Frequently Asked Questions

  • For all forms of grief

    We don’t compare pain here; we make way for interconnection and diverse experiences. There will be space, time, and dedicated sub-groups for specific types of loss and affinity groups as needed:

    death of a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or close friend

    end of pregnancy

    divorce or end of a major relationship

    a difficult diagnosis

    end of career or retirement

    end of a role you have played or identity you have held closely

    a big move or loss of place

    end of a significant ability you treasured

    ecological or existential grief

    anticipatory grief

    ambiguous or unrecognized loss

    old grief that has resurfaced or was not originally processed

    caregiver’s grief

    Your grief counts. Whatever you bring here is both enough and not too much. Everyone deserves community, care, and connection for life, death, and the in-between.

  • General grief circles are open to all forms of grief and loss. Much of our retreat programming is for all all people and all that shapes life.

    Short-term and/or topic-specific grief support circles most often run eight weeks long and rotate quarterly based on need. These are clearly labeled for those with specific experiences, identities, or affinities. Right now we are focusing on these areas and welcome suggestions:

    • death by suicide

    • death by substance use

    • death of a parent

    • death of a spouse/partner/significant other

    • caregivers

    • women/femmes

  • A cohort is a group of people who commit to a course of time together as a cohesive group. The container is wide, deep, and committed over time. Most long-term cohorts have some in-person component over the course of a few days at least a few times a year.

    Support circles usually vary in attendance. They are in person, with an online option. Sometimes a circle decides to continue meeting beyond the end of the eight week cycle with membership opening as individuals move on. Some might begin in a general grief group and then try a specialized group or the other way around. Some may join every Tuesday and Saturday for three months or three years. As always, you decide your participation level based on your needs and wants.

  • A comfortable, predictable, open, warm place that meets a range of needs. From seating to snacks to breakout spaces, we have purposely created an atmosphere where grief is welcome. Many have reservation about sharing emotions in community or whether they can find connection within loss yet we know from hundreds of years of anthropology, biology, spirituality, and/or ecology that this is exactly what grief asks of us.

  • Circles and cohorts vary in size from a few people to a maximum of 15. Facilitators make decisions about group size based on any number of variables.

    We value reliable and accessible offerings for those seeking them, so we do not cancel circles for low enrollment. If you sign up, outside of wild weather or emergencies, we will show up. In turn, please sign up and show up. This turning toward one another, even when it is challenging, is what makes the magic and value of community-based care work well.

“If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater than their fear.”
— Joanna Macy