The Grief Intensive

Rest in Peace, Live in Peace

September 18 – 19, 2026

Substance use impacts families in many different ways. Perhaps no impact is greater than when addiction takes the life of someone you love, sending ripples through families, friends, workplaces, and communities. The Grief Intensive is designed specifically to support people suffering from the lasting effects of death related to substance use. This two-day workshop will address the complex nature of grief, the complicated feelings of a tragic and sudden passing, and offer a path forward to living a full life after a death.

Friday, September 18, 10:00am – 6:00pm and
Saturday, September 19, 10:00am – 4:00pm
The Hamill Foundation Conference Center at The Council on Recovery (303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, TX 77007)

$350 Early Registration
$400 after August 20

Participants will gain:

  • Support and education for the complex issues of grieving a substance-related death
  • Care and comfort through nurturing and peace-centered curriculum
  • Experiential and dynamic teachings, lessons, and activities aimed at emptying, reconciling, and healing
  • Community of shared experience

 

To help ensure participants are ready to engage in this depth-oriented workshop, we ask you to commit to the following:

  1. At least 6 months have passed since my loss. 
  2. I have ongoing support, both since the loss and currently, as this workshop may bring up strong emotions.
  3. I agree to refrain from using alcohol and other drugs before and during the workshop.

If you answered No, are unsure, or would like to speak with someone before registering, please contact Lauren Ziff, Family Therapist, at 281.200.9380 or lziff@councilonrecovery.org.

Register

Facilitators

Sasha Coles is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Reiki Practitioner, and Certified Death Doula. Sasha utilizes diverse healing modalities (Western and Eastern) to facilitate change and healing. Sasha has been a psychotherapist for 20 years, providing individual, family, couples, co-parenting and death/dying/grief therapy services.

Prior to private practice, she ran the nation’s largest recovery high school for teens with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. Sasha is a local and national speaker and is featured in the documentary film Generation Found.

Using a combination of traditional psychotherapy and alternative healing modalities, Sasha provides individual, family, couples, co-parenting and death/dying/grief therapy services.  Specialties include mental health, trauma, addiction/recovery, co-parenting, terminal illness, caregiving, and grief.

Matt Russell is an Executive Pastor at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, and serves as the Executive Director of both projectCURATE, a social action non-profit, and Iconoclast Artists, a bilingual creative writing program working in urban schools across Houston and Galveston. Matt is a spiritual entrepreneur and works at the intersection of ecclesial and cultural innovation, helping communities engage in transformative practices.

Before his current roles, Matt was on faculty at Fuller Seminary and Duke Divinity School. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge’s Psychology and Religion Research Group, studying redemptive narratives and cultural transformation in religious communities. He holds a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a PhD in Human Development from Texas Tech University, where his research focused on how women reclaim narratives of redemption after sustained trauma.

Earlier in his ministry, Matt founded Mercy Street, a church community comprised of recovering addicts and people who hated church.

Matt is married to Michele, and they have three sons: Miguel (23), Lucas (22), and Gabriel (19).

Bridget McCauley M.A., LPC-S, is the Chief Clinical Officer at The Council on Recovery. She serves as the clinical voice on the executive leadership team, guiding the development of the agency’s clinical philosophy and methods. Since joining The Council in 2023, she has leveraged her expertise in strategic planning, partnerships, collaborative leadership, and clinical development to enhance program effectiveness.

Lauren Ziff, M.A., LMSW, works with individuals, couples, and families in the Center for Recovering Families at The Council on Recovery. Previously, she served as fellow and staff clinician at The Lovett Center where she worked in an adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health. Lauren comes from a psychodynamic approach to therapy and uses a variety of modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Emotionally Focused Therapy. Lauren aims to create a safe therapeutic environment in which clients feel heard, respected and supported as they explore personal growth.

Keep in touch!

Please submit the following information to be added to our mailing list: 

Grief Intensive Pre-Screening

To help ensure participants are ready to engage in this depth-oriented workshop, we ask you to commit to the following:

If you answered No, are unsure, or would like to speak with someone before registering, please contact Lauren Ziff, Family Therapist, at 281.200.9380 or lziff@councilonrecovery.org.

CAMPUS UPDATE

Independence Day Schedule

The Council on Recovery will be CLOSED on Friday, July 3rd and OPEN on Saturday, July 4th during normal hours (8:30am-1:30pm). Thank you.
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