After more than thirty years working as a counselor and teacher, I thought I knew how to help people deal with trauma and loss. But the sudden death of my 20-year-old nephew made me acutely aware of how inadequate my training was and how little I actually knew about living with traumatic, out-of-order loss. Finding little real support from many of those in the helping profession, I turned to books, podcasts, and online support groups for help. There I discovered that there was a language and a community for grief, a place where I could support and be supported without judgment.

Having lived both sides, as a psychotherapist comforting grievers and as a person who has lived the devastation of great loss, I now hope to serve as a bridge between the two worlds. I created Grief in Practice with two goals: to provide grief resources that are genuinely helpful, and—most importantly—to offer grievers a space to share their experiences with therapists. It is my hope that this can help cultivate a community of therapists that can respond to loss in a more compassionate and supportive way.

— Chris Johannson, LCSW