The First 2 Years:

a 10 week sanctuary for the newly widowed

Be guided & held as you gently explore your grief, begin rebuilding your identity and find belonging with others who understand.

Every grief is unique and sacred but the death of a life partner sets itself apart.

It is the loss of the one who shared your days and nights, the keeper of your inside jokes & shared history and someone with whom you dreamed up an entire future.

It is not only the loss of the person you love…it is the loss of the life you lived together and the future you imagined.

That’s why widowhood grief feels so all encompassing.

It reshapes every moment of your day, your identity, your hopes & dreams.

This space honours the uniqueness of this grief and gives you a place where you don’t have to explain it.

Why join a grief group?

A grief group is a rare space, one where your sorrow is welcomed rather than silenced. It isn’t about fixing or hurrying you along. Instead, it offers steady companionship as you turn toward your grief, honour your love, and begin to make sense of life after loss.

In the first two years after partner loss, it can feel like the rest of the world has moved on while you’re still standing in the ruins. This is a space where you won’t have to explain, defend or minimize your grief. Everyone in the room knows the same language of loss because they’re living it too.

Here’s what you’ll find:

  • Belonging - You’re no longer alone in the silence and the absence. Each story echoes parts of yours in some way.

  • Compassionate witnessing - Your grief is met with understanding, warmth & curiosity, not with judgement, advice or timelines

  • Shared wisdom - Others further along can reflect back what has helped them and in time, you can do the same. The group members offer you support and you can offer it back when you’re ready to.

  • Permission - To cry, to laugh, to question, to protest, to say the unsayable. Every part of your grief is welcome.

  • Integration - Over time, hearing and being heard softens the edges of isolation and new meaning can begin to take shape. There’s healing in being together in our grief.

Have a look inside the program:

  • 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.

Ready to join?

If your heart is saying yes, we would be honoured to welcome you inside of our 10-week sanctuary. This is a circle of belonging where your grief will be held and your love honoured.

  • 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

About your facilitators:

I’m Marie-Claude Goudreau (Marie), a certified death and 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 sessions, groups, writing circles, and workshops, 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 create the conditions where grief can be fully expressed, love is honoured, and meaning can slowly emerge. I believe it is by grieving well that we open ourselves again to love and to life.

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, co-facilitator

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.

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.

How we gather:

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

  • 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!