wild grief guides 2023
Wild Grief is currently looking for additional guides. Learn more here!
Anthony Geyman
TEEN BACKPACKING & DAY HIKES Anthony (he/him) lives in Tacoma and has grown up in the Pacific Northwest for most of his life learning from it the importance of community and the value of spending time in nature and the wilderness. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a B.A. in Psychology and has spent over the last decade volunteering with Camp Erin, a program centered on guiding through and joining youth on the process of grief. He believes very strongly in the resiliency and empowerment that nature can teach us through experience, discovery and exploration. Anthony values making connections with people from all walks of life through genuine conversation, shared experience, and a great deal of humor and laughter.
Aytch Denaro
TEEN BACKPACKING Aytch (they/them) grew up in Michigan, where they received a bachelors degree in Psychology shortly before making the jump the Pacific Northwest to continue their education. Aytch studied at the University of Washington and received a graduate degree in Social Work. With a passion for the outdoors coupled with their investment in youth, Aytch worked as a Wilderness Therapist on the Olympic Penninsula, before pursuing their current career in Olympia, WA. Aytch currently works as a mental health therapist for young people, ages 14-24. Along their life and career, they have connected with youth whom come from all walks of life. Aytch has discovered their passion by being a part of creating a better path for young people.
cade dibble
FAMILY JOURNEY & HIKE HABIT Cade (they/them) moved to the Coast Salish area in 2016, and hasn't stopped exploring since! After the passing of their mother in 2017, Cade found comfort through hiking, trail running, and backpacking in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. They hold an M.S. in Speech and Hearing Science, and currently works as an ASHA-certified pediatric speech-language pathologist; one of their greatest joys is helping children from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities find their voice and communicate their ideas to the world around them. Cade has found peace in the knowledge that their grief will never be too big for Nature to hold, and is excited to share in this wild journey with children and their families.
Cynthia morales
FAMILY JOURNEY & HIKE HABIT A transplant from Orlando, Florida, Cynthia (she/they) was called to the Pacific Northwest in pursuit of cooler temperatures, wetter weather and hiking adventures. She is a licensed mental health therapist who specializes in family therapy at a residential mental health treatment center for adolescents, and has been practicing for over 10 years. She embraces and celebrates the overlap between one's healing and nature, believing that both are inherently designed to thrive in the midst of adversity. Though she currently practices as a family therapist in her day to day work, she recognizes the beauty of self-directed healing through peer support groups and encourages healing in all spaces, indoors and outdoors. She promotes accessibility of healing to all in her professional work with teenagers and their families, and she is excited to bring the outdoors to everyone who seeks it through Wild Grief.
DEB DE SOUZA
FAMILY JOURNEY & HIKE HABIT Deb (she/her) was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil but adopted the PNW as her home. She came to Seattle as a foreign student and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Seattle University.
Her experiences with loss started early in life with the sudden loss of her brother. Over the years she has experienced many other losses, most recently her mom to covid-19.
As a future therapist Deb hopes to support individuals dealing with all types of grief and loss. She started volunteering with Wild Grief because her deep belief that being out in nature and with others can be very healing.
Deb is a mother of two incredible boys, and she is the happiest outdoors hiking and exploring nature with her family.
Evalynn Fae Taganna Romano
(she/her)
FINN BOSS
DAY HIKES/HIKE HABIT Finn (he/they) grew up in central Michigan and moved to Tacoma in 2019 after graduating with his bachelor’s degree. Throughout college, Finn found a love and fondness for the outdoors and found that it was a great place to process his place in the world and the losses he has experienced. Finn hopes to continue to grow and learn through programs like Wild Grief and eventually a masters in outdoor education.
Greg Voelker
DAY HIKE, HIKE HABIT, FAMILY JOURNEY Originally from the dry, scrubby foothills of southern California, Greg (he/him) is now a forest dweller, enjoying the wetlands and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Through his experiences hiking, growing vegetables and learning about native plants he has cultivated a deep connection with nature and it's inherent power to sustain and support people in all that they do. To better know himself and understand how to help people in life, he studied psychology and earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Greg is dedicated to the common good and in his spare time enjoys volunteering, dismantling systems of oppression, making music, and breathing on purpose. Struck by the loss of several important people, starting with his grandma in 2015, Greg feels passionate about exploring grief and transformation within community, and supported by mother Nature. He considers life a journey where he has the pleasure of finding his way.
huy nguyen
VIRTUAL HIKE HABIT Huy (he/him) was born and raised along the coast of sunny Southern California. After spending a few decades at a place he still calls home he went on to pursue and complete his physical therapy training/degree at NYU. He’s currently a Hepatology researcher and physical therapist at the University of Washington. His spare time is spent exploring the coast of Washington through surfing , meditating, and volunteering with the Beacon food forest as a master composter. He comes to Wild Grief with a strong passion for grief work especially with youths after spending the last 15yrs volunteering at several local young adult outdoor organizations. Understanding the importance of holding space for this transformative journey in ones life.
Jim Cubbage
TEEN & YOUNG ADULT BACKPACKING & DAY HIKES Jim (he/him) was initially drawn to grief support work through his own mother’s death at age 10. Jim has facilitated grief support groups for Sound Care Kids through Providence Hospice for 9 years. He has been a big buddy (camp counselor) for Camp Erin, a grief support camp, for 8 years. Before that he was a volunteer at the Thurston-Mason Crisis Clinic for 9 years and taught crisis intervention to new volunteers and staff for 5 years. He has been on several boards including the Crisis Clinic, Cascadia Research and Nisqually Reach Nature Center. He is an avid backpacker and is a Wilderness First Responder. His past careers include being a marine biologist for 10 years, an environmental scientist for 9, and he is currently a software developer and owner of a software company.
