Creative and nature-based accompaniment for grief, loss & life transitions.
Believe in the power of ART and NATURE
As an artist, poet, and nature advocate, I accompany people navigating grief, loss, and significant life transitions through creative practice, nature, seasonal rhythms, and embodied attention.
Through curated, sustainable experiences, I invite participants into meaningful encounters with the natural world and with their own inner landscapes. Using collage, poetic writing, contemplative photography, and other accessible creative practices, my work offers pathways into presence, deep listening, expression, and reflection.
My approach is informed by NeuroArts research exploring the relationship between creative engagement, the brain, the body, and wellbeing. I bring these principles into accessible practices that invite sensory awareness, curiosity, connection, and meaning-making.
ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE. INFORMED BY TRAINING.
My work brings together years of experience in art, education, nature-based facilitation, and bilingual cultural work with specialized training in grief-informed practice through the Dougy Center, Psychological First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, and Wilderness First Responder training.
My practice is spontaneous, holistic, cultural, and contemporary—rooted in ancestral cycles, seasonal wisdom, and myth, while remaining attentive to the emotional and spiritual realities of our lives today.
Each experience is intentionally crafted to be accessible, symbolic, and transformative.
Grief-informed education — Dougy Center
Psychological First Aid (PFA)
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
Art, nature & creative facilitation
I am not a licensed psychotherapist. My work offers grief-informed creative and nature-based accompaniment rather than clinical mental-health treatment.
You don’t need to be an artist—all humans are creative. You only need the desire to reconnect.
I also welcome health professionals and caregivers who regularly accompany grief and loss and may need a space of their own to pause, process, and reconnect. Tailored programs are available for organizations and professional groups.
If you’re seeking clarity, grounding, or beauty in the moment, I’ll meet you there.
TENDING TO GRIEF: Art & Nature Retreats for Living with Loss
Seasonal gatherings offering space to slow down, create, walk, remember, and be witnessed.
Tending to Grief brings together grief-informed facilitation, creative practice, and time in nature.
Through seasonal retreats and individual sessions, participants are invited to explore grief, memory, transition, and the changing seasons of life—without a prescribed timeline or expectation to “move on.”
EXPLORE WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER
1. TENDING TO GRIEF
Quarterly retreats at Hoyt Arboretum
Seasonal grief retreats combining nature, creative practice, reflection, and community.
2. BRING TENDING TO GRIEF TO YOUR ORGANIZATION
Tailored art, nature & grief-informed programs
For nonprofits, healthcare professionals, educators, caregivers, and organizations supporting people through loss and transition.
→ Contact me for a tailored program
3. SEASONAL CREATIVE ATELIERS
October–May · Online
Creative gatherings exploring art, poetry, culture, and the rhythms of the seasons.
→ Explore the Seasonal Ateliers
4. INDIVIDUAL GRIEF SESSIONS
A quiet, creative space for grief & loss
One-on-one grief-informed sessions in English or French, incorporating conversation, creative exploration, sensory grounding, nature-based reflection, and simple ritual practices.
5. CALENDAR
Workshops, collaborations & upcoming gatherings
October 5th: Celebrate inner harvests and balance – Online monthly Atelier
October 25th: Tending Grief – Fall Session – Hoyt Arboretum, Portland OR
November Death Café – Children’s Grief Awareness Month at L’École Buissionnière (Details soon)
November 7th: The Art of Decay: Grief, Transformation, and Native Plants – Pisgah Arboretum, Eugene OR
November 8th: Grief in Focus: A Nature & Photography Retreat – Rhododendron Garden, Portland OR (Details soon)
November 9th: Shedding with the season with heart & intentions – Online monthly Atelier
December 7th: Gifting Season for the self – Online monthly Atelier
January 17th: Tending Grief – Winter Session – Hoyt Arboretum, Portland OR
CREDENTIALS
“Highly recommend! Beautiful time with the Arboretum and Clara-Julia who is a wonderful and inspiring teacher who brings so much thought to each session.”
— Autumn. April 2023 – Spring Collage Series at Hoyt Arboretum
“Unique class style, relaxed atmosphere, resources, knowledgeable instructor.”
— Yolanda. April 2023 – Spring Collage Series at Hoyt Arboretum
“I learnt a lot about…letting go! The workshop was really well organized, the atmosphere was relaxed, and there were fantastic resources to get inspiration from! Clara-Julia is such a great facilitator.”
— Hope. May 2022 – Watercolor workshop at Pacific University
“I love the intentionality and sharing at the beginning and end with all participants. Clara-Julia was super prepared and brought so many beautiful materials for us to play with.”
— Kathy. December 2023 – Winter Creative Card Making at Hoyt Arboretum
Clara-Julia Peru 