Mending broken hearts with compassion, you can feel better.

Thanks for visiting North Bay Grief Recovery. If you are currently struggling with the agonizing and often devastating effects of loss, whether because of a death, divorce, health, employment, finances, home or any other reason that grieves you, and you are tired of just suffering alone, welcome.

Please know that you can be on your way to feeling better soon. It is possible to come through the pain of grief, no matter what the cause, and enjoy life again.

I offer individual sessions in person or via zoom as well as group programs. Fees are sliding scale.

ABOUT

Several years ago I was overcome with the loss of a long-term marriage, the home that went with it, my mother's unexpected death, the sudden death of my children's father, a change in health and employment and a move away from my community, all within the space of 2 short years. I found myself unable to eat or sleep and was crying all the time. I had a wonderful therapist, friends and family who cared about me and had tried traditional grief support groups and grief counseling. I did not find relief from the ache and sorrow. It got to the point where I lost my capacity for joy. I was deeply depressed and thoughts of ending my life began to cross my mind. This scared me because I didn't want to put my family through the trauma of suicide, but I certainly wanted the pain to end, somehow, anyhow.

One day a woman who had been an acquaintance for some years told me about the Grief Recovery method and urged me to call the Grief Recovery Institute in Sherman Oaks. I spoke to Russell Friedman, one of the co-founders and he just listened. He guided me through the next stages of recovery and in the space of two short months, following specific assignments, working with a confidential partner, my perspective began to shift and life began to have color and joy again.

I am now privileged to be a certified Grief Recovery Specialist, trained by the world renowned Grief Recovery Institute, in Sherman Oaks, California. Let me help you to recover, too.

THE GRIEF RECOVERY METHOD®

What is grief?

Grief is the normal and natural reaction to loss. Grief is the conflicting feelings caused by the end of or change in a familiar pattern of behavior. For difficult or painful relationships. The feeling of reaching out for someone who’s always been there, only to find when we need them one more time, they are not there. Grief is the feeling of reaching out for someone who was never there for me only to discover that when I need them one more time, they are still not there.

What is unresolved grief?

Unresolved grief is almost always about things we wish we could’ve said or done differently. For example, “I wish I had told Dad I loved him before it was too late.” There are usually feelings attached to those unsaid things. Grief Recovery is learning how to communicate those unsaid things so that they no longer affect your capacity for happiness.*

What is The Grief Recovery Method®?

Unlike traditional grief counseling and grief support groups such as those offered by Hospice, this is a time limited, structured 8-week program. We use the Grief Recovery Handbook with homework assignments in which you discover your specific and unique way of handling grief in the past and how that may not have served you well. We teach you new coping skills that will last a lifetime.

The goal of The Grief Recovery Method®

The goal of the Grief Recovery Method® is to help you complete your relationship to the pain, isolation, and loneliness caused by significant emotional loss. While death and divorce may seem to be the most obvious losses, our groups are not limited to a particular type of loss.

Find out more about The Grief Recovery Method

Watch testimonials from The Grief Method alumni

DIFFERENT FROM GRIEF SUPPORT

Traditional grief support groups and short term grief counseling sessions may not provide long-term healing benefits for everyone. Sitting in groups and listening to others' pain and suffering can sometimes cause us to make unfair comparisons about grief. We may suppress our grief because our loss doesn't seem as serious as that of others. For example, perhaps my cat has died and I am devastated by it, but someone else in the group's child died in a horrible accident. I may think I shouldn't speak about my own pain because it may seem trivial compared to the mother's loss. Or, Is a divorce equal to the death of a spouse? We believe that each loss is one hundred percent real for each griever, and we do not make any comparisons.

Unlike grief counseling and support groups offered by Hospice, our Recovery Workshops follow a very structured form. There are reading and homework assignments each week. We discover our own ways of trying to cope with loss, most of which have not been helpful. We dispel common myths, such as: keep busy, don't talk about it, put on a happy face, time heals all wounds.

There is ample time for individual speaking without being interrupted, commented on or judged by others.

All information is held in the strictest confidence and with the deepest respect and compassion for each person present.

TESTIMONIALS

I highly recommend this grief recovery workshop! A few years ago, in the short amount of time, I lost my brother to an accident, was going through a divorce, was on the verge of losing my house, and had a close family member dealing with addiction, among other losses. I attended the grief recovery workshop led by Caroline McKinnon and had a transformative healing experience. My life is no longer ruled by regret and sorrow and I acquired skills that I can use for other grief and loss experiences of the past and in the future. I highly recommend this workshop.

Veronica V.

The Grief Recovery Course was miraculous and invaluable for me! Caroline is a wonderful facilitator, compassionate and knowledgeable. She is an authentic and supportive guide who creates a safe, respectful and confidential space for healing and growth. As I committed to and forged through at times some difficult work, completing the assignments, reading, attending meetings and sharing, I experienced an unexpected shift in perspective. I experienced complete forgiveness, release of years of resentment toward a toxic family member, and inner peace. For me, this course was a gift I gave to myself for my life. Truly grateful to Caroline for supporting this essential and life changing work. I highly recommend this workshop.

P.S. Greenbrae, CA

Caroline’s work on Grief Recovery is outstanding! I went to the 8 weeks workshop in a state of despair and deep emotional pain after the sudden death of my nephew and at the end I found myself wanting to keep going for more weeks to be able to release the pain of all the losses I experienced in my life. I searched the Internet for help because I couldn’t bear the emotional pain any longer. I didn’t know what to expect but as soon as I read the textbook, The Grief Recovery Handbook, I felt a sense of relief. There was hope!

The journey was at the same time painful and comforting. Caroline’s empathy and knowledge made the passage through the painful memories safe and healing, because at the end of each session I felt less pain and more hope that I was going to be OK. Caroline’s sensitivity captures the individual needs of each participant to guide each one of us in the right direction. She helps us find our way out of our grief and to come to terms with our losses with a healthier understanding of the effect of death or loss in general.

I learned that my mind can’t heal my broken heart, but a good action plan personally designed for me - using my own experience of pain - could help me to attain closure to be able to regain a sense of wellbeing and peace in my heart. I highly recommend the Grief Recovery classes to anyone at any time in your life because we all have suffered losses. Most of the time the pain goes into hiding producing a detrimental accumulative effect. Nobody teaches us how to recover from our losses. I’d like you to know that Caroline can help you!

Maria P. Emeryville, CA

NORTH BAY GRIEF RECOVERY