Room for the Whole Story: A Substance-Related Loss Gathering
Thu. November 19
1:00pm - 2:15pm
This is a digital event. You should receive information in your ticket or from the host about how to join online.
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Writing our way through the complicated grief of substance-related loss.
A Get Griefy Magazine collaboration
The death of someone we love to substance-related causes can leave us carrying layers of grief that are difficult to explain and often misunderstood. Guilt, confusion, unanswered questions, stigma, and judgment can complicate an already devastating loss, leaving us feeling untethered, isolated, or unsure where to put it all.
You don't have to make sense of everything to make space for what you're carrying.
Join Nina Rodriguez and Chelsea Pegues for an intimate gathering centered on guided writing and reflection, created specifically for those grieving a substance-related loss. Both are grief-informed writers and grief support providers who understand this particular kind of loss, personally and professionally.
Through grounding, readings, and guided writing prompts, we'll make room for the words that can be difficult to say out loud, the feelings that don't always fit neatly together, and the parts of our stories we may not know how to share. There will be an opportunity to share reflections, if you wish, but there's no pressure to share anything. We'll meet the complicated truths of grief with curiosity and compassion, without trying to tidy them up, explain them away, or turn them into something they're not.
No writing experience required. No pressure to share. Just come as you are.
Let's make room for the whole story.
We're in this together,
Nina x Chelsea
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Meet Your Facilitators
NINA RODRIGUEZ is the creator and host of Grief and Light™, an independent, 3x award-winning podcast on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one honest conversation at a time. She’s a Certified Grief Care Professional, grief-informed writer, and speaker who knows firsthand how profoundly loss can change your life.
After only sibling, Yosef, died suddenly from a substance-related cause in 2019, Nina was surprised by how little information about grief existed in the broader public conversation.
Nina believes grief isn’t something to fix, rush through, or neatly wrap up. Through her podcast, writing, speaking, and gatherings, she makes space for the complicated truths of loss, the questions without easy answers, and the possibility of finding moments of joy alongside heartbreak. She believes that to grieve fully is to live fully, and that we’re all just walking each other home.
CHELSEA PEGUES is a New York-based, grief-informed writer whose work explores addiction, grief, and family dynamics. She has also co-written a children’s book about friendship and enjoys crafting interview-based stories across a wide range of topics.
In December 2020, Chelsea’s father died due to Alcohol Use Disorder. Three years later, a near-fatal accident prompted another profound life shift, leading her to leave her corporate career and pursue writing full-time. These experiences have deepened her commitment to using her creativity and skills in service of work that makes a meaningful difference in the world.
About Get Griefy: Get Griefy Small Business Collective Sponsored Events are hosted in collaboration with members of the Get Griefy Small Business Collective and amplified through Get Griefy platforms. Rooted in the spirit of community, connection, and collaboration, these events create opportunities to spark meaningful conversations about grief while uplifting small businesses working in the spaces of loss, grief, and healing.
A Note About This Gathering: Room for the Whole Story is a peer-centered writing and reflection gathering, not therapy or a substitute for professional mental health care. Nina Rodriguez and Chelsea Pegues are not acting as licensed mental health professionals in this space. This gathering is not intended to diagnose, treat, or provide professional support for mental health conditions, and nothing shared should be considered medical or mental health advice.
Participation is voluntary, and you’re welcome to engage in whatever way feels right for you. If you need mental health support, we encourage you to connect with a qualified, licensed professional.
