Full Circle Grief Center

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Richmond, VA
Full Circle Grief Center

Central Virginia's comprehensive grief and bereavement resource. The risk is high for that family to break apart.

Full Circle Grief Center was founded in 2008 in response to the great need in Central Virginia to help families who had experienced the death of someone they loved – most often a father or spouse. Those families and their at-risk children were too often grieving in isolation without support – and often did not have the funds to pursue private counseling or other forms of grief support. Our programs have touched more than 9,000 lives. Our goals are to help grieving individuals:

• Increase communication with family members so families stay together in grief
• Learn coping skills to deal with traumatic events and grief
• Build support networks to reduce isolation
• Heal through creative expression

Full Circle is very unique in its approach to bereavement care:

- We combine professionally-designed grief support programs with creative expression in the form of art, music, play, dance and journaling to trigger discussions that may not have occurred otherwise.

- We are the only organization in Richmond to provide bereavement groups for extended families along with age-appropriate groups simultaneously. Families learn to grieve together rather than in isolation.

- We are also the only organization in Richmond to provide bereavement support to underserved students at their inner-city school. The need is so high that we are focusing our efforts on traumatic death. We rely 100% on the community to provide these services free of charge to all participants through our three main programs:

Counseling Groups for Families:
• Hands On Healing for children ages 3-18 and their families.
• Perinatal Loss Group for parents who are grieving the death of a baby.
• Suicide Loss Group for adults and school-aged children grieving a loss by suicide. Outreach Groups for Underserved At-Risk Youth at:
• Inner-city schools
• Community partner sites: ChildSavers, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, etc.
• Richmond City Police Department (Homicide Support Group)

Grief Education:
• Bereavement training for local professionals and community members
• Published the area’s first and only comprehensive grief resource manual

11/12/2025

Hello? Is this thing on? Testing, one, two, three… 🎙️

Okay, so we know, we know… how can we possibly be thinking about Giving Tuesday already? This is like when you went to the grocery store in October and they already had the holiday decorations already out. Giving Tuesday is like, a month away. Are we for real? 👀

And the answer is yes, yes, we are for real. We are really, truly passionate about serving grievers in our community. So this year, we’ve created a Giving Tuesday campaign that embraces some of the hard truths about grief, but also the light and growth and community that can be found.

We’ve got almost everything lined up: staff videos, donor matches, board members, an ambitious goal, a raffle drawing, and more.

All we’re missing is you. 💙

Join us here in the next few weeks (three, to be exact) as we journey towards Giving Tuesday on December 2. It may seem far away, but it’ll be here before we know it.

11/10/2025

Today we are sharing a heartfelt note of gratitude to our friends and community members at the Rotary Club of Goochland, who recently rallied support that allowed us to offer an additional section of our Widow, Widower, and Partner Loss Group for 2025.

The Rotary Club of Goochland is a long-standing community organization and chapter of Rotary International, made up of regular community members who seek to solve problems through direct action and support.

Because of this partnership, we were able to serve and connect grieving grieving spouses and partners throughout Central Virginia, ensuring that our much-needed Widow, Widower and Partner Loss group continued free of charge to surviving spouses in the times they needed support most. Thank you. 💙

To read more about the The Rotary Club of Goochland, visit their website linked below or our website to learn more about our support groups.

Rotary Goochland
https://www.goochlandrotary.com//

Full Circle Support Groups
https://fullcirclegc.org/support-groups/

11/07/2025

Our group leaders truly make healing possible for so many. As we wind down the latest session of our loss-specific and school groups, we want to send a thank you and recognition to our Fall group leaders for their hard work and dedication to supporting grievers. Thank you to those who make our School Groups, Overdose and Substance Use-Related Loss, Perinatal Loss, and Su***de Loss support groups so meaningful.

School Groups - Liza
Overdose and Substance Use-Related Loss Group - Susan
Perinatal Loss Group - Rebekah
Su***de Loss Group - Lizzie, Jen

Your time, thoughtfulness, and care to the service of others speaks volumes. We are so grateful for you! 💙

11/05/2025

Last chance! 📣 Join us for the last offering of our workshop, "Strategies for Providing Trauma Informed Support During and After Perinatal Loss" on Friday, November 14th. 🌼

This workshop is a perinatal loss professional development opportunity, made possible in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), appropriate for medical and mental health professionals, hospital chaplains, and anyone who works within this scope of care.

