Dispatches from the Wild 🌲 + The Continuum
- Grounded Grief
- Aug 29
- 7 min read
AUGUST NEWSLETTER
Finding Ground in the Wild
Grief is often described as a wilderness—vast, unpredictable, and sometimes overwhelming to navigate. But there is also profound healing in bringing those heavy, complex experiences into the actual wilderness.
We recently wrapped our Grounded Outdoor pilot retreat in the majestic North Cascades. Safely guided by our wilderness lead, Natasha Lexin, we explored what it means to hold space for loss outside the confines of our daily routines. Disconnecting from the noise allowed us to connect more deeply with ourselves and each other, proving just how vital these intentional, immersive spaces are.
Here is a reflection from our founder, Katherine Hatch, on what we found when we disconnected from the noise.
 | Grounded OutdoorBathed in Awe and Wildfire SmokeBy Katherine Hatch | Founder & Practice Lead 2-minute read |
On August 3rd we returned from the wild—a group of 8 women, many meeting for the first time, several of us without much paddling experience. We arrived with only a hint of an agenda and mostly with an unarticulated agreement to meet the discomfort of not knowing what was about to take place.
It started as an individual not knowing. Then it became a not knowing together…a shared, moment-to-moment uncertainty. I’m not sure if there is anything more intimate than shared uncertainty. Grieving humans know this without wanting to…the shared uncertainty of what comes in the next day, or even the next moment.
On Diablo & Ross Lakes, we shared our uncertainty in the sense that without cell service for 6 days, we could not receive outside input, check AQI levels, or mull over weather reports. We woke up each day, noticing our bodies, noticing the horizon, noticing the weather that enveloped us in that moment.
We also carried our grief, without many words, in its various shapes and flavors.
We carried it across the swells, with our lack of sleep, some with dysfunctional sleeping pads, and amidst the wildfire smoke. We carried it as we belly laughed, tripped over things, and found our paddle rhythm only to lose it again to the wind and the waves. We carried it down into the cold water on daily swims, during stretch circles and invitations to keep our hearts open, at the picnic table with twinkle lights, to our communal dinners and early wake-ups, and to the edge of the lake in the wee morning hours.
We carried it to see the ospreys and herons and that doe's daily visit, and to see that one black bear. We carried it to see and feel the expanse of old growth and the remoteness of this wild.
We carried it to this place to bathe it in awe. Over and over again, we bathed it in awe, each in our own way.
The awe of this wild. And the awe of our own coming together, to do something that was hard, and unknown, and fun and not fun. And somehow, in all that carrying, the grief feels different now. Changed. Re-shaped. Still there. Just, different.
If you're looking for a space to be with others who understand, we are offering several unique spaces this month to do just that. There is a place for your grief to be witnessed. Whether you're looking for specialized support—like The Parent Circle, the Rewritten community for solo parents, or our Held Holders space for helping professionals—or you want to join our broader community at a Grief Walk (PDX & Maryland) or Happy Hour for Sad People, we have a space for you this month. You can even explore loss through creative expression in The Unscripted Heart.
You can find the details about these events and all others here, and we've included handy links below.With warmth and solidarity,
Katherine & The Grounded Grief Team
P.S. New here? We send only thoughtful emails with reflections on grief and upcoming community events. Subscribe here to stay grounded with us.
Finding Ground in a Changing World
Katherine’s reflection captures the profound healing that happens when we bring our complex experiences into the wilderness. But spending time in the wild right now is also a practice in holding multiple truths. Across the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and beyond, the landscape is hurting. With widespread wildfires threatening so many of our beloved forests, mountain ranges, and communities, a heavy blanket of smoke settled over our own retreat.
We experienced the profound beauty of the mountains alongside the stark realities of an environment in distress. It was a powerful reminder that we must continue to love and protect this world, despite the damage we’ve done and the loss around us. We are called to tend to the earth and to each other—to actively regenerate what feels lost, both in the natural world and within ourselves. Stepping away from the daily noise gave us the capacity to hold these multiple truths, proving just how vital these immersive spaces are.
Bringing the Connection Home: October 1st
One of the most common questions we hear after deeply moving experiences like our North Cascades pilot is: How do we keep this connection going?
Grief doesn't end when the retreat is over, just like it doesn't end when the therapy session is over. The hardest part of grief often happens in the spaces in between. You don’t always need deep, intensive processing—sometimes, you simply need to know you aren’t alone.
That is why we are incredibly proud to announce the official launch of our new community membership program, The Continuum, arriving on October 1st.
Join The Continuum Membership Program
The Continuum is not just a digital space or a static course. It is structured belonging. Designed to be your steady ground, it brings the support, resources, and shared understanding of Grounded Grief into your everyday life. When we open our doors, your monthly membership will give you access to a spacious, predictable rhythm of support:
EMBER (Live Community Circle):Â Our monthly 90-minute anchor. A gently guided, deeply human space to share or simply listen without the pressure to perform.
The Live Integration Hour:Â A monthly 60-minute facilitated drop-in grounding space to co-exist, be held, and simply pause alongside others.
