The First 2 Years:

a 10 week sanctuary for the newly widowed

Because grief is isolating enough. Join a small group of widows where your grief can find belonging.

Every grief is unique, but losing a life partner is one of the most difficult losses to endure because it reshapes the fabric of your daily life.

It is not only the loss of the person you love, it is a loss that touches every corner of your day. You feel it when you reach for one coffee mug instead of two, when you pass their favourite cereal in the grocery aisle, or when you wake and forget, for a moment, that they are no longer beside you.

That’s why widowhood grief can feel all encompassing.

What would it feel like to be in a space where you don’t have to explain it all?

Where instead, you’re witnessed and held by people who get it?

And where it’s understood that a grief like this doesn’t resolve at the one-year mark?

Welcome to the First Two Years.

The First Two Years is a small, intimate group space for widows.

Having companioned so many people in the tender early years of widowhood, I know how painful it is to share your experience honestly only to be met with silence, misunderstanding, or judgment. I know, too, how confusing it feels when those around you return to their lives and wonder why you’re “still struggling.” When grief isn’t met with patience and understanding, it can leave you feeling even more isolated and lonely at a time where you need support the most.

This is why a space like this matters. Here, you don’t have to explain or justify your grief. You are free to say what sometimes feels unsayable, you’re witnessed, supported and cared for in ways that make loss a little easier to carry and a lot less lonely.

If it feels right, we’d be honoured to welcome you.

The group is limited to 10 participants and enrolment includes:

  • 10 weeks of guided group support

  • A compassionate community of widowed folks walking the same tender path

  • The book: Understanding Your Grief by Dr. Alan Wolfelt to follow along with our curriculum and go deeper on your own

  • The potential for life-long grief friends

$695 USD
3 payments $235

What you can expect from our sessions:

  • Weeks 1, 2 & 3

    We begin slowly to build trust in the space and with each other. You will be guided to explore the complexity of your feelings of loss. You will be guided to reflect on your needs and explore ways to meet them through thoughtful self care.

  • Week 4

    You will get to share your story of love & introduce your partner to the group. This is such a sweet & meaningful part of our time together.

    (You will not be asked to share the details of your loss. These tender details are best held in 1:1 therapeutic spaces)

  • Weeks 5 & 6

    You will be guided to dispel misconceptions about grief and explore what healing might means in the context of a life-changing loss. You will also reflect on the uniqueness of your grief experience by learning about the shapers of grief.

  • Week 7

    You will learn more about the universal needs of mourning and reflect deeply on how to integrate loss into your life.

  • Week 8 & 9

    You’ll identify and explore secondary losses and learn new ways to stay connected to your person through the idea of ”continuing bonds”.

  • Week 10

    You will be invited to participate in a closing ritual to honour yourself, your fellow grievers & your late partner.

In those early months of widowhood, people can be quick to offer silver linings, quick fixes or advice around “moving forward”. This only deepens the isolation you may feel.

Instead, what’s supportive is to have an anchor. A place where your grief is not questioned, rushed or minimized. A space that holds your story of loss and love with reverence.

This is what this group offers you.

  • Marie Goudreau

    I’m a certified death & grief doula and the founder of Empowered Through Grief, a trauma-informed practice devoted to end-of-life and bereavement support.

    Through one-on-one support & groups, I’ve supported hundreds of grieving individuals since 2020.

    My work is rooted in the philosophy of companioning, walking beside you, as you discover your own path through loss. I hold the deep trust that you are the expert of your grief. My role is to explore your grief with you so that you may integrate it and go on living meaningfully.

    Widowed in my early 30s, I know intimately how the death of a life partner sets itself apart from other losses, how it alters identity, reshapes belonging, and asks for a different kind of tending. This personal knowing, combined with years of experience companioning others through profound loss, grounds the depth and integrity of my work.

  • Katherine Brito

    Katherine is a grief coach and self-love advocate who walks with women through the heart-wrenching journey of partner loss. Widowed by cancer, she carries a tender knowing of what it means to love, to lose, and to continue honouring a bond that even death cannot touch.

    As the founder of Grief Embraced With Love, Katherine’s work guides women back home to themselves, helping them discover how to live life with grief, rather than despite of it. Her approach is grounded in compassion, self-acceptance, and the belief that love and loss can co-exist.

    Alongside Marie, Katherine offers a presence that is both steady and nurturing. Together, they hold a space where your grief will be met with deep understanding, your love will be honoured, and you will feel guided as you navigate this most tender season of life.

How we gather:

  • Sessions are held online, on Tuesdays at 12PM noon EST (NYC time) from November 4th 2025 to January 6th 2026 and run for 90 min.

  • This is a closed group, meaning that we begin together and end together.

  • The group runs for 10 consecutive weeks.

  • Attendance to the group sessions is encouraged but a recording will be available if you have to miss one week, we understand that life happens!

  • For the integrity of the group and of the healing experience, I can not replace a member who decides to leave.

  • Please make sure that this group experience is aligned with your needs at this time before enrolling.

  • If you’re unsure or wish for more information, contact me (Marie) at empoweredthroughlife@gmail.com and it will be my pleasure to help you make the right decision for you.

What People Are Saying About Our Groups:

 

“I just want to say thank you Marie. You’re such a skilled facilitator. The space, shaped by your expertise, experience and emotional intelligence is the perfect forum for sharing. The world is a better place because of your work.”

— Susie W.

“Wednesdays have become my favourite day of the week. This is the most important step I’ve taken in my healing.”

— Erin G.

“I had the chance to be part of Sisterhood in Grief and what I didn’t know was that this would become my favourite hour and a half of the week. It’s not only talking, sharing and realizing that I am not alone in my grief, this is about being part of an amazing group of women. One particular amazing woman, Marie, made it all happen. Marie’s approach to grief and coping with it is so benevolent. The sessions, the topics, the sharing and the safe space that she has created have shaped my grief into something different. I do not feel burdened by it or by my loneliness in it. I now KNOW that I am not alone and that is a victory”.

— Élodie F.

FAQs

 

If I drop out during the program, will you refund me?

Contact Marie: empoweredthroughlife@gmail.com to discuss issues that make participation no longer possible and we will work together to make sure that your support needs are met.

Is this right for me if I want support for grief related depression/anxiety/trauma?

This is a support group and a grief coaching experience that will give you a sense of community and tools to help you navigate grief.

This is NOT a replacement for traditional therapy or psychiatry.

Although this space is trauma informed and we will speak about trauma at times and touch upon it in the group conversations & workshop, we will NOT be processing trauma. Please consult a trauma therapist for support with acute or chronic trauma.

Underlying mental health issues may be exacerbated by your grief. Discussions around mental health diagnoses are beyond the scope of Sisterhood in Grief.

If you are experiencing suicidal ideation, please seek the help of a therapist. This is beyond the scope of the support Sisterhood in Grief can offer you.

If I want personalized support, may I have access to 1:1 coaching?

If you’d like to continue your healing work after completing the 10 weeks of our group, you can continue to work with me in private 1:1 grief support.

Disclaimer:

Grief coaching is NOT a replacement for psychotherapy.

I invite and expect all members to seek out the support that they need OUTSIDE of the group for issues related to trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, mental health diagnoses and suicidal ideation.

I expect every member to be respectful of the purpose of this group and to seek additional support with the right mental health professionals for matters that are outside of the scope of the group.

This ensures the safety of the space and of every single member including you!