of mother loss. As both a child psychotherapist and an adult therapist, Adina has a unique perspective on how early loss shapes identity, relationships, and parenting. She specializes in working with motherless mothers, helping them process their grief while navigating the complexities of parenting without the presence of their own mother. As a motherless mother herself, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. Adina’s therapeutic approach blends evidence-based psychotherapy with mindfulness and trauma-informed care, offering a compassionate and knowledgeable space for women to explore their grief, attachment patterns, and intergenerational healing.
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Alessandra Mottura, Psychologist Psychotherapist
Milan, Italy
ABOUT:
Alessandra graduated in Psychology at the University of Turin and then specialized in Psychotherapy at C.O.I.R.A.G (Confederation of Italian Organizations for Analytical Research on Groups). She gained work experience in the public and private sectors, with adolescents and adults, in individual and group settings. Her approach is psychodynamic: our internal world is in continuous dynamism between past and present, between our different instances, what happens to us, the changes. In her practice she also uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): a structured therapeutic approach with many potentialities and in which she strongly believes. It is used for the treatment of trauma and problems related to stress, especially traumatic stress. The underlying theme of her life and work is grief and the long-term effects of the early loss of the mother on women: the “Motherless Daughters” of which she is also a part. She proposes individual courses and support groups in person and online (8 weekly meetings of two hours each plus a follow-up meeting after one month).
Graduate of Claire Bidwell Smith and Hope Edelman’s Mother Loss Program
Become a Certified Provider
Join one of the nation’s foremost experts on grief, renowned therapist and author Claire Bidwell Smith, for a comprehensive online training program that will deepen your understanding of the grief process as you explore complex topics related to death with other professionals in an interactive learning environment. Gain the confidence and skills you need to guide clients through difficult loss. Learn more >>
Join Hope Edelman and Claire Bidwell Smith, two of the country’s most renowned experts on mother loss, for an interactive and insightful six-week training program. The Mother Loss Program equips mental health counselors with an in-depth understanding of grief and provides practical strategies for working with women who have lost a mother at any point in their lives. Learn more >>