The Members Library:Â An ever-growing, on-demand hub featuring 15-45 minute video workshops from our clinical team, guided journaling prompts, and somatic processing exercises.
The Gentle Touchpoint:Â A monthly grounding prompt, short audio practice, or ritual delivered straight to your inbox to keep you connected between live gatherings.
An Invitation to Join Our Founders Cohort
To ensure an intimate and intentional experience where everyone feels safely held, our inaugural Founders Cohort will be strictly limited to 15–20 members. Because your presence and trust have already built the foundation of Grounded Grief, we want you to be the very first to step inside this new space.
Don't Miss Our Upcoming Events!
MOVING GRIEF TOGETHER: An Outdoor Walking Grief Support Group Fridays | Next One: Friday, September 4th | 9-10 AM EDT Meadowbrook Local Park, Chevy Chase, Maryland Join Tisha Washington, MSW, LMSW on Fridays for gentle outdoor grief group walks with space for quiet, conversation, and connection. Join The Walk
GROUNDED GRIEF WALKS PDX Every Other Tuesday | Next One: Tuesday, September 8th | 12:30-1:30 pm PDT Lower Saltzman Trailhead, Portland, Oregon Join the Grounded Grief Team for gentle outdoor grief group woods walks with space for quiet, conversation, and connection. Grief Counselors Katherine Hatch, MSW, LCSW, and Alyssa Rose, B.A., LMT, will be leading us on these walks. Walk With Us
THE PARENT CIRCLE: A Bi-Monthly Drop-In Support Space Tuesday, September 8th | 5:30-6:30 PM PDT Virtual via Zoom Lindsay Wooster-Halberg, MSW, LCSW creates a welcoming space for parents and caregivers who are supporting a grieving child. This group centers on your real, current questions—covering topics ranging from big emotions, grief and developmental milestones, challenging behaviors, rituals, schools, friendships, sibling dynamics and more. Circle Up
HELD HOLDERS: A Grief Ritual Space for Therapists & Helping Professionals Thursday, September 10th | 12:30-2 PM PDT Virtual via Zoom Join Alyssa Rose for a confidential peer space created specifically for therapists, counselors, social workers, chaplains, doulas, and nurses—a room where you are not the holder, you are the held. Because you are also navigating losses, and the accumulated weight of bearing witness to the pain of others. Here, you will not run into clients, and you can set down the clinical frame entirely. Hold Your Spot
REWRITTEN: A Grief-Literate Community for Single and Solo Parents Sunday, September 13th | 10 AM-12 PM PDT Nalu Kava Lounge Tea House | NE Portland Grief doesn't end because parenthood continues. Facilitated by Alyssa Rose, B.A., LMT, Rewritten is a monthly, in-person gathering where single and solo parents come together to grieve honestly, parent fiercely, and reclaim authorship of their own story. Join us in creating a micro-village to grieve what has been lost and dream into what we long for. Write Your Story
THE UNSCRIPTED HEART: Using Play and Drama Therapy to Navigate Grief Thursday, September 17th | 7:00-8:30 PM EDT GW University, Leggette Room (Smith Hall of Art) | Washington, D.C. Grief doesn't follow a script. Join facilitator Jodi Kanter, LGPC for an experiential workshop utilizing the tools of drama therapy to explore your relationship with loss: past, present, and still unfolding. Through theater exercises drawn from psychodrama and expressive arts, you'll work toward a more integrated sense of your grief in a spirit of play and supportive community. Learn More & Register
HAPPY HOUR FOR SAD PEOPLE: An Unconventional Grief Circle Monday, September 28th | 7:00-8:30 PM PDT Rhinestone PDX, 2100 SE Clinton St, Portland, Oregon Grounded Grief x Rhinestone PDX have turned "Happy Hour for Sad People" into a monthly residency. Join Juniper Wong, MSW, LICSW every fourth Monday of the month for the grief circle you didn't know you needed...yup, at a bar. Facilitated by licensed therapists, this unconventional space holds room for laughter AND tears, witness and reflection — because grief is less lonely when it's shared. Come as you are. Leave more human. Belly Up, Y'all
Learn more about our team and what keeps us grounded.
Community Care: Supporting Grief Access
We are frequently asked by community members: "How can I help make grief support more accessible in our community?"
We want everyone to have access to high-quality grief therapy, but financial barriers often stand in the way. If you have the capacity to give and wish to help, you can purchase a Community Supporter Badge to pay it forward. Your purchase is used directly to help us increase sliding-scale slots for individual therapy and offer more low-cost, low-barrier grief workshops and groups.
FULL WORKSHOP SERIES
Mark your calendars for our upcoming events!
Grounded Grief Therapy
GRIEF IN GOOD HANDS
Grief isn't meant to be navigated in isolation. We're building a space that honors the messy, non-linear, and beautifully human experience of loss and life. Thank you for being part of it.
If this post resonated with you, please forward it to a friend—we appreciate you helping make our community just a wee bit bigger.
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