Claudia Faerber

My approach to grief coaching is to slowly address the trauma we’ve experienced and tried to ignore as we move with our grief. I believe that our grief doesn’t really “go away,” but instead becomes part of us as we learn to live with it. For me, my own grief is similar to a carefully cultivated wooden table that has imperfections that enhance its beauty. I also believe our grief can become a vehicle for metamorphosis and a blessed part of who we are as individuals.

I offer one-on-one coaching that follows an eight-step process to support those who have experienced trauma as part of their grief and are looking for a coach to hold space and create a safe connection, share insight, and help you in your journey through grief.

I also offer monthly grief talking circles and workshops on trauma-informed grief.

I’m a Grief to Purpose certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach as well as an International End-of Life Doula Association (INELDA) trained Death Doula. In my work with individuals going through the dying process, I have helped with end-of-life planning, creating a sacred space for the dying, and grief support for loved ones.

I live in San Diego, California, with a greyhound named Chelsea and a toy poodle named Hazel.

Hello and welcome to my page. My name is Claudia and I’m a Trauma-Informed Grief Coach and end-of-life doula. Having experienced multiple deaths of loved ones in my life, I understand how grief can feel insurmountable. I’ve also experienced firsthand that trauma that goes unchecked can extend our emotional pain for weeks, months, or even years.

My focus on this work is to hold space through compassionate presence so that a transformation is possible. This is particularly true in my work as a death doula, working with the dying as well as their loved ones.

Specialized Support for Grief, Dying & Remembrance

Trauma-Informed Grief Coaching

One of the quietest moments in life can be the window of time following the rituals we undertake after the death of a loved one. When the memorial services are done, when neighbors stop bringing casseroles over, when family from out of town goes home, the rest of the world gets back to their lives. That’s when those still grieving can feel left behind. Having a space to process that with someone who has lived this kind of grief can be very helpful. I work with my clients from the perspective of a survivor of debilitating grief. What this means is that I take into consideration the grief recovery that helps us stay true to our loved one while taking care of ourselves. Through trauma-informed facilitated grief groups we participate in community that has dealt with loss.
I offer one-on-one grief coaching as well as half-day workshops where we dive deeper into our own grief and trauma as a way of coping with our current grief. Additionally, I offer a twelve-week-grief recovery program to include all the above.
End-of-Life Doula Services

As a death doula, my role is to help be a non-medical guide in this process. For me, it’s about building a relationship with the dying that supports their choices and helps meet their dying wishes, being there as respite for family and loved ones, helping with funeral planning, or just being present in the last days of a person’s life. What that looks like, we can build together.
Creating a Death Vigil Plan

The experience of losing a loved one can be overwhelming as well as lonely for a family. When called upon to be caregivers of someone who is ill, as the last stages of life come closer, having a plan for who will be there to attend to the dying, what their wishes are spiritually, what kinds of environment they would like created, often hasn’t even been considered. That’s where having someone who helps manage this time becomes so important. From planning those small details to the larger decisions including what happens to the remains after death, I work with my clients to be a buffer and a friend, to take the lead in clearing difficult tasks so the family is able to attend to their own experience and grief during such a pivotal moment.
Writing about Grief

I write about my own grief in my Watching with Presence blog on Substack. I also offer services in writing about your loved one through a personalized obituary that really captures the person and the life they lived.