Structured Fly-fishing Grief Groups

Learn fly-fishing basics while learning healthy grieving practices

Group Sessions

If you would like to be part of a group sign up below. The first day in the session is complimentary.

No commitment until the second session

Learn fly-fishing basics while practicing healthy grieving techniques. Here is a brief outline of the topics and skills we will cover:

• Week 1: Meet and Greet Get to know your fellow participants and the Grief Coach. We will introduce the program and learn about basic fly tying gear.

• Week 2: Gathering the Gear A basic introduction to the grief group. We will review policies, procedures, and guidelines for our time together, and discuss the basic gear for fly fishing.

• Week 3: Approaching the Water Identifying our individual grief stories. We will also discuss the tactical ways to approach a body of water when fishing to minimize disturbance and maximize success.

• Week 4: Wading In Identifying specific challenges to healthy grieving. We will also cover essential tips for safer wading, ensuring you have a solid foundation before entering the current.

• Week 5: Reading the Water A time to share our grief stories in more depth. In the fishing portion, we will discuss where to find fish by identifying seams, eddies, and riffles where they naturally hold.

• Week 6: Casting As we begin to put our emotions into motion, we will have our first casting lesson. This covers the rhythm and mechanics required to present the fly effectively.

• Week 7: The Drift Evaluating our grief stories to see how they have evolved. We will also discuss the importance of a natural drift—learning how to mend the line so the fly moves naturally with the current.

• Week 8: Setting the Hook Exploring our new story and who we are becoming after loss. In fishing, we discuss good ways to set a hook, focusing on the timing, direction, and pressure needed to ensure a solid connection.

• Week 9: Landing the Fish Discussing what it means to be living your new reality. We will go over tips on landing a fish safely and effectively, and introduce the concept of contemplative fly fishing as a tool for ongoing healing.

• Week 10: Time on the Water Our final session is spent together on the river. We will spend a couple of hours on the water practicing what we have learned, honoring our progress, and finding peace in the flow of the stream.

We do not provide licensed clinical counselors at this time. Our services are provided by a professional grief coach. We do not treat or diagnose mental illnesses.