Kelly Daugherty, LCSW, PLLC

12/19/2025

The holidays can feel challenging after someone you love has died.

There’s so much pressure to show up, participate, smile, and “keep traditions going” even when your body, heart, and mind are saying otherwise.
Grief doesn’t follow a holiday calendar. There is no right way to navigate this season.
This Holiday Bill of Rights was created as a reminder that you don’t have to do the holidays the way you always have. You get to decide what feels manageable this year. You get to change plans. You get to step back. You get to honor the person who died in ways that actually feel meaningful to you.

Grief doesn’t follow a holiday calendar. And there is no right way to get through this season.

If you’re grieving, save this. Share it with someone who needs permission to do things differently. Let it be something you come back to when the expectations start to feel loud.

And if you’re looking for more support, check out The GRIEF Ladies Podcast and join us inside the GRIEF Ladies Community on Facebook — a private space for honest conversations, practical tools, and connection with others who truly get it.

You are allowed to take care of yourself, this season and always.

12/13/2025

Check out the GRIEF Ladies Podcast now available on all major podcast platforms.

Real Support for Grieving Individuals

11/22/2025

International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day

Today recognizes a community that often feels unseen — those who are living with the death of someone they love to su***de. International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day is a day of reflection, acknowledgment, and connection for anyone navigating the unique and often complicated layers of su***de-related grief.

This type of grief can bring shock, confusion, anger, guilt, questions without answers, and deep love all at once. It doesn’t follow a predictable path, and it can feel isolating, especially when others don’t know what to say or how to support you.

We want to honor the survivors who show up each day with their memories, their questions, and the ongoing relationship they hold with the person who died. Your experience is real. Your person’s life mattered. And your grief deserves understanding, not judgment.

Whether today brings emotions to the surface or remains a quiet day of reflection, please know there is support available. If you need resources or connection, we’re here.

You are not alone.

11/06/2025

Check out the article in the newest edition of The Get Griefy Magazine about Induced After-Death Communication Therapy. This is an amazing life changing therapeutic technique that I'm grateful to be able to offer to my clients and at our retreats. You can read the article for free online. Link is in the comments

11/01/2025

Congratulations! Our Fall Session of Healing Strides rocked their goal race this morning! Great job ladies! Thank you to our amazing volunteer mentors for being there as always for our participants. Lisa and I couldn't do this without you.

Our next session starts on April 13th!

11/01/2025

Goal Race Day for Healing Strides! Our participants are going to rock their 5k today!

11/01/2025

Thrilled to share: I’m featured in the latest Get Griefy Magazine, out now!

My piece Beyond the Veil explores Induced After-Death Communication. The issue is full of moving stories and insights on grief and healing.

Free digital version: Link is in the comments
Print on Amazon: Link is in the comments
Check it out and let me know what you think! Feel free to share.

Thanks for your support!

10/31/2025

If you've ever felt like your grief over losing a pet was "too much" or lasted "too long," this episode is for you. 💙

In our latest podcast, Adam talks with Kelly Daugherty, LCSW, PLLC from Center for Informed Grief, LLC about what grief really is: love with nowhere to go.

She reminds us that grief isn't something to fix or get over. It's something we learn to carry — and that's completely okay.

This conversation covers:

• Why your grief is valid, no matter what anyone says
• How to cope with anticipatory grief while your pet is still here
• Why comparing your loss to someone else's never helps
• The healing power of memorial rituals
• How to be gentle with yourself through the waves of grief
• Why it's okay if grief changes over time

Whether you're grieving right now, preparing for goodbye, or supporting someone else, this episode offers real compassion and tools you can actually use.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/FkgZVtZsq2c?si=N-ek0LqM9LTnP0yR and subscribe to our YouTube channel if you want more honest conversations about loving and losing our pets.

You're not alone in this. 🕊️

Love, Baxter

10/27/2025

10/27/2025

Part of the Transforming Grief Virtual Symposium | November 5–7, 2025

Many parents are unprepared for the emotional complexity of an empty nest. What’s often seen as a normal life transition can actually surface deep feelings of grief, identity loss, and disconnection.

In this session, I’ll explore Empty Nest Syndrome through a grief-informed lens, helping clinicians recognize the nuanced grief that arises when children leave home. We’ll discuss:

-How to distinguish between adjustment, grief, and clinical depression

-The role of ambiguous and disenfranchised grief in the empty nest experience

-Practical, evidence-informed interventions to support parents in transition

-Compounded grief when parents have experienced the death of a child

This is a virtual event open to mental health professionals, educators, and anyone supporting families through transition. Check out the other workshops being presented as well.

Register or learn more- Link is in the comments