Please note that this workshop is offered free of charge, but registration is required. More information on registration at our website linked below. 🔗

Full Circle Training and Resources | Trauma Informed Perinatal Loss
https://fullcirclegc.org/trauma-informed-perinatal-loss-training/

11/03/2025

If you've been a Full Circle fan for a while, you probably know that we host our annual Fall community fundraising event, Fall Fest, every November. So, it's November already, and you're totally ready to put on a sweater, bid on some local auction items, enjoy an adult beverage and be in community with other grievers. Just one problem. Where is y'all's Fall Fest? 🍂

Unfortunately, for 2025, we have made the hard decision to take a year off from hosting Fall Fest. While there were many reasons behind this decision, the main factor was honoring our need to focus on what Full Circle is best known for -- the services and programs we deliver to our clients.

Truth be told, since we gathered last November, Full Circle has been growing *a lot*. Our programs continue to operate on waiting lists. We have also been afforded the opportunity to deepen partnerships in the community, such as working with the Virginia Department of Health on several significant projects and formalizing a much needed list of services to offer local communities in need of grief support.

While we will miss gathering this fall season, we are also looking forward to next year, as we will announce the date for Living Your Dash — our largest and most popular event. We are also hosting our Annual Holiday Circle of Remembrance candle lighting on Thursday, December 11, 2025 and will have our Annual Campaign begin before year’s end.

Thank you for your past support of Fall Fest and your understanding as we narrow our focus to programs and services for those grieving in our community this fall. We are sorry to not have a space to gather, but are truly thankful for your continued support. Full Circle is stronger because of each and every one of you. 💙

11/01/2025

Dia de los Mu***os, also known as “Day of the Dead” is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world on November 1st and 2nd each year. 🌼

This unique holiday is full of traditions and ways to honor our deceased loved ones. Dia de los Mu***os celebrates both death and life. Knowing this, we keep a Full Circle office altar or "ofrenda" up during this time in honor of loved ones and their special memories. This year, it was lovingly maintained and decorated by Shannon, our Practice Manager, and Laura, our Overdose and Substance Use-Related Loss Bereavement Services Manager. 💙

Even if you haven’t celebrated this holiday in the past, we hope you will explore these inspirational traditions to discover ways you can honor and celebrate significant people in your lives who have left us. ❤️

You can also read more about this important cultural holiday in our blog post by Full Circle's Allyson Drake in the link below. 🔗

Full Circle Blog | Dia de los Mu***os
https://fullcirclegc.org/2022/10/31/dia-de-los-muertos/

10/31/2025

Yep, we know it: spooky season isn't for everyone. 👻 From the kids trick-or-treating, to scary costumes and movies, to the ever-present ghost and ghoul decorations, it's a time of year when reminders of death are everywhere. Understandably, this may fall a little tone deaf for folks who are actively grieving or have experienced loss.

There are many, many, reasons why the pumpkin spice season might fall flat for you. However, the fantastic folks at What's Your Grief have an oldie but a goodie when it comes to Halloween and Grief, covering many of the common reasons why the festivities may feel a little hollow for grievers.

Maybe you take a new spin on the holiday, maybe you leave your porch light off this year, or maybe you find new ways to incorporate grief into you experience of even (somewhat) smaller holidays like Halloween.

Take a read at the article linked below. 🔗

What's Your Grief | Grief and Halloween
https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-and-halloween/

10/29/2025

For our most recent group spotlight, we turned to Laura McDonald, LCSW, for insights from the important work our Overdose and Substance Use-Related Loss Groups have been doing this year. 💙

When it comes to overdose and substance use related loss, there can be a lot of misconceptions. One is that it’s usually a parent grieving the loss of their child. Another is that the loss is always specifically drug related.

Overdose and Substance Use-Related Bereavement Services Manager, Laura McDonald, LCSW, debunks both those assumptions by sharing a little bit about our current Overdose Loss Groups’s demographics.

30% of our group participants are grieving the loss of a parent and 40% are grieving the loss of a loved one due to alcohol use.

