Return from the Underworld
a live Somatic & Soul Journey to Soothe Deep Ongoing Grief
Immerse yourself in a live 12-week journey, merging ancient wisdom with modern research to cultivate practices that bring solace and healing.
Weekly Live GUIDED CALLs on Zoom
We begin January 14th, 2027
Early Bird Investment: $997 usd
OR $200 usd/month x 5 months
Early Bird Ends December 15th - Regular Price $1297 usd
"What a deep and transformative experience. I have so much more body awareness now and I think it was really important for me to realize that I’d never really come out of a long-held trauma response. It was so great to have the support to acknowledge and release what I needed to.”
~Louise
When life tosses us headlong into the depths of grief...
Where can you go?
The despair and loneliness can feel like an inescapable darkness.
It cannot be fixed, there is nowhere to go, and all we can do (barely) is surface occasionally to breathe.
It’s a time when you yearn most for embrace and understanding.
Yet, even those closest to you may not fully grasp let alone know how to solve all of those unanswered internal riddles of…
“how do I heal from this.”
Though you would never choose this situation, even in this difficult time,
you have choices.
There is somewhere for that grief to go.
Processing grief requires skill, and a map of the terrain.
Envision a 12-week guided journey, delving into the depths of your own underworld, but with support.
In one version of the Greek myth of Persephone, Hades abducts her and imprisons her in the Underworld against her will.
Her story often portrays her as a victim, with her return to her natural home attributed solely to her Mother, Demeter’s fierce care and devotion.
However, during her time there, she honed remarkable skill and prowess, embracing this new place as her second home where she would reside for half the year. As Queen of the Underworld, she brought love and compassion to this otherwise desolate place.
When we lose those we deeply love, our task is to acknowledge that a part of us will now dwell in the Underworld, at least part-time, and to infuse this place with as much love and compassion as possible.
You NEED & DESERVE the space to fully grieve.
Throughout history, humans have undertaken this transformative path, creating intricate rituals and customs to honour the profound significance of grieving, rather than seeking hasty relief.
In this 12 week journey, you’ll have the opportunity to reclaim agency in your journey of grief alongside others who understand these depths.
WHEN YOU FACE YOUR GRIEF, YOU INTEGRATE THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN, TO BE ALIVE, AND TO LOVE. THAT’S WHY THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.
the tools and practices in this journey are designed for all types of grief including major loss & trauma
They are tried, tested and effective – We’ve seen it with literally hundreds of people going through our programs over the past few years.
And now, for the first time, we are offering this journey live!
The practices offered are made available in a carefully curated format that allows you to learn and heal at a slow, gentle pace.
"This was the first time I had done any type of grief work. I found it really helped me to feel and express my grief. It also helped me to learn that it is a normal & valid thing to feel grief for things in my own personal life but also grief for the world."
~BN
"Thank you for helping me learn & remember how to sing & dance in the rain storm of deep grief. I’ve been able to deepen my practice of gratitude & self-compassion, and the somatic practices & journal prompts have been invaluable. Thank you for bringing the sacred back into the scared. YouR TEam are powerful badass warriors of the Dark. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
~RH
MOVING AT THE PACE OF THE BODY & THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Our society is built upon oppressive systems that gain from our tendency to rush and overlook the experiences of our mind, body, and soul.
Despite our profound discomfort with pain and sorrow, grieving is an inevitable part of the human experience. When we slow down and allow space for our body & soul to guide the way, we heal on a deep level – often beyond what we may have even thought possible.
Yet, we have to learn how to face our own lingering grief.
Here are things you DO NOT have to do right now...
(some of which you may have heard from well-meaning friends and family):
- "Just get over it already"
- "Simply move on with your life"
- "Get back to work or the way life was before"
- "Downplay how you’re feeling because others have had it worse.”
What Research on Grief and the Treatment of it Teaches us...
Feelings of depression, numbness, burnout, overwhelm, mood swings, and changing emotions are expected responses to unprocessed grief.
And rushing to “move on with your life” can inflict further pain and keep that despair trapped.
We have yet to see someone heal by being told to “get over it.”
“Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
~ Jamie Anderson
We Invite you to embark on this journey...
Return from the Underworld
a 12 Week Live Somatic & Soul Journey to Soothe Deep Ongoing Grief
- Learn how to enter and tend to your grief in a deep, meaningful & transformative way.
