
Companioning for pregnancy loss
Miscarriage and stillbirth aren’t just the loss of a pregnancy, but of a dream and a hoped-for future.
Pregnancy loss can leave you grieving not only a baby, but a version of yourself, and the sense of safety you once felt in your body or your plans. It can stir deep questions about the future, your ability to have kids, or if and when you'll feel like yourself again.
You don’t have to hold it all by yourself.
As a perinatal chaplain, I offer gentle, confidential support for women navigating pregnancy loss in any trimester—including chemical pregnancy, failed IVF transfer, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
Every pregnancy loss and every grieving parent is different. Depending on your needs, support may mean:
A safe and confidential space to share your story
Spiritual and emotional support managing grief
Supporting you in planning a ritual to honor your baby
Support trying to conceive again after loss
Support grieving multiple losses
Support facing menstrual cycles after loss
Support for the special pain of grieving loss after infertility
Postpartum recovery tools in the context of loss (such as how to suppress lactation after stillbirth, or how to safely manage bleeding after miscarriage)
A safe space to share your doubts, fears, or anger with God
Talking through a crisis of faith brought on by pregnancy loss
Birth story processing for miscarriage or stillbirth
A spiritual conversation partner in discussing when to try again, or whether you want to
A compassionate person to walk alongside you during this time of transition
Loss story processing
Every pregnancy ends in birth, no matter how far along you were.
Much like live birth, miscarriage and stillbirth can introduce us to our greatest strengths and deepest fears. It can also leave its mark behind in the form of traumatic memories or ongoing anxiety.
If you’re experiencing ongoing stress, disassociation, or anxiety when you think about your loss experience, or when encountering visual reminders of what happened, it may be supportive to process your loss story in a safe and compassionate setting.
I'm trained in Birth Story Medicine as well as in Companioning for Perinatal Loss. I’ve combined these two modalities to support women who want to process and integrate a loss story for ongoing healing. This uses techniques including internal family systems, solutions-focused counseling, and somatic practice.
My role is to hold compassionate space for you and your story, deeply listen to what happened and your experience, and speak to the stories you're carrying about this loss.
Common questions
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My approach is based on the philosophy of companioning, which means I’m here to walk alongside you—not direct, fix, or analyze your grief. Companioning recognizes that while you have the inner strength to navigate grief, no one is meant to do it alone. This approach respects both your capacity to move through grief in your own way and the very real need for support along the way.
I bring training in grief care, somatic tools, and spiritual support, but every session is tailored to your needs. My role is to listen closely, support your capacity to cope, and offer practical tools and compassionate perspective when it’s helpful. You don’t have to go through this alone.
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I use a number of tools for supporting women processing loss, and customize my approach with each person depending on your unique background and what you’re most struggling with. Examples of tooling I’ve trained in and use for those walking the road of loss include:
Solutions-Focused Counseling to help clarify what’s most pressing right now, identify what’s already helping (even in small ways), and explore practical next steps that feel manageable. This approach focuses on building forward momentum without ignoring the weight of your grief.
Mindful body awareness and body scanning to help you reconnect with your body after the deep disconnection that can be brought on by loss. These tools can be especially helpful when you're navigating disconnect, dissociation, loss of trust in the body, or psychosomatic pain.
Spiritual companioning and chaplaincy-informed presence. I draw from my training as a perinatal chaplain to provide nonjudgmental, compassionate space for spiritual questions, faith shifts, and meaning-making—regardless of your belief system.
Breath exercises and grounding techniques for coping with grief, disconnect, and difficult feelings. I teach tools in-session and send resources with you so you can continue the journey at home.
Polyvagal-Informed Practices like humming and co-regulation exercises to teach you to map your nervous system states and relate to your body with a new sense of groundedness and safety.
Narrative practices that support you in exploring the meaning you’re making from your experience, identifying stories that no longer serve you, and reclaiming agency in how you understand and carry what has happened.
Ritual design and support for those who want to honor their baby, mark a meaningful date, or acknowledge the impact of a loss. We can co-create a personal, grounded ritual that feels true to you.
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A perinatal chaplain is one part of a care team after loss. Where your OB or midwife may support you with the medical aspects of pregnancy loss, a perinatal chaplain supports you with the spiritual aspects of loss.
Let’s take a look at some of the other people you may have on your care team and how a perinatal chaplain differs.
A doula supports you practically and emotionally in the preparation for, and during, (still)birth and loss. They may help you with physical and emotional support during labor, or provide in-home postpartum support after a birth.
A therapist is a trained and licensed mental health professional who supports you with your mental health and emotional wellbeing. They may use tools like talk therapy, CBT, or medication to support you. They may be focused on helping individuals process grief as a grief counselor.
A pastor or clergy person is a church leader who shepherds a congregation and can provide pastoral care to all people throughout the life cycle. They are likely ordained by a specific denomination.
A perinatal chaplain is a spiritual and emotional companion who provides pastoral care specifically for the perinatal period. They may or may not be ordained, and may use tools like pastoral care, spiritual direction, grounding techniques, birth art, or birth story medicine to support you.
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Spiritual care can include and encompass religious faith, but it stretches to touch all areas of our lives. Our spiritual life includes not only our beliefs about God, but also our understandings of how we fit into the world; our questions about our life and purpose; the stories we tell about our lives and what matters; and our morals and values. Spiritual care helps process these questions in a non-judgmental and supportive setting.
I have been trained to provide spiritual support in both Christian and interfaith settings. My 1:1 companioning sessions can be offered through a faith-informed lens depending on your background. My other offerings are not religiously-based.
As a perinatal chaplain, I am above all privileged to walk alongside you in your spiritual journey. My role is to provide you with support within the framework of your own beliefs and tradition.
If you are looking for a secular fertility chaplain or miscarriage doula, please feel free to reach out; I would be very happy to refer you to someone who might be the right fit for you.
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Absolutely; whether your loss was two or thirty years ago, I am here to support you.
Grief that doesn’t have the chance to be processed is stored in the body until the mind feels ready. Especially if you had other significant responsibilities or difficulties at the time of your life, you may not have had the time and space to process it as you needed.
If you find yourself thinking about your loss often, or struggling with difficult feelings when it comes up, your story may be asking if it’s safe to come to the surface. I am here to support you.
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Absolutely and unequivocally yes. Every pregnancy loss is a loss, and every pregnancy ends in birth. There is no “only” when it comes to pregnancy loss. No matter how long you knew you were pregnant, if you’re experiencing pain over loss, I’m here to support you.
See if there’s a fit.
Pregnancy loss is incredibly personal, and feeling safe with the right person is so important.
I offer a free, thirty-minute connection call to anyone considering companion care for pregnancy loss. You can share the basics of your story and the care you’re hoping to receive, and ask me anything you like. Together, we’ll see if my approach is the right fit for you.