“I don't think people really know how deadly alcohol remains in our society,” Laura adds. There are also a lot of assumptions based on ageism and who is impacted by substance use. “I think the assumption is that it is a younger person,” shares Laura, when in reality individuals across the lifespan can be vulnerable to substance use. 💙

10/27/2025

It is with enormous gratitude that we shine a spotlight on the Joseph M. Ruffin Foundation, who has recently awarded a generous grant in support of Full Circle and the work we do serving grieving children, adults, families, and communities across Virginia. 💙

Founded in 2013, the Joseph M. Ruffin Foundation honors the legacy of Joseph "Jody" Ruffin, who led a successful professional life in the lumber and millwork industry at Ruffin & Payne in addition to serving as an active member of the Richmond Rotary Club. Instilled with a strong belief in serving others and giving back to his community, the Joseph M. Ruffin Foundation has strengthened numerous organizations in Central Virginia by distributing over $1 million dollars in support.

Because of this generosity, Full Circle is strongly positioned to continue providing accessible and affordable grief support to children and families across Virginia -- and we remain incredibly grateful to be added to the roster of organizations supported by the Joseph M. Ruffin Foundation. 💙

To learn more about their work and organization, follow the link below. 🔗

Learn More: The Joseph M. Ruffin Foundation
https://thejosephmruffinfoundation.com/

10/24/2025

Join us as we welcome the newest member of Full Circle's operations team, Erica Holmes! 🎉

Erica joins Full Circle as our new Finance Manager, and will be handling the daily financial operations of Full Circle, as well as reporting and data management. With an extensive background in finance, a graduate degree in human services, and a bachelor's in business administration, Erica is an important component of the work we do at FC! 💙

Erica brings more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector with 15+ years in supervisory and systems-level roles. Erica has previously held positions where she focused on strengthening operations, HR, and financial systems while advancing organizational strategy. Erica imparts a deep understanding of community-based service delivery, leadership development, and capacity building through coaching—equipping nonprofits with practical tools and resilient teams, streamlining processes, and achieving their mission with confidence. She is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations thrive through strong systems and people-centered leadership.

Welcome, Erica! We are incredibly grateful to have you on board here at Full Circle. 🫶

Read more about Erica by checking out her staff listing below.

Full Circle Grief Center | Erica Holmes
https://fullcirclegc.org/erica-holmes/

10/22/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Candle Lighting event on October 15. It was a gorgeous evening with clear skies and warm hugs as over 100 people gathered at Full Circle to honor and remember their loved ones and share their loss with others. 💙

We're giving a special thank you to Carrie Schaeffer, LCSW, our Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager, who organized and led the event, for the work she does this month in particular, but all year round, to support our families who have experienced perinatal loss, as well as the rest of our Perinatal Loss team and clinicians. Additional thanks to Shannon Deneen, MSW, our Practice Manager, who jumped in to support this event without hesitation. 💙

And extra special thanks to all our participants who arrived in singles and pairs and groups, with friends, family, children, grandparents, and pets alike, to come together for an evening of remembrance and community. 🕯️

Read more about this event at our Full Circle Feature for October, now live at our website. 🔗

Full Circle Feature | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
https://fullcirclegc.org/2025/10/21/october-pregnancy-and-infant-loss-awareness-month/

10/20/2025

Our most recent staff blog post comes from Laura McDonald, LCSW, Overdose and Substance Use-Related Loss Bereavement Services Manager, on the topic of guilt, shame, and counterfactual thinking. Laura unpacks the complicated and nuanced emotions that can sometimes accompany an overdose loss in this thoughtful article, linked below. 💙

"Many survivors feel paralyzed by a profound sense of guilt for not being able to save the one they loved. They ruminate on every decision and discussion ever had regarding substance use and addiction, every action taken and not taken. If only they had managed to make the right decisions, be more patient, more strict, more giving, less giving, perhaps their loved one would still be here. After a death caused by overdose, the end can be seen as an inevitable train wreck that somehow they could and should have been able to control. So what can we do to possibly address this crippling cycle of pain?"

Staff Blog | Guilt, Shame, and Counterfactual Thinking: How To Survive the Complexities of an Overdose Loss
https://fullcirclegc.org/2025/09/30/guilt-shame-and-counterfactual-thinking/

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Richmond, VA

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http://fullcirclegc.org/

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