Grief Work
Grief changes everything- your world, your sense of self, your relationships. At Shifting Tides, we create space for grief in all its forms: recent or distant, sudden or anticipated, recognized or invisible. You don’t need to move on. You just need a safe place to begin.
We offer individual and group therapy in New York and Connecticut.
Our Why
Grief is why our practice exists.
Shifting Tides Psychotherapy was born from lived experience. I became a therapist because of my own grief- grief that gutted me, shaped me, and showed me how isolating loss can feel in a world that keeps moving. I know what it’s like to look okay on the outside while barely holding it together on the inside. I know how painful it is to long for someone who will never come back, and to feel like no one around you truly understands.
This isn’t just professional for me. It’s personal.
That’s why our work with grief is so tender, intentional, and rooted in real empathy. We don’t rush healing. We don’t expect you to move on. We walk beside you as you learn how to carry your loss- and honor the love and the life that came before it.
-Deanna Doherty, LCSW
Individual Therapy for Grief and Loss
Grief looks different for everyone, and it is also one of the most traumatic phenomenons we experience as human beings. There is no timeline, no "right way" to feel, and no checklist to follow. Whether your loss is fresh, complicated, or decades old, we offer a space where you can move through it gently, at your own pace.
Our work together is trauma-informed, compassionate, and tailored to you. We begin where you are- not where anyone thinks you should be. Using evidence-based tools like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic support, we help you process your grief in a way that honors your story and nervous system capacity.
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We Support Clients Experiencing:
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Loss of a parent (at any age, including childhood or young adulthood)
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Loss of a partner or spouse
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Loss of a child (infant, adult, miscarriage, stillbirth)
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Traumatic or sudden loss (suicide, overdose, accident, homicide, medical trauma)
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Anticipatory grief (navigating a loved one’s terminal illness or cognitive decline)
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Pregnancy loss, infertility, or failed IVF cyclesLoss due to medical decisions (e.g., abortion, hysterectomy, medical termination)
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Estrangement from family or chosen family
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Loss of a sibling
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Pet loss
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Divorce or separation
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Loss of identity (after caregiving, illness, trauma, or career change)
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Loss of autonomy or physical ability due to injury or chronic illness
Group Therapy for Grief and Loss
Group therapy offers a powerful way to connect with others who truly get it. Research shows that grief groups can reduce feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety while increasing a sense of connection, validation, and hope. Being with others who are navigating similar losses can be profoundly healing- sometimes in ways individual therapy alone can't offer.
In our virtual grief groups, you’ll find a supportive space to share your story, listen to others, and process your grief at your own pace. You don’t have to explain why you're still grieving. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay. Here, your grief is welcome in whatever shape it’s taking today.
Group work can offer:
-Meaningful connection with others who understand
-A safe, nonjudgmental space to process the weight of grief
-Coping tools for the day-to-day weight of grief
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We offer different grief groups throughout the year.
If you see a group you are interested in joining but enrollment is not open, reach out to get on our interest list for the next round.
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How do I know if grief therapy is right for me?
You might benefit from grief therapy if you:
-Feel stuck, numb, or overwhelmed by your loss
-Are having trouble functioning in daily life or at work
-Struggle with anxiety, panic, or intense emotions after a death or major loss
-Feel isolated or misunderstood by the people around you
-Carry guilt, anger, or complicated feelings about your loss
-Are caring for someone who is terminally ill and already grieving them
-Have experienced multiple losses and don’t know where to begin
-Find that your grief is showing up in your body—fatigue, tension, brain fog, or pain
-Can’t stop replaying the moment of loss or imagining what you could’ve done differently
-Are simply longing for a space where your grief is allowed to exist, without being minimized