Meet Beth
Hi, I'm Beth. And Grief Is Kind of My Thing.
I'm a grief coach, art therapist, author, joy detective, and caregiver. And for more than 25 years, I've been getting to know grief in all its messy, complicated forms.
I've supported people through death, illness, trauma, caregiving, and the kinds of losses that don't always get recognized as grief. The ones that leave you wondering whether what you're feeling even counts.
It does. Your grief matters. And you deserve support for it.
I believe grief needs attention, not fixing. That we need each other when life falls apart. And that finding moments of beauty, laughter, and even joy doesn't mean we've forgotten what we've lost.
I've devoted much of my life to exploring how we make room for all of it.
I Knew Grief Well. Then I Met It From the Other Side.
I'd spent years helping others navigate grief.
And then, in 2012, everything changed.
My partner Michael broke his neck in a mountain biking accident, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
The active, adventurous life we'd shared was gone. So much of the freedom we'd taken for granted was gone. And the future I'd imagined for us? Gone.
Michael was still here. I still loved him, fiercely as ever. But I was grieving all we'd lost while also figuring out how to be his caregiver. And while everyone wanted to know how Michael was doing, hardly anyone thought to ask how I was doing.
My grief just wasn't as easy to see.
Even the grief resources I turned to seemed to focus on losing someone to death. Michael was still here. So where did my grief fit?
Despite all my years of experience supporting others, I had a lot to learn about living with my own grief. And I'm still learning. Because this isn't a chapter of my life that ended. It's a reality I live with every day.
It's one reason I care so deeply about making space for the grief that other people don't always understand.
I know what a difference it makes when someone finally sees you.
Michael and me. Still figuring it out. And still finding reasons to smile.
I've Been at This for a While. And I'm Still Learning.
After more than 25 years supporting people through grief, trauma, and life's unexpected turns, one thing I know for sure: there's no single right way to grieve. And there's no single right way to support someone who's grieving, either.
That's why I've spent so much of my life learning different ways to do this work. Some I've studied for decades. Others have taken on new meaning through my own experiences of loss.
I began my career as a therapist, earning my master's degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, with a focus on Art Therapy, from Naropa University and becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado.
Over time, my work grew beyond the therapy room. I became a Certified Creative Grief Support Practitioner and began offering grief coaching as another way to reach people navigating loss, wherever they’re located. It gave me a way to bring everything I'd learned over the years into a more accessible, practical kind of support for people learning to live with grief.
I've always been drawn to creative and body-based ways of working with grief, too. Because sometimes words just aren't enough. Over the years, I've trained in Art Therapy, Guided Drawing, EMDR, and Gestalt therapy. I'm currently training in Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing program.
I've also spent years exploring the role of ritual, ceremony, and earth-based traditions in grief. I've studied grief ritual with Sobonfu Somé and learned cowry shell divination from Elder Malidoma Patrice Somé. Both experiences deepened my understanding of why grief needs a wider community, one that includes the natural world and our ancestors. We weren't meant to carry it all alone.
All of it has shaped how I work today: Making room for grief, honoring the need for community, and remembering that joy still belongs here, too.
Testimonials From Beth's Clients
Wherever You Are With Your Grief, You're Welcome Here.
I don't know what brought you here today, or what you're going through. But I'm glad you're here. And I hope you find something on my site that helps you feel a little more supported, a little less alone, and a little more able to live with whatever life has handed you.
Here are a few places to start:
Download my free guide, When Grief Feels Like Too Much, for five unconventional ways to find a little relief when you need it most.
Browse my blog for stories, practical tips, and resources for living with grief.
Read my memoir, Life Upside Down: The Fall That Transformed Our Lives, Lifting Me Through Grief, Love and Quadriplegia, about love, loss, caregiving, and finding my way through a life I never imagined.
Explore ways to work with me, from private grief coaching and Guided Drawing sessions to support groups, caregiving support, and more.
Join me for an upcoming event, where we get creative, have real conversations, and make space for grief.
Curious about the ancient practice of cowry shell divination? Read the story I wrote about it here, Blog Title Here.
Invite me to speak or facilitate at your event, gathering, or workshop. I love bringing honest conversations about grief, loss, and the messy business of being human into spaces where they're needed.
Let's talk if you’re interested in creating a personal ritual or ceremony to honor a significant loss or life transition.
Looking for some Grief Relief?
Enter your name and email for my free PDF with 5 unexpected things to try when grief hits hard.
BETH ERLANDER
Copyright 2026. Beth Erlander. All Rights Reserved.