Who we are
Our Mission
Kintsugi Grief Center’s mission is inspired by the philosophy of kintsugi, believing that even in the midst of grief and suffering, there is the potential for beauty and resilience. Through compassionate and restorative services, we help individuals rebuild their lives and honor their stories.
Our team of therapists, healers, and care professionals is dedicated to fostering connection, providing support, and creating a sense of community where healing can thrive.
“Our grief is as individual as our lives.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
About our FOunder, Vanessa Fierstadt
While life may end, love does not.
In 2012, Vanessa Fierstadt, owner and founder of Kintsugi Grief Center, experienced the heartbreaking loss of her husband Greg to cancer at the age of 30. During their final days together, they embraced the sacredness of truly living, with a resilience that no illness could break. Their love story, tragically cut short, left Vanessa, a young widow and therapist, grappling with profound grief and struggling to find her place as a young griever.
Inspired by Greg’s courageous spirit, Vanessa embarked on a deeply personal journey of healing. In this process, she found a passion for helping others, particularly those facing disenfranchised grief. Vanessa specializes in grief and bereavement, drawing from both her lived experience and over a decade of professional expertise in the mental health field.
At Kintsugi Grief Center, she provides individual counseling, facilitates grief support groups, and leads grief-focused workshops for mental health professionals and the community. Vanessa is dedicated to offering meaningful tools and compassionate support for those navigating their grief, while fostering resilience and connection in the face of profound loss