- Strengthen & tap into your capacity to live in harmony with the emotional ups & downs of your day to day life.
- Learn to hold and stay with yourself in the most tender and vulnerable moments so that, even when alone, you won’t feel consumed by it all.
- Learn the skills to hold space for the deepest depths of emotion coming your way - your own and that of others - while also experiencing being held by nature & Spirit.
- Learn to walk the middle path - to build your instinct to be present with your grief while staying tethered to the joys available in everyday life.
Modules Included
Pricing Details
Enroll in this 12-week live journey, guiding you through grief practices informed by ancient wisdom, research, and years of practitioner experience.
Early bird Investment: $997 USD or $200/month x 5
Ends December 15th - Regular Investment: $1297
What is Included:
- Core curriculum//prerecorded modules you can return to and practice again and again
- 12 x live 90 minute group sessions, held weekly on Zoom every Thursday starting January 14th and ending April 1st
- Choose between two call times - 9am pacific//12pm eastern OR 5pm pacific//8pm eastern
- Lifetime access to our dynamic online community forum where you can ask questions, share your story and receive support
- 1 x 1:1 Grief Tending Session with your choice of one of our facilitators
- 3 month membership to our Grief Support Group from April-June, so you keep receiving support even after the course ends
One of our core values is that money should not be a barrier to healing, and unfortunately in our post-colonial society, it often is.
We offer partial scholarships to all BIPOC folks and folks who serve marginalized communities. If you identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour and would like to join this program but need to access a partial scholarship to participate, please email us at info @ darkwoodsofgrief.com.
If you would like to support our scholarship fund please email info @ darkwoodsofgrief.com and let us know!
What will you gain?
NURTURE YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
Build resilience, resource & capacity in your nervous system so you can handle big waves of emotion and allow your grief to move through your body in a way that is gentle yet brings relief.
DEVELOP LIFELONG PRACTICES
Build personal practices you can use now & throughout your life to support you through not only grief but also life’s regular challenges.
BUILD NEW NEURAL PATHWAYS
You’ll learn tools that will support rewiring of new neural pathways to support healing & recovery from the chronic stress state that can encompass deep grief.
PRACTICE SOMATIC EXPLORATION
Soothe acute emotional pain, whether from a recent event or something that happened 40 years ago but still lingers as unprocessed grief. When we work with embodied practices, the changes in our neurocircuitry are long lasting & deep.
RECONNECT WITH YOUR OWN INNER COMPASS
Deepen your relationship with your body’s innate health & healing capacity by reconnecting with your own inner guidance system - the subtle cues your body is offering you in every moment - and learn how your body can become your ally in healing rather than a painful burden.
Join Us Now
We begin january 14th
return from the underworld live course
Enroll in this 12-week live journey, guiding you through grief practices informed by ancient wisdom, research, and years of practitioner experience.
Early Bird investment:
$997 USD or $200/month x 5
Ends December 15th
One of our core values is that money should not be a barrier to healing, and unfortunately in our post-colonial society, it often is.
We offer partial scholarships to all BIPOC folks and folks who serve marginalized communities. If you identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour and would like to join this program but need to access a partial scholarship to participate, please email us at info @ darkwoodsofgrief.com.
If you would like to support our scholarship fund please email info @ darkwoodsofgrief.com and let us know!
Meet Your Facilitators
Morning Group facilitators ~ 9am pacific//12pm eastern
chanda Turner
Hi, I’m Chanda. I live in Inuvik, NWT in the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit Settlement Regions, and am happiest spending time out on the land. I am a lover of skyscapes, good food, candles, kitchen witching, boats, skidoos, intimate friendships, astrology, twinkle lights, and dogs.
I am yearning to rebuild our deep connections to other beings, human and non-human, and experience the vastness of our universe. I am learning to use movement, acceptance, and compassion to heal and discover myself after years of masking and living in trauma response patterns. I have recently completed the Dark Woods Grief Tending and Ritual Facilitation Training, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to hold space and offer support to others on their own healing journeys.
Other hats I wear include: Step-mom, Dog Mom, Marine Protected Area Senior Biologist, Witch, Consultant, Disrupter, Neurospicy Human, Partner, Daughter, Crafter, and Sister. My current day job(s) are in wildlife co-management with the Inuvialuit and Gwich’in peoples, who have signed land claims that guarantee their involvement in wildlife management. I work to move the processes of co-management closer to true, equal power-sharing and consideration of Traditional Knowledge and ways of knowing in what are still very colonial and science-based practices. This work, as well as where I live and who I love, has moved me to challenge my own biases and inherent beliefs from growing up in western settler culture and to encourage others to do the same.
