Community Highlights: Meet Andrea Davis of Your Grief Solution

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Davis

Hi Andrea, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my journey in grief education in early 2020 shortly after my mom and husband Dave passed away in 2019. I was searching for my purpose in life, and I was trying to find a way to reclaim my life back. I ultimately realized that helping others through their grief was something that I was passionate about. My husband was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease in 2007 and was placed on dialysis at 37 years old. In 2008 I became his kidney donor. Unfortunately, the kidney was rejected, and he was thrust back onto dialysis 3-days a week where he would spend the next 12 years. I had immense grief around not only my mom and husband passing, but I grieved the life we had before he got sick, in addition, I grieved the future life that we were not going to get to have.

During those 12 years I was Dave’s caregiver and discovered that I excelled at being his health advocate; my compassionate nature and my sense of calm that I bring during a crisis is what really propelled me into wanting to help others through the pain of their losses. I knew I had found my passion, now I just had to find a way to reach other grievers.

Shortly after my mom and Dave’s passing, as I was looking for a way to deal with my own grief, I discovered The Grief Recovery Institute. The Grief Recovery Institute is a non-profit organization that developed and uses The Grief Recovery Method, which is an evidence-based, action-oriented grief program that helps people move through the emotional pain of loss. As I was suffering the loss of the two most important people in my life, I needed help and needed to find a way to deal with the pain of their loss. I went through the Grief Recovery Method program myself. Immediately afterwards, my life was profoundly changed. It was hard to feel joy or peace in my life and the quality of my life was not in a good place. The Grief Recovery Method helped me find my quality of life again and gave me back the joy and peace that was missing.

Once I completed the program, I went through the Institutes training and certification program and became an Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist. I now facilitate groups or individuals dealing with their own loss by using The Grief Recovery Method program. During this time in 2020 is when my private practice Your Grief Solution was born – developed by a griever for grievers suffering from any type of loss.

Currently, Your Grief Solution offers three courses where I facilitate in-person group courses, as well as one-on-one online courses so I can help people all over the world. In addition, I offer private grief coaching, and I am available for speaking events at corporations, and local community events. I also created a digital workbook, available on my website to help individuals process their grief.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. As we know talking about grief is not something that society is comfortable with speaking about. In fact, society avoids talking about grief altogether because we do not like feeling fear or vulnerability.

The main challenge that I experienced along the way was the difficulty of finding people at the right time in their grief journey to take The Grief Recovery Method program. Not everyone is ready to move in the direction of living a happier, more peaceful life – and that’s ok. Another challenge I ran into was the cost, which is why I offer competitive pricing for our area, so anyone can afford it and they can get the help they need to heal their heart. It just takes a little bit of open-mindedness and courage to begin.

And finally, I think that society has been blinded by traditional drop-in support groups, and most people aren’t aware that there is program out there that is 40+ years old and is a proven program. It is certainly a challenge informing the public about this program; I literally tell anyone who will listen about my experience, and the benefits of The Grief Recovery Method.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am excited to share with you about my business! As the owner of Your Grief Solution, I specialize in facilitating in-person and online grief recovery courses. I am known for using The Grief Recovery Method as the curriculum for my course. During the course I help individuals identify and confront old grief myths or unhelpful patterns of grieving, and to examine ways in which understanding grief has been developed throughout our lives by important people and society. Most importantly though, I provide action-oriented tasks on how to let go of pain from loss to help people get their quality of life back and to live a more joyful, peaceful life. I do this through a series of small and correct action choices throughout the course, each week building upon the previous week.

What I am most proud of is research conducted by Kent State University has shown that The Grief Recovery Method approach to helping grievers deal with the pain of emotional loss in any relationship is “Evidence Based” and effective. I am also proud to say that this program is the ONLY Grief Support Program in the world to have received this distinction of being evidence based! This is amazing and is specifically what sets my course apart from other traditional drop-in grief support groups. My business model is about healing the heart and not staying stuck in the pain and suffering of loss.

In addition to my individual and group courses, I also offer courses specific for Pet Loss and When Children Grieve using the same Grief Recovery Method program. You can learn more about Your Grief Solution and all the courses that I offer by visiting my website at www.yourgriefsolution.com.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am currently in the process of writing my Memoire, specific to the time period of when my late husband Dave was ill with end-stage renal disease (2007-2019). Not a lot of people know that I am writing a book or that it’s my goal to have it completed by the end of 2024. I guess they’ll know now. We all have a story to tell, and I can’t wait to share mine. It is my wish that my story will give others hope that there can be a better future after loss, without losing the memory of our loved ones.

Pricing:

• • 8-week in-person group course is $250 per person
• • 7-week private online 1:1 course is $500 per person
• • 6-week Pet Loss private online 1:1 course is $300 per person
• • 4-week When Children Grieve private online 1:1 course is $295 per person
• • Pathways Through Grief: A Workbook for Healing $19.99 (digital only)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yourgriefsolution.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourgriefsolution/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GriefBeyond