Julia Clevinger
TEEN & YOUNG ADULT BACKPACKING, FAMILY JOURNEY Julia Clevinger (she/they) is a mental health professional currently residing in Boise. After the passing of her mother in 2017, Julia found solace in the outdoors and found no issue was too big for nature to handle. Julia received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Gettysburg College and has yet to actually use her degree. Julia professionally works in a variety of psychiatric facilities for youth and adults, and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. You can find Julia staring at any natural body of clear water, continuously saying how shocked she is at the clarity (because nature is pretty stinking amazing). She will see you all out on the trails with Wild Grief!
KAREN KIRSCH
HIKE HABIT, FAMILY JOURNEY As a founding member of Wild Grief, Karen (she/they) has been leading Hike Habit since its inception in Feb 2017. At these monthly hikes she loves seeing individuals change after as little as an hour in nature. Karen wants everyone to know that going hiking gives our grief, the eyes and ears and arms and legs to process where words may not succeed. She also leads Wild Grief’s Day Hike and the Family Journey program. As a Somatic Movement Therapist Karen brings an embodied playfulness to groups leads and especially enjoys the supporting grievers under age 10.
Keeva Moran
TEEN BACKPACKING & DAY HIKES Keeva (she/her/they/them) feels happiest and most herself when out in nature. She is also no stranger to loss and grief, having lost many dear people and animals throughout her life. In the past few years the death of her mom and a close friend intensified her grief journey. These two things led her to start volunteering with Wild Grief in 2019. She has also been working as a forest school instructor for Acorns NW forest school. She loves rock climbing and is a route setter at Cirque Climbing Gym. In 2015 she earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology from The Evergreen State College. Keeva is a certified Wilderness First Responder and has been trained in basic search and rescue. As an aspiring naturalist, she has a broad knowledge of local plants, animals and fungi. She can often be found jumping into any body of water she comes across and exploring the woods, mountains and coasts of the Pacific Northwest. She is extremely excited to be a part of Wild Grief!
Kia juarez
TEEN BACKPACKING & HIKE HABIT Kia (she/her/they/them) is a PNW outdoor enthusiast. You can find her foraging for mushrooms, climbing crag walls, kayaking the Sound, and hiking in the Olympics or Cascades in her free time. She comes to Wild Grief with a passion to make the outdoors more inclusive for everybody. She spent her first few years of adulthood traveling the states and gaining a love for all types of people. Currently pursuing a degree in community health, with a background in acute and emergency care work as a nursing assistant; she is no stranger to loss and grief. She is eager to be a part of Wild Grief’s mission to create space for youth and families to grieve and heal in Mother Nature.
Kiersten Mueller
TEEN and YOUNG ADULT BACKPACKING
Kiersten (she/her) was born and bred in the Pacific Northwest. Try as she might (she loves to travel far and wide) she can't seem to leave this beautiful place she lovingly calls home. Kiersten is a licensed mental health counselor associate and holds an M.A. in counseling from Adams State University in Colorado. Kiersten works as a therapist who is focused on offering support to families who are experiencing homelessness. She is a proud Girl Scout Troop leader serving her local neighborhood in South Seattle. She escapes the city often to go on adventures through the northwest with her two dogs and believes in the healing power of recreation and the outdoors.
lEEANN TOURTILLOTT
FAMILY JOURNEY Leeann Tourtillott (she/her) has a passion for helping folks get outside, hoping that everyone might feel all the mystery and healing nature has to offer. Leeann has a MAEd in Environmental Education and been a teacher for folks from preschool through college. A life long backpacker, camper and farmer she is most at home when surrounded by the natural world. She has worked for Hospice and done family bereavement support for the last 12 years. Leeann’s experiences started young, her father died when she was 9, and her husband died while raising two children together. She delights in playing outdoors, making it accessible to others and holding a safe place for others to grieve, play, heal and grow.
Linda Sisson
FAMILY JOURNEY Linda (she/her) is committed to supporting grieving youth by building stronger families. She has spent her adult life providing parents with tools and support so they can in turn provide the best parenting they can to nurture their own children. Raised in Western Washington she grew up along the Puget Sound and hiking in the Cascades and she raised her own children in the forests and on the beaches of the Pacific Northwest. Leading grief groups using nature’s intrinsic healing combines her years of grief facilitation and her strong orientation to the outdoor world.
Marisha mcDowell
DAY HIKES & HIKE HABIT Marisha McDowell (she/her) is an avid hiker and adventurer. She spends time roaming the Pacific Northwest on foot, absorbing the lush beauty that surrounds the area. Most notably, she has climbed to the summit of Mt. Rainier three times and trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. She has experienced grief in many forms and is a published author with her memoir, Learning to Fly surrounding her own personal grief and trauma. Marisha finds that nature and hiking are ways to work through those waves of experiences. On her off days, she enjoys sequestering herself reading and writing with her husband and dog in their cabin, just outside Mt. Rainier National Park. Her degree is in Psychology and Women's Studies and she has a background of working 10 years within the foster care system advocating for at-risk and minoritized youth and families. Marisha believes in the power of story-telling and looks forward to meeting new people and going for walks in the woods hearing about people's lives.
nafisa muzaffar
Sharon Mast
TEEN & YOUNG ADULT BACKPACKING & DAY HIKES Sharon (she/her) is a mental health therapist based in Seattle, with a passion for grief work and helping individuals and families adjust to serious medical conditions and end-of-life issues. With over a decade of experience as an oncology social worker, Sharon is skilled in providing supportive counseling and grief support both individually and in groups. She values the power of community and peer support and is dedicated to helping her clients grow and heal. In her free time, Sharon enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, snowboarding, and paddleboarding, where she has personally experienced the healing powers of nature. Sharon is excited to be a part of Wild Grief.