Sara Kerai Counseling + Evaluation Services

01/13/2026

It’s Poetry Tuesday! Today, I am sharing a poem by Laura Gilpin, who was a poet and a teacher before she became an oncology nurse. (And if you know me, you know there is a very special place in my heart for oncology nurses.) I have shared this poem many times in bereavement support groups, and I love the connection she draws between the web of life and the natural world and the web of love in the spiritual world.

Life After Death

These things I know:
How the living go on living
and how the dead go on living with them
so that in a forest
even a dead tree casts a shadow
and the leaves fall one by one
and the branches break in the wind
and the bark peels off slowly
and the trunk cracks
and the rain seeps in through the cracks
and the trunk falls to the ground
and the moss covers it
and in the spring the rabbits find it
and build their nest
inside the dead tree
so that nothing is wasted in nature
or in love.
~ Laura Gilpin

01/06/2026

So I’m trying something new this year: a challenge to share a poem that resonates with me every Tuesday. Welcome to Poetry Tuesday!

I’m a therapist, (not an influencer!) so my hope is these offerings will stir something in your spirit & remind us of our shared human connection. My first choice is by John Fox, who I just learned started The Institute for Poetic Medicine. (I want to hear more about that!) I loved how beautifully he describes the art of listening.

“When someone deeply listens to you,” by John Fox

When someone deeply listens to you
it is like holding out a dented cup
you’ve had since childhood
and watching it fill up with
cold, fresh water.
When it balances on the top of the brim,
you are understood.
When it overflows and touches your skin,
you are loved.
When someone deeply listens to you
the room where you stay
starts a new life
and the place where you wrote
your first poem
begins to glow in the mind’s eye.
It is as if gold has been discovered!
When someone deeply listens to you
your bare feet are on the earth
and a beloved land that seemed distant
is now at home within you.

11/26/2025

10/24/2025

Do you have a loved one who is undergoing cancer treatment? Here are the ways you can show up for them.

(Hint: “Let me know if you need anything” is not allowed!)

To help a loved one with cancer, think about what you're good at — and what they need. Are you organized? Plan their meals. Detail-oriented? Go with them to appointments. Survivors share ideas.

10/18/2025

Anticipatory grief is healthy and normal.

“When someone is in hospice care, they are encouraged to have closure conversations, getting a chance to say: ‘I love you, thank you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, I forgive you, goodbye.’” Research suggests that survivors experience less depression after a death when they have these types of meaningful communication.”

Yes. Here’s how to cope.

09/24/2025

The American Psychological Association is deeply concerned about the Administration’s recent announcement on autism.

Promoting unsupported scientific theories risks fueling stigma, undermines public trust and distracts from real scientific progress.

06/30/2025

When you're ready for therapy, it can be hard to find a clinician who returns your call or is ready to help a new client get started. After a few years of having very limited openings, I am happy to share that I have space in my practice for a few new clients.
Whether you are struggling or just want to reconnect with your “North Star,” I help people who are navigating:
- a new diagnosis
- grief and loss
- religious trauma/spiritual questions
- caregiving
- post-cancer trauma
- fertility issues
Please reach out. You don't have to be alone on your journey. I'm licensed to practice in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Michigan.

10/14/2024

Who can guess what it is?

Some words hurt more than they help.

06/28/2024

We don’t talk enough about this aspect of grief for a parent or older loved one. I found this conversation to be very moving.

01/20/2024

A friend shared this beautiful essay with me today. It’s about the power of showing up with a spirit of curiosity. This is one to save and come back to.

“Err on the side of presence.”

Every gesture of recognition marries love and humility, vulnerability and sacred responsibility.

11/10/2023

10/20/2023

SPOILER!

Here's the question to ask a loved one when they're upset: "Do you want to be helped, heard, or hugged?"

What an empowering question, that allows us to give the right gift to a loved one when they need it most.

Offering support can be tricky, but experts say this technique helps.