Happy Hour for Sad People: An (Unconventional Grief Circle)

Unhappy Holidays Edition

The holidays are here. And for many of us, they're not exactly merry and bright.

Maybe you're grieving a loss. Maybe you're navigating a breakup. Maybe you're just feeling the weight of loneliness or the general global angst that seems to be everywhere right now.

Whatever it is, you're carrying something heavy into this season, and the pressure to be joyful about it all can feel suffocating.

So we're doing something a little different this year.

An Unconventional Grief Circle

On December 15th at 7:00 PM, Grounded Grief is partnering with Advice Booth PDX to bring you something we're calling "Happy Hour for Sad People"—a grief circle that happens at a bar, where tears and laughter are equally welcome, and where you don't have to pretend everything is fine.

This isn't your typical grief support group. And that's exactly the point.

Our fabulous team member Juniper Wong will be hosting and facilitating this special evening, bringing their unique ability to hold space for both the heaviness and the humor that grief often requires.

If Therapy-Speak Makes You Cringe...

Look, we love therapy. We're therapists. But we also know that sometimes traditional grief spaces—with all their careful language and reverent solemnity—can feel like too much. Or not enough. Or just... not quite right.

If you're craving a space where you can be real about the grief and sadness you carry without wading through overly therapeutic language or what one person aptly called "weepy woowoo," then this might be your space.

This is a grief circle for people who want to:

• Move the sadness they're holding, not just sit with it

• Share their burdens without taking up the whole room

• Laugh and cry in the same breath

• Feel held by community without having to perform grief in any particular way

• Celebrate what's here alongside acknowledging what hurts

  
  

What to Expect (And What Not to Expect)

Let's be clear about what this is and isn't.

This event is facilitated with intention. We're creating structured time to share, to move emotion, and to connect—not just an open mic for grief where one person processes for an hour while everyone else watches. (No judgment if that's your jam, truly. There are other amazing grief circles in Portland for that, and we love them.)

At Happy Hour for Sad People, you'll experience:

• Facilitated sharing that ensures everyone has space

• Movement and activities designed to help shift stuck emotions

• Permission to be messy, real, and imperfect

• A chance to connect with others who get it

• Moments of levity alongside the heavy stuff

• The option to share as much or as little as feels right

And here's something we love: Advice Booth PDX is crafting specialty cocktails and mocktails just for this night. So whether you drink or you're sober, there will be something delicious waiting for you at the bar.

Why a Bar?

We know it might seem counterintuitive to host a grief circle at a dive bar. But here's the thing: grief doesn't just live in therapy offices and support group rooms. It lives everywhere we do—at work, at home, at the grocery store, and yes, at bars.

Sometimes the most healing conversations happen in unexpected places. Sometimes we need permission to grieve outside the carefully constructed containers we've been told grief belongs in.

Advice Booth PDX is the perfect spot for this—it's the BEST local dive bar that understands community, authenticity, and the importance of spaces where people can just be human together.

The Holidays Are Extra Hard This Year

If you're reading this and nodding along, you probably don't need us to explain why this year feels particularly heavy.

Between personal losses, collective trauma, political upheaval, and the general state of the world, many of us are heading into the holidays carrying more than we ever have before. And the expectation to be grateful, festive, and present for family gatherings can feel impossible when you're barely holding it together.

This event is for anyone who needs a place to acknowledge that reality before diving into holiday obligations. A place to set down the weight for 90 minutes and be with others who are carrying their own burdens.

You don't have to be "far enough along" in your grief to come. You don't have to have a "good enough reason" to be sad. All losses are welcome. All feelings are welcome.

The Details

What: Happy Hour for Sad People: An Unconventional Grief Circle

When: Monday, December 15, 2025, 7:00-8:30 PM PST

Where: Advice Booth PDX (5426 North Gay Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97217)

Who: Anyone navigating grief, sadness, loss, or general holiday angst

Hosted by: Juniper Wong, MSW, LICSW from Grounded Grief and Advice Booth PDX

Cost: $15 (snag yo' ticket on Eventbrite)

What's included: Facilitated grief circle, specialty cocktails/mocktails, community, and permission to be exactly where you are

You're Invited

If the holidays are feeling rough this year, you're not alone. And you don't have to white-knuckle your way through them pretending you're fine.

Come as you are. Bring your sadness, your grief, your exhaustion, your dark humor, your tears, your truth. We'll hold space for all of it.

Because sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is show up to a dive bar on a Monday night and admit to a room full of strangers (who quickly become not-strangers) that we're not okay. And that's okay.

See you there.

This event is for folks 21+ (it's at a bar, after all). If you have questions or are experiencing financial hardship, reach out to katherine@groundedgrief.com.

Can't make it but want to hear about future Grounded Grief events in Portland and beyond? Follow us on Instagram @groundedgrief or sign up for our newsletter.