Below is list of grief support programs and coaches I cannot, in good faith, recommend—and why. This list is updated on an as-needed basis.
Want to submit a program or coach to this list? Get in touch.
Jennifer Masters (The Wisdom of My Grief)
In March 2025, Jennifer Masters stole my writing and passed it off as her own in order to rank higher on Google and attract grief coaching clients. This is not only illegal and in violation of copyright law, but also deeply unethical—and just bad karma! You can view a comparison of our two blogs here.
The Grief Recovery Method®
While I was certified as a Grief Recovery Specialist® in 2016 and practiced The Grief Recovery Method® for a few years afterward, I discovered in 2020 that John W. James, one of the original founders of The Grief Recovery Institute®, was a vehement Trump supporter, racist, and bigot. (Click the links for screenshots.)
While James died in 2021, the Institute® continues to “stay out of politics,” aligning itself with the (allegedly) apolitical values of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)—despite the fact that AA’s origins are rooted in Evangelical Christianity and, as of 2024, most of its members are white.
When I pushed back and highlighted the Institute’s failure to outspokenly support marginalized grievers, my posts in the Grief Recovery Specialists® Facebook group were deleted and my messages to the Grief Recovery Institute®’s leaders at the time went unanswered. As a queer person and the wife of an immigrant, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend anyone seek support from The Grief Recovery Method® or its certified Specialists®.
While its structure may seem welcoming and harmless on the surface, its leadership does not have the wellbeing of all grievers in mind. I stopped practicing The Grief Recovery Method® and took down my YouTube video promoting it in 2020. I have since heard from more than half a dozen former Specialists® who share the same beliefs about the organization and discourage fellow grief practitioners from being certified—and fellow grievers from seeking it out as a source of support.
You can read The Grief Recovery Method®’s June 2020 email to all Specialists® here, as well as my initial response, president Cole James’s response, and my reply, which received no answer.
A September 2020 post I made in the Certified Grief Recovery Specialists Facebook group, along with founder John W. James’s response that I’ve “gotten lost in intellect.” The posts were deleted from the group in less than five hours. | Credit: Shelby Forsythia