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

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/

10/15/2025

Remembrance Event Tonight 🕯️ Please join us for Full Circle's annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day Candle Lighting Community Event happening tonight, Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 pm.

This event is free and open to the community, taking place in person at Full Circle Grief Center in our lower level parking lot. We will have a brief program, inspirational reading, remembrance activities, and participation in a "wave of light" representing and honoring our loved ones. Light refreshments and candles will be provided.💙

Visit our event website for more information or contact Carrie Schaeffer, LCSW, Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager at carrie.schaeffer@fullcirclegc.org or 804-912-2947.

Full Circle | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
https://fullcirclegc.org/pregnancy-and-infant-loss-awareness-day/.

10/13/2025

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, we're grateful to share this closing group craft project from our most recent Perinatal Loss Group in Spring 2025. 💙

Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager, Carrie Schaeffer, shared that the idea for the pillow was sparked by discussion about felt hearts that are often placed in babies' bassinets in the NICU.

"The hearts are first given to the parents to wear next to their skin and then they are placed in the baby's bassinet so that they can be soothed by and bond with their parents' scents," she explained. "The group decided to make a giant felt heart decorated with patches created by each participant to symbolize their baby."

The pillow still sits near our group room at Full Circle's offices, where it has sparked conversations and heartfelt wonder at such a touching and creative way to honor the group's loved ones. We are incredibly grateful to be a part of each family's grief journey through our Perinatal Loss Group, and during this special month of remembrance. 💙

10/09/2025

Today we're giving an official welcome to the newest member of Full Circle's clinical team, Jess Hoy! 🎉

Jess joins our team as our newest individual therapist, providing compassionate counseling services to individuals who are grieving. With a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from University of Denver and an M.S.W. from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jess has already begun making an impact with the clients she is seeing here at Full Circle. 💙

Jess graduated from the University of Denver in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and worked in a hospital doing medical research before realizing that she missed the interpersonal components of health and wellbeing. After working for several years with children with disabilities, Jess went back to school and earned her Master’s of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023. Jess completed her internship at VCU’s University Counseling Services and stayed on as an Advanced Mental Health Resident after graduation. During her time at the counseling center, Jess stumbled into a passion for working with grief in all forms, finding herself drawn to the often unspoken or shame-shrouded experiences of loss we all face.

Welcome, Jess! We are thrilled to have you on board here at Full Circle. 🫶

You can read more about Jess by checking out her staff listing below.

Full Circle Grief Center | Jess Hoy
https://fullcirclegc.org/jess-hoy/

10/07/2025

Please join us for Full Circle's annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day Candle Lighting Community Event on Wednesday, October 15th. 🕯️

This event is free and open to the community, taking place in person at Full Circle Grief Center in our lower level parking lot. We will have a brief program, inspirational reading, remembrance activities, and participation in a "wave of light" representing and honoring our loved ones. Light refreshments and candles will be provided.💙

Visit our event website for more information or contact Carrie Schaeffer, LCSW, Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager at carrie.schaeffer@fullcirclegc.org or 804-912-2947.

Full Circle | Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
https://fullcirclegc.org/pregnancy-and-infant-loss-awareness-day/.

10/02/2025

Congratulations to our team members at Full Circle who are celebrating their staff anniversary this month! 🎉

Carrie Schaeffer
Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager
10 years

From our individual therapists, administrative and clinical teams, group leaders, and more, we are so grateful to have you in our inner circle! We couldn't do it without you! 💙

09/30/2025

Q: What do you get when you combine... a great idea, an act of remembrance, and an indomitable spirit? A: Allie Woodruff. 💪

Community connection is the heart of everything we do at Full Circle, especially at our annual luncheon event, Living Your Dash, which takes place every spring. We always hope that guests leave the event inspired and bolstered by acts of kindness, grace, and the ability to make a difference in your community. However, one 2025 Living Your Dash attendee, Allie Woodruff, took our message to the next level.

While our event’s guest speaker, Carson Clough, was a Paralympic athlete and triathlon silver medalist in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Allie was no stranger to feats of athleticism herself. Prior to the event, Allie had decided to celebrate a milestone birthday by challenging herself to complete a triathlon as well. In doing so, she also wanted to honor the life of her mother, Merry Woodruff, who had passed away in 2024.

So, we were absolutely floored when Allie shared a few months after Living Your Dash that she was one: running a triathlon for the first time in fifteen years, two: doing it in honor of her mother, who was a former counselor, and three: raising funds to benefit Full Circle along the way.

We cannot thank Allie enough for including Full Circle on this triathlon challenge. Read more about Allie and her amazing journey earlier this year at our blog below! 💙

Full Circle Blog: Local Woman Completes Triathlon in Honor of Mother, Raises Over $7K
https://fullcirclegc.org/2025/09/30/allie-woodruff-triathalon-fundraiser

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Richmond, VA

Website

http://fullcirclegc.org/

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