KRYSTAL CARA HINKLEY
Grief Coach & Holistic Wellness Guide
Life has taught me that grief is the hard but necessary result of love and a natural part of life. My goal is to help you learn to integrate grief into your life and find a sense of peace and purpose to move forward. Most importantly, I want to help you learn to LIVE again.
I lived a relatively charmed life until a string of losses in late 2022 - within the span of a few months, I lost a significant relationship, the eyesight in my left eye, and my cat of 15 years, Ollie. It was the hardest time in my life up until that point... then in May 2023, my partner, Alex, was murdered and I was nearly caught in the crossfire. I lived in a haze of grief, despair, anger, denial, and fear for months afterward. I also struggled with major survivor's guilt. I still sometimes have a hard time accepting the fact that the life we had together with his three beautiful kids and the future we had planned is never going to be my reality again...
I spent months trying to cope and I've done it all - self-destruction, escapism, therapy... the one thing I found that brought me any solace was when I decided to use my pain and experience to become a Certified Grief Coach. I understand how it feels to have the world crumble below your feet and not know how to move forward. I understand how difficult it can be to let the grief in and feel it fully. I understand how challenging it is to nourish and love yourself during these times, despite how necessary it is to healing.
I've learned so much in this journey and I'd be honored to help you along yours. You don't have to do it alone!
“Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure to grief is to grieve.”
-Earl Grollman
Certifications &
Fun Facts
I became certified as a Grief Coach in July 2024, a little more than a year after the traumatic death of my partner, Alex
I have a certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at eCornell
I adopted a plant-based, vegan lifestyle in 2017 - it was one of the very best things I've ever done!
I earned my Second Degree in Usui Reiki in December 2021
I strive to live by the philosophy "Reverence for All Life"
I truly believe we ALL need to dance more freely and more often!
I live and play in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia