Mourning is the sacred act of acknowledging the loss of someone with whom we shared a deep bond.
Death marks the end of a physical bond with someone we love.
That ending deserves not only acknowledgement but honouring and reverence.
Because our culture doesn’t make much room for grief & mourning, we often find ourselves alone & isolated as our profound grief unfolds in complex layers over time.
My work aims at changing that.
By bringing us together in community, in belonging, in empathy & love, we get to remember the true nature of grief.
We get to remember what we already know.
That moving through this experience will break you open.
It’s scary to be so open but there is comfort in navigating this complexity together.
To be able to sit with us inside of our experience of grief, one has to be willing to face their own fears, discomfort, losses and deep pain.
Unfortunately, very few humans have the capacity to hold that space for us.
Fortunately, that is what I specialize in.
Too many grievers feel they must navigate their immense pain alone. We live in a culture where death is denied, avoided or ignored and where grief is constantly minimized. I have yet to sit across a single grieving human who has not felt dismissed, judged or invalidated in some way inside of their experience of loss.
If that has led you to feeling unsafe about sharing, making sense of and processing the events and emotions surrounding your loss with friends, family or even with those in the healing profession, you are not alone.
How can you feel safe to be with and express the fullness of your grief when no one can hold it with you?
That is why I do the work that I do. Because there are too few spaces where grief can be held, witnessed, expressed and processed in a way that honours both YOU and your loved one on the other side.
There is so much healing that occurs from having a safe space for truth telling about what it’s really like to live with loss.
Being held, witnessed and fully seen by a community that “gets it” is a powerful experience and that’s the intention behind Sisterhood in Grief.
This will be the 8th cohort of the Sisterhood. This space has supported 83 women so far and the bonds formed have endured far beyond the 12 weeks of the program & the walls of the zoom room.
About me:
Hi! I’m Marie, a certified Grief Coach and Death Doula who walks the path of healing with women who have suffered a profound loss. I specialize in creating safe spaces for women to be seen, heard and witnessed in the fullness of their experience of loss. My approach is based on the assumption that you are the expert of your own grief and my work focuses on guiding you back home to yourself so that you can find meaning in your life in the “after”. Having lost my partner to cancer, my guidance and coaching comes from both education and personal experience which allows me to deeply relate to my client’s experience of grief and loss. I am the founder of Empowered Through Grief, a coaching practice and community that provides a brave space for healing and post-traumatic growth for women grieving all types of loss.
My life’s work is to help normalize grief by engaging in difficult conversations surrounding death and dying. I believe that by getting acquainted with death, we learn so much about life itself.
In my work, I have had the privilege of supporting hundreds of women through 1:1 coaching and group experiences. My work is trauma informed and respectful of your religious & spiritual beliefs.
In a culture that rewards fast healing, picking yourself up by your bootstraps & moving on, slowing down and making sense of our emotional experience after a deep loss is a revolution.
I take this revolution a step further by offering us a space to be with our difficult feelings and to make sense of grief in relationship with other humans.
You do not have to do grief work alone.
What is Sisterhood in Grief?
It’s an intimate group experience for women who are living through deep loss. Sisterhood in grief is a brave space for truth telling where you will be witnessed and supported in your grief without judgement by women who truly get it. If you have felt alone in your experience of grief and are yearning for a space to belong and make sense of the vastness of this experience, consider joining us. Over the years, I have witnessed the depth of the bonds that form in this space. Some friendships have endure far beyond the program and some cohorts keep in touch years later.
It’s 12 weeks of grief coaching led by me which will give you tools to navigate the complexity of your inner emotional world. You will leave the program with a deeper understanding of yourself & possibly a new relationship to your pain. You will also leave our space with a new community of like-minded grievers who might just become pillars of support.
Together, we will think deeply about grief, loss, what healing means to YOU and what moving your life forward might look like while remaining spiritually & emotionally connected to your person.
More importantly, the Sisterhood is a community of women who speak the same language and who can meet you where you are with a well of empathy that is deeper than anything I’ve experienced out there, in our grief illiterate culture.
In grief, we often think that transformation, healing and coping skills will be found in the content we read or what we learn from our therapist or healer.
The truth is that there is so much more transformative power to the process of relating to other grievers who can put into words what you have been feeling but can’t name. The Sisterhood is a group of women who have a deep understanding of the complexities of grief and loss.
That is the power of Sisterhood in Grief.
The power and the healing lies in the process of having real conversations, grounded in true empathy, about the hard things we are all living through.
It’s both a community AND a grief coaching experience that will support and transform the way you relate to your grief.
This cohort is open to all types of losses.
12 weeks of support, community and belonging.
Sisterhood in Grief offers you:
12 live 75 minute group sessions
Weekly group sessions held on ZOOM.
A brave space to explore your grief with others.
Tools to help you integrate and navigate the loss.
A strong sense of community and belonging.
Group text support
I invite all members to be a part of the group text on Instagram DMs
This space allows for support between sessions
I am active in the group every day and you can ask me questions for deeper support
Have a look inside the program:
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Weeks 1, 2, 3 & 4
Building trust in the space and with each other. You will get to share your story of love & loss and introduce the group to your loved one. Our loved ones on the other side are as much a part of this experience as you and I!
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Weeks 5 & 6
Processing the complexity & the difficult emotions associated with grief and loss. Here we explore other models of grief that go beyond the 5 stages. We will take stock of the vastness of your grief by looking at secondary losses. I introduce the concept of continuing bonds and we get to think about what grief might look like as we continue to cultivate and deepen a new relationship with our loved one. Letting go isn’t a part of my grief philosophy.
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Weeks 7 & 8
Self care & differentiating the impacts of grief vs the symptoms of trauma. Making sense of the emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions of loss.
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Week 9 & 10
Exploring themes of spirituality & meaning: creating & maintaining a new bond with our loved one on the other side. Conversations around who we are now & how our loved one continues to shape us, inspire us & help us find a path forward.
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Week 11
Being intentional about the ending of our time together & processing secondary losses in grief.
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Week 12
Honouring one another in a closing ritual.
This might be right for you if:
You are open to sharing your story of love and loss with other women and want to be supported by a community of like-minded souls as you dive deep in your understanding of grief and into your healing.
You are willing and able to speak openly about difficult topics surround grief and loss.
You are willing to extend support and love to your fellow sisters in grief with an open mind and heart.
You are ready to take a deep look at your grief and want to gather some tools that will support your healing and your life moving forward.
You are looking for a safe and empowering space in which to grow through your grief
What People Are Saying About Working With Me:
“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.
What My Clients Say About Working With Me:
“Thank you so much. I am thankful to have been able to dive deep together and for the safe space you have created through this work. It is getting me more in touch with myself every day. Your support and guidance mean the world.”
— Anita F.
“Grief has taught me the importance of cultivating a relationship with myself. Marie helped me find the resilience to rebuild and honour myself through my profound loss. Her talent to hold the space for all the feelings and emotions that arise is a true gift. I am truly amazed at how she has helped the whole group move through our grief and guided us to rebuilding our lives. It is well worth the investment in your self care to have Marie walk alongside you during the most difficult time in your life”
— Jamie
“I have had the privilege to work with Marie in a few different ways. I started with Sisterhood in Grief group and felt so cared for and supported that when she offered Rebuild & Rise, I didn’t even hesitate to join. I am also working with her in her 1:1 coaching. Marie is very good at holding a comfortable container for one’s grief. One where you feel heard, seen, cared for and supported. She is an excellent listener and has a way of hearing things that might not be being said and sharing her observations with you. She is truly a talented coach that has walked and is still walking this journey of losing her person. Whoever you have lost in your life, she will provide the support, care and tools for you to navigate with your grief.”
— Kimberly G.
FAQ.
What is the schedule for the calls?
12 weekly 75 minute calls
Week 1: Thursday April 6th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 2: Thursday April 13th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 3: Thursday April 20th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 4: Thursday April 27th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 5: Thursday May 4th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 6: Thursday May 11th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 7: Thursday May 18th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 8: Thursday May 25th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 9: Thursday June 1st at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 10: Thursday June 8th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 11: Thursday June 15th at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Week 12: Thursday June 22nd at 11AM EST (NYC time)
Will there be a recording of the calls if I can’t attend?
YES!
The call recordings will be on your private membership site along with any homework or PDFs.
FAQs
If I drop out during the program, will you refund me?
If after the first week you wish to leave, send an email to empoweredthroughlife@gmail.com with a clear request. Beyond the first week however, for the integrity of the program, of my business and of the Sisterhood itself, I can not offer refunds. When joining, you are making a commitment towards yourself and the group of women who have joined our space. Please make sure that you understand what the program is, have asked me your questions and are fully committed before enrolling.
Is this right for me if I want support for grief related depression/anxiety/trauma?
Sisterhood in Grief 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 having suicidal thoughts, 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 12 weeks of the Sisterhood, you can continue to work with me in private 1:1 grief support.
Disclaimer:
Grief coaching is NOT a replacement for psychotherapy.
I expect all members to seek out the support that they need OUTSIDE of the Sisterhood 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 Sisterhood.
This ensures the safety of the space and of every single member including you!
Join the Sisterhood and transform the way you relate to your experience of grief.
Grief is a complex and life altering experience, let’s make sense of it together.
Our Services
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