SaNaz Hosseini
Having navigated her own path through grief many times, Sanaz is passionate about helping others find their way. As an Iranian woman and an immigrant, she has faced multiple forms of loss, and what is coined as disenfranchised grief, often without access to resources or community support. This journey taught her how isolating grief can feel and the importance of processing it. Over the years, she has learned to channel her grief and recognize its transformative power. Now, she is committed to helping others navigate their own losses.
Professionally, she has a diverse background that complements her role as a grief facilitator. She is a product manager with degrees in electrical and biomedical engineering, and management. She has mentored young professionals and volunteered for a suicide helpline, both of which have strengthened her ability to support people during difficult times. Her passion for storytelling has helped her connect with people on a deeper level and understand the power of shared experiences in healing.
As a facilitator, she strives to create a compassionate and supportive space for others, grounded in empathy and enriched by professional and cultural insights.
She teaches yoga and meditation and is a graduate of the 2024 Dark Woods Grief Tending & Ritual Facilitation Training. She also currently serves as a peer grief facilitator in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.
Evening Group facilitators ~ 5pm pacific//8pm eastern
Tisha Washington
I come to this work with an open heart, honoring the many ways people navigate grief, transition, and change. Born on the bayou, I have been shaped by listening closely–to people, to nature, and to what unfolds when words are lost. My own life has been marked by love and loss, and through those experiences I’ve discovered a deep well of inner resource—a refuge of calm and steadiness that I return to again and again.
For the past fifteen years, I have shared deep companionship with animals in my role as a professional dog walker. It was through years of walking—in every season and all kinds of weather—that this path began to form. Observing the natural shifts in nature taught me to recognize and accept the natural changes within myself—meeting them with an open heart rather than judgment. My support is grounded in practical tools that help you remain steady as things shift—both within you and around you—always guided by mindfulness and compassion.
I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Since graduating, my path has unfolded through a rich blend of training and lived experience. This includes case management and support group facilitation for people living with HIV/AIDS at Whitman-Walker Clinic in Northern Virginia, completing a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, and, most recently, training as a Grief Tender with Josea Tamira Crossley through the Dark Woods of Grief: Roots and Ritual program.
I believe grief wants us to listen deeply. Alone, this can feel too heavy a burden to carry. In community, the load is shared and something begins to soften. Little by little, shifts occur and space opens for light to come in.
I am available for walking and in-person sessions in the state of Maryland. For more information, you can contact me at sweetboholife@gmail.com
Susan Adamson
Susan brings a unique depth to grief work, drawing from decades as a Registered Nurse specializing in newborn intensive care and lactation, combined with advanced training in pre and perinatal somatic psychology, energy medicine, and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.
Her own grief journey began in 2023 with the dissolution of her 33-year marriage, followed six months later by the sudden death of her ex-husband from long-term alcohol abuse. Navigating this complex terrain of loss, Susan discovered The Dark Woods of Grief, where weekly somatic support groups offered her the tools and witnessing she desperately needed. After attending the 2025 winter Grief Retreat, she knew she wanted better tools to help others find their way through grief. She completed the Dark Woods of Grief Facilitator Training in 2025.
Susan’s work sits at a powerful intersection: she understands that how we navigate grief is deeply rooted in our earliest experiences. For years, she has helped new mothers and babies heal from challenging births and medical interventions, using somatic tools to create safety for overwhelmed nervous systems. When babies are given space to tell their birth stories—to express frustration, rage, or sadness—they develop resilient coping mechanisms that shape how they’ll process trauma and loss throughout their lives.
This foundational understanding informs Susan’s grief facilitation work. She knows that when we experience traumatic loss later in life, those early imprinted patterns resurface. Just as newborns need safe, attuned holding to process their birth trauma, grieving adults need safety and security in their holding and witnessing. Susan creates that compassionate container where grief stories can be shared, emotions can move through the body, and the whole self can be honored through the pain of sorrow.
Susan is passionate about bringing her somatic expertise to those walking the often lonely and misunderstood path of grief, offering the same deep presence and nervous system attunement she has long provided to the newest and most vulnerable among us.