Support for Grief Tenders
In cultures that have forgotten how to grieve together in community, there is no template for how to do this. As Mary and Siena have journeyed through facilitating nearly 100 grief rituals together, the process of remembering how to do this as a people has been humbling. Our learnings have continued to birth new adaptations of our rituals to meet the unique needs of those we serve and address the growing challenges of our times. We have learned so much along the way, and we are still learning more every day.
There is a great need for community grief rituals and for more grief tenders to steward them. We believe that grief work is a critical if we are to stay present to the daunting challenges we face today and keep our hearts open. We are dedicated to supporting you as you bring grief ritual to your communities, groups, families, organizations, and more.
Your community needs you! The world needs your medicine!
Please explore our offerings and let us know how we can help:
- Community Seeding Program
- Grief Tending Consultation
- Peer Consult Circle
Community Seeding Program
Our Community Seeding Program is a resource for those who have done extensive personal grief work and are in the process of stepping into facilitating community grief tending rituals. Some of you may have already completed the Grief Tending Mentorship Program or another form of grief literacy training, but might still benefit from continued support as you launch your community offerings.
Possible areas of focus:
- Crafting the ritual format and flow
- Making sacred space and working with ritual elements
- Promoting and managing logistics for your events
- Nurturing community and tending collective needs
- Building confidence in your leadership skills
- Integrating in inclusive, trauma-informed care
How we can help:
- Offering regular consultation and/or mentorship meetings
- Co-facilitating retreats alongside you as you take on increasing leadership responsibilities
- Providing a custom grief tending “toolkit” with all the resources you need to get your events up and running
Questions? Please email us at pacifichealingcircles@gmail.com
Grief Tending Consultations
You are not alone as you navigate the challenges of how to hold community grief ritual in this time and place. Please feel free to reach out to consult on any topics – if we are not the right resource, we are connected to a strong community of grief tenders who can help!
Our consultation services are donation-based. Suggested donation is $100 per 1-hour consult, however, please do not let finances be a barrier to reaching out. We are also open to exchanges.
Questions? Please email us at pacifichealingcircles@gmail.com
Peer Consult Circle
For those who are actively and regularly facilitating community grief tending gatherings, join us as we gather to share experiences, learnings, ideas, and peer support. This circle will be co-created with rotating leadership. It is also an opportunity to create spaces where grief tenders can be cared for and tended to.
If you are interested in being a part of something like this, please fill out our interest form. More details to come…
Questions? Please email us at pacifichealingcircles@gmail.com
About us:
Siena Tenisci (MA, LMHCA), born and raised on the unceded lands of the Duwamish people otherwise known as the greater Seattle area, comes from a Southern Italian lineage. She brings her background in body-based somatic healing practices, group therapy, and ceremonial work to circles. She completed her Masters in Counseling at Antioch University in Seattle and is committed to a lifelong practice of cultural sensitivity and to dismantling systemic and internalized oppression.
Mary Hart brings her commitment to authenticity, vulnerability and transformation to the team. She is trained in Internal Family Systems therapy, Hakomi therapy, workshop facilitation, The Wheel of Consent and is a personal coach. She has participated in many healing rituals over the years. In 2014, she was introduced to Grief Ritual and began mentoring with Therese Chavret, Tere Carraza and Laurence Cole. Since then, she has helped to create and facilitate many healing rituals. She has sought and studied with many great teachers and has been inspired by the work of Sobonfu Some, Richard Schwartz, Krishna Das, Stephen Levine, Jon Kabbat Zin, Francis Weller, and many others.