WELCOME TO A SPACE JUST FOR SIBLING GRIEVERS
Hi, my name is Gretchen. As a grief coach and fellow sibling griever I create spaces for sibling grievers like you who want to:
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connect with other sibling grievers who understand uniquely painful aspects of your loss - like the way your sibling died, or becoming an only child after this loss.
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talk about your grief and your sibling with someone who understands this unique loss through lived experience.
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Learn how to rebuild your life after loss
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Speak about hard to talk about aspects of sibling loss- like feeling abandoned by your parents or losing friendships.
and so much more.
My Story
As a survivor of multiple losses, I am all too familiar with the pain and isolation that comes with grieving. In May of 2019 my youngest brother Jacob died by suicide and two months later my older sister Alanna and her twin girls June and Ruby were driving home from church when they were hit and killed by a semi-truck. In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined for our family to undergo such loss, and for people I love so dearly to die in such violent ways.
As I struggled to survive my pain, I was shocked by the reactions of people. I felt immense pressure to be strong for my parents, and to carry on as though nothing had happened. I felt invisible in my grief for my sibling; especially after being blatantly told by my therapist that the loss of a sibling is not as bad as the loss of a child or spouse.
As I gathered resources to support myself I became increasingly aware of the truth that so many sibling grievers feel incredibly alone and isolated in their grief.
I now practice grief coaching a- not only to honor my love for my family members who have died, but because I feel such a deep respect for the love you have for your sibling who has died. This love is so strong that it was not destroyed by their death- and yet it is precisely because of this great love that you are in so much pain. I am here to help you cope with that pain, and explore different tools and treatments that may help you with the trauma of this loss as well as your grief.
I received a certificate in spiritual companioning; and underwent training in grief coaching from the Creative Grief Studio. With this training I have helped so many sibling grievers learn to validate and protect their grief in a society that does not understand the pain of loss. I have helped them to create lives that feel gentle, safe, and supportive of living a life now so marked by loss.
Thank you for being here, for reading my story, and for trusting me with your grief.