Meet Your Grief Guide, Dr. Marlene Shiple
Your Compassionate Guide Through Grief and Transition
When people ask how long I've been doing this work, I often smile and say, "I started my first practice in 1975, but I hesitate to say it's been 50 years because I can't quite comprehend that myself."
The truth is, I've never considered what I do as "work." Supporting others on their healing journey isn't a job—it's my passion, my purpose, and my greatest joy.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with 45+ years of therapeutic experience
Multiple Certified Specializations
Hypnotherapy, Grief Therapy, Trauma Therapy,
and Sex Therapy (AASECT-certified and member)Amazon Best-Selling Author and
Creator of "The Grief Healing Pathway" programProfessional Memberships in the
American Psychological Association (APA), American Counseling Association (ACA), American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors & Therapists (AASECT), American Association for Professional Hypnotists (AAPH)
My Unique Approach to Healing Grief
Grief is more than an emotion; it can reshape your identity, your relationships, your sense of safety, and your vision for the future.
Many approaches focus only on talking through the pain. While that can be valuable, lasting healing often requires reaching the deeper patterns held within the subconscious mind, where grief, guilt, fear, and old beliefs quietly influence how we experience life.
My work is designed to help you move beyond surviving and begin creating a meaningful new chapter.
🌿 I Help You Access the Deeper Mind
Using hypnotherapy and other evidence-informed techniques, we gently uncover and release emotional patterns that may be keeping you stuck, creating space for healing and transformation.
💛 I Create a Safe, Compassionate Space
You don't have to hold it all together here. You'll be met with empathy, respect, and genuine understanding, without pressure, judgment, or expectations about how grief "should" look.
🧠 I Blend Science with the Human Spirit
Healing isn't just intellectual. It involves the mind, body, emotions, and the deeper meaning we make of our experiences. My approach honors the whole person while helping build new patterns for resilience and growth.
🛠️ I Offer Practical Tools for Real Life
You'll gain strategies to navigate grief, manage emotional overwhelm, and continue moving forward—even while balancing work, family, and daily responsibilities.
✨ I Honor Your Unique Journey
No two people grieve in the same way. Together, we'll move at a pace that feels right for you, creating a personalized path that honors your story, your strengths, and your capacity to heal.
"I believe healing happens when we honor grief as a testament to love, while gently creating space for joy to return."
– Dr. Marlene
For more than 45 years, I’ve helped people navigate grief, trauma, and major life transitions. Today, my work focuses on helping people around the world heal from loss through online coaching, hypnotherapy, and The Grief Healing Pathway.
From there, I taught psychology in a community college system, worked as a Drug Counselor and Family Therapist, and ultimately built two client-service businesses that have spanned over five decades.
I've witnessed countless transformations as clients move from overwhelming pain to purposeful living, not by "getting over" their loss, but by learning to carry their love forward in meaningful ways.
These years of clinical practice and teaching have led me to articulate a structural approach to human adaptation known as Cognitive Engineering Psychology, an emerging field focused on how internal psychological architecture can be intentionally reorganized following disruption, even catastrophic disruption.
My approach integrates psychological insight with engineered frameworks that restore clarity, stability, and adaptive capacity.
When I’m not guiding clients through their healing journeys, I serve as both a member of the Disaster Mental Health section of the American Red Cross (since 1992) and currently chair our region’s Outprocessing Committee.
This volunteer activity provides additional depth to my professional mission of helping those suffering from sudden, unexpected shock and traumatic loss. It encompasses being "in the trenches" with those making the transitional journey out of crisis, while facing the daunting task of reconstructing their lives.
My Core Philosophy
Healing is sacred. It is deeply personal. And no matter where you are today, I believe it is possible.
These principles guide every conversation, every session, and every step we take together.
💛 Grief Is Love That Has Lost Its Place to Land
Grief is not something to conquer or erase. It is a reflection of love, connection, and meaning. Rather than trying to "get over it," we gently learn to integrate loss into a life that can once again hold joy, purpose, and hope.
🧠 Lasting Healing Often Begins Beneath the Surface
Many of our emotional patterns live below conscious awareness. By working with the subconscious mind, we can uncover limiting beliefs, release emotional burdens, and create new pathways that support resilience and transformation.
🌱 Small Steps Create Profound Change
Healing rarely happens all at once. It unfolds through consistent, compassionate choices that honor where you are while opening the door to new possibilities.
✨ Joy Does Not Diminish Love
Many people feel guilty when they begin laughing again, dreaming again, or experiencing moments of peace. I believe that embracing life does not leave your loved one behind—it carries their love forward in a new way.
🤝 Healing Happens in Safe Connection
You do not have to navigate grief alone. Within a relationship built on trust, compassion, and understanding, we create the conditions for growth, adaptation, and meaningful change. Together, we build the inner foundation that allows you to move forward with greater clarity, strength, and confidence while honoring everything that has shaped your journey.
Let’s connect
If you're experiencing grief or a significant life transition, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can create a path forward that honors your emotions while gently opening space for peace and purpose to return.
