Tending to Grief
A Retreat for Nurturing Your Grieving Process
Losing a loved one is a difficult and normal part of life. The grief we experience after the death of a friend
or family member can be overwhelming at times, but is an appropriate response to a major life change.
While mourning may include acute sadness and other difficult emotions it can also include joy, laughter,
and delight. What we know about grief has changed in recent years. Contrary to what our intuition may
tell us, integrating the loss of a friend or family member into your life makes it possible to continue to livefully.
We believe that many desire to take care of themselves and their grieving loved ones, but find words of
comfort insufficient and don’t know what to do next. Kasey March, INELDA trained end-of- life doula
and educator, and Rev. Jessica Johansson, NEDA proficient end-of-life doula and ordained interfaith
minister, have teamed up to offer Tending to Grief: A Retreat for Nurturing Your Grieving Process.
This half-day retreat will examine common myths about grief that may be complicating your grieving
process and offer a new understanding of grief to support your healing journey. The day will include
rituals to help participants know what has happened is real and understand their changed relationship with
their loved one in light of their passing. The retreat will be held outdoors at Life Forest, a non-profit
conservation burial forest spread across 13 acres and embraced by an additional 86 acres of conservation
land in Hillsborough, NH. Life Forest is a special place where nature, loss, love, and life all come together
to create a safe and sacred space. Immerse yourself in the natural splendor, find solace in the whispering
trees, and discover a renewed sense of hope and healing as you navigate your grief journey.
Tending to Grief: A Retreat for Nurturing Your Grieving Process
Date: Sunday, October 8th, 2023 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Life Forest Conservation Burial Forest, 200 Beard Rd, Hillsborough, NH 03244
Registration Required, $65 per person https://tendingtogrief.eventbrite.com/
Registration Deadline, October 1, 2023
Kasey March is an International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) trained doula who provides
open-hearted presence to the dying and their loved ones throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. After witnessing
the deaths of several loved ones she was inspired to help others to live their dying in the best way possible. Kasey
believes that everyone deserves a good death and strives to work with clients to determine what that looks like for
them and how to best accomplish that goal with the time and resources at their disposal. Kasey also serves as a
hospice volunteer and has pursued additional training in supporting those with dementia and Vermont laws for those
at the end of life who wish to consider medical aid in dying. Kasey is the co-host of Life, Death & Cake: Preparing
for a Good Death, a free community workshop offered to increase end of life literacy and held in communities in
southern Vermont and New Hampshire.
Rev. Jessica Johansson, M.Div. has been drawn to end-of-life care from a young age. She is a NEDA Proficient
End-of-Life Doula (also called death doula or death midwife) and Companion Animal End-of-Life Doula, having
received her training through the University of Vermont. She collaborates closely with hospice, funeral directors,
and other professionals, taking a holistic approach to end-of-life care and bereavement support. Jessica is grateful for
the opportunity to serve both people and pets in their end-of-life journeys.
In addition to her doula work, Jessica is an Ordained Interfaith Minister, After-Death Care Educator, Reiki Master
Teacher, Certified Professional Coach, and the host of the Greater Monadnock Region Death Café. She is also the
Volunteer Coordinator at Life Forest, a non-profit conservation cemetery in Hillsborough, NH. Ultimately her
mission is to empower individuals to live a more conscious life so that they may approach death with a similar
mindset.
Contact:
Kasey March
doulacarefordying@gmail.com
802-546-1110