Grief and loss coaching 1:1 and group

Between what was
and what's next.

A space to name your loss, sit with what's here, and move forward without rushing yourself. Coaching for the kinds of loss that reshape a life: a death, an identity, a relationship, the future you thought you'd have.

CoachDavid Ridley-Parris CredentialsCPCC · ACC
LGBTQ+ affirming Partner loss Identity and career Ambiguous grief Group coaching
01

The work.

When something ends, the ground shifts. We're not great at making space for that. The cultural script says grief is a wound to close up quickly, something to get over so you can move on. In my experience, grief isn't something you fix. It's something you carry, and you learn to carry it differently over time.

01 · Naming

Grief doesn't always come with a name or anyone else's permission. Whether you're grieving a person, a role, a home, or a future you'd planned for, naming the loss is where things start to move.

02 · Liminal space

After a loss, you're no longer who you were and not yet who you're becoming. You don't need answers right away. The clarity tends to arrive from inside this space, not before it.

03 · Wholeness

We work with reflection, somatic practice, and breath. We listen for what your body is holding, what your emotions are saying, and what's rising before you have words for it.

04 · Forward motion

Coaching is forward-looking by nature. We work toward clarity, decisions, and concrete next steps, all tied back to a bigger question. What does a life that feels meaningful look like for you now?

Ready to take the next step? See how we work →
02

Who this is for.

If you've recently lost someone and don't know what comes next, if you've outgrown a life and you're between identities, or if a grief you thought you'd already worked through has come back up, you're in the right place.

01 · Remaker

After a death that reshaped your life.

"My life evolved around them. Now I don't know what to do next."

Your life was shaped around someone, emotionally and maybe professionally. The loss is recent, somewhere between six and eighteen months. The pressure to "move on" is louder than your readiness. We make room for what's actually here, and look at what a meaningful next chapter could be.

Death of partner or loved one
02 · Identity Shifter

Between the old life and the next one.

"I've outgrown the old version of me, but the new one isn't clear yet."

A career pivot, a relationship ending, a country left behind. On the surface, it's a transition. Underneath, it's grief for a former version of yourself: the person you thought you'd be, the things you thought you'd want. We work through the ambiguous middle until you feel grounded in your direction.

Identity, career, relationship
03 · Invisible Griever

A grief you thought you were done with.

"I thought I was done grieving this, but something's still unfinished."

An estranged parent, a complicated relationship, a piece of your identity you didn't realize had shaped you. The grief has come back up and it feels strange and lonely. We make room for it, look at why it's resurfacing now, and reconnect you with what matters today.

Ambiguous or disenfranchised loss
Sound like you? Find your path →
03

Two ways to work.

I work in two main ways. Which fits depends on what you're carrying and how you want to be held through it. If you're not sure, the intro call is a good place to figure it out together.

Not sure which is right? We can work it out together. Schedule a free 30-min call →
04

About David.

Hello, I'm David.

I work with people in the messy, unfamiliar space between what was and what's next. The loss of a partner, a parent, a relationship, a role, an identity, a future you'd planned for. Grief shows up in many forms, and not all of them get named or recognized.

Before this work, I spent almost two decades in HR at firms in New York and Silicon Valley. I reached a senior role I'd been working toward for years, and when I got there, it didn't feel right. I left, trained as a coach, and what kept surfacing in sessions was grief: for roles, identities, relationships, and lives that no longer fit. That's what drew me into this work. My own experience also shaped it. I lost my dad at 19, and it took me nearly twenty years to understand I'd been grieving in my own way the whole time.

I work with a range of clients, and as a gay man I have particular care for the LGBTQ+ community I'm part of, where loss often arrives in forms that go unrecognized. The death of a partner, the grief of chosen family, the quieter losses tied to identity and belonging.

My approach is grounded in wholeness, your thoughts, your body, your emotions, your intuition, and oriented toward forward movement. Not by fixing what hurts, but by helping you name what's here, sit with what's true, and build something meaningful from it.

Schedule a free call How we work
05

Read + follow.

06

Get in touch.

The next step is a conversation. Schedule a free 30-minute call, or send a note and I'll be in touch within a few business days.

Option 01

Schedule a call.

A free, 30-minute conversation to see whether this is the right fit. No pressure, no script. If that time doesn't work, send a note instead.

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Option 02

Send a note.

Share as much or as little as you want. A few sentences is plenty. I read everything myself.

Thank you. Your message is on its way. I'll be in touch shortly.
There's no "right" answer. Share only what feels okay to share.
Begin · No cost · 30 minutes

A space for what's here.

If something here resonates, the next step is a conversation. We'll talk through what you're navigating, what you're hoping coaching might open up, and whether this is the right fit. No pressure, no script.