A 6-Week Guided Book Club

The Grieving Brain

by Mary-Frances O'Conner, PHD

 

Grief doesn’t just live in the heart.
It lives in the body, the nervous system, and the brain itself.

Loss can reshape how we think, feel, remember, attach, and move through daily life — often in ways that feel confusing, overwhelming, or isolating. Understanding what’s happening beneath the surface can bring a sense of relief, self-compassion, and steadiness.

This Grief Book Club is a six-week guided book club centered on The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD. Together, we’ll explore the neuroscience of grief alongside our lived experiences, making space to understand loss without rushing, fixing, or pathologizing it.

This is an educational and reflective space for thoughtful adults who want to better understand their own grief — or the grief of someone they love — through a grounded, science-based lens.

Begins February 19

Register by February 12

and a copy of The Grieving Brain

will be mailed to you.

Sign Up

Schedule & Format

 

6 Weekly live Zoom sessions

Thursdays 5:00 PST (Expect week 4 will be on Wednesday March 11th)  

60-90 Minute sessions 

  • February 19 — Chapters 1–2
    We begin by laying the foundation for understanding grief through the lens of neuroscience. These chapters explore how the brain processes loss and why grief impacts our bodies, emotions, and sense of safety in such profound ways.

    February 26 — Chapters 3–4
    These chapters focus on attachment and love — how the brain learns who and what we’re bonded to, and why losing someone we love can feel so destabilizing and disorienting.

    March 5 — Chapters 5–6
    We explore how grief affects memory, expectation, and daily life. These chapters help explain why grief can make even simple tasks feel difficult and why the brain struggles to update after loss.

    Wednesday March 11 — Chapters 7–8
    This week looks at identity and meaning after loss — how grief can reshape who we are, how we see the world, and how we begin to live in a reality that no longer matches what we expected.

    March 19 — Chapters 9–10
    These chapters explore adaptation and healing, emphasizing that grief doesn’t disappear but changes over time. We’ll look at what the brain needs to slowly integrate loss without erasing love.

    March 26 — Chapter 11
    Our final week is devoted to integration and reflection. We’ll weave together key themes from the book, share insights, and explore how this understanding of grief can support you moving forward.

Each session includes guided discussion, reflection prompts, and space for questions and integration. 

 

Investment

 

$88 for all six sessions

 

Register by February 12 

a copy of the book will be mailed to your address

Sign Up

What to Expect

 

This is not group therapy.

It is a facilitated, trauma-aware conversation rooted in neuroscience, compassion, and real life experience.

Together, we will:

  • Read and discuss The Grieving Brain at a gentle, steady pace

  • Explore how grief affects attachment, memory, identity, and daily functioning

  • Name and normalize why grief feels the way it does — without trying to “fix” it

  • Learn in community with care, curiosity, and respect

  • Leave with language, understanding, and frameworks you can carry forward

This space honors the uniqueness of each grief while offering shared understanding and support.

Sign Up Here

Christine Turrentine

is a Certified Grief & Loss Coach with over 20 years of experience in health and wellness. Her work is rooted in the principles of Yoga and Somatics, and informed by her training as a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Women’s Health Coach, Elementum Life Coach, and Grief & Loss Provider.  She brings a steady, compassionate approach to supporting people through loss—honoring the wisdom of the body, mind, and spirit.
After losing her mother to suicide in her early 20s, Christine came to understand that grief is not something to overcome, but a lifelong journey. In her work, she creates compassionate spaces where people can learn about grief, gently reconnect with their bodies through yoga & somatics, and build resilience at their own pace—moving forward in ways that honor both loss and life.

Learn More about Christine

Shanna Williams

is a Certified Trauma-Informed Somatic Coach, Professional Astrologer and Regenerative Farmer, specializing in grief and nervous system care. She approaches healing through a holistic lens, guided by a deep respect for the body’s intelligence and its role in navigating change.

After losing her father at sixteen and experiencing a series of losses in the years that followed, grief became a long-term companion in Shanna’s life. Over the past nineteen years, this journey has taught her that grief is not something to overcome, but something to be lived with—supported by community, nervous system care, and a compassionate relationship to our mind, body, and spirit.

Learn More about Shanna

Want to Join the Next Grief Book Club?

If this round didn’t align with your schedule — or you’re just now finding us — we’d love to have you join the next one.

Our guided grief book club is an ongoing series, each round centered around a different book exploring grief and what it means to live alongside loss.

These spaces are slow, thoughtful, and gently facilitated — weaving reflection, somatic awareness, and honest conversation in community.

Join the waitlist to:
• Be the first to know the next book
• Get early access to registration
• Receive priority enrollment

Grief doesn’t move on a timeline.
And neither do we.

Add your name below and we’ll keep you in the loop

If you’re curious about grief, the brain, and what it means to heal over time, join us.

Grief Book Club

This six-week space is designed to offer grounded education, thoughtful conversation, and compassionate reflection as we explore The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD. Our intention is to create a container that feels steady, respectful, and human — where curiosity is welcome and nothing needs to be fixed or rushed.

$88.00 USD