Struggling with life-altering loss?


Cindy Olney, PhD

Grief and Life Coach

I walk people through the deep experience of grief and loss toward 

a hopeful future

People say you never get over the death of a loved one.

 That you just get used to the pain.

Eventually.

Here's what I say.

Grief is a normal reaction to the loss of someone or something dear to us. It's a universal experience and all humans know how to heal from grief and adapt to loss. 

Including you.

You have the ability to attend to your grief so you suffer less and feel more ease with the grieving process. In fact, there are proven methods that bring you relief right now.

Imagine knowing how to:

  • Move through bouts of grief and other intense emotions so they resolve more quickly.
  • Reassure yourself of your own healing, so your darkest days are more tolerable.
  • Manage the anxiety and emotions that surface with loss and dramatic life changes so that you feel in control.
  • Tap into your innate strength and confidence so that the chaos of life after loss feels manageable.

Major losses force us into the hardest of hard life transitions, but there is a process for getting through it all. If you work the process, your pain will lessen over time.

You'll find yourself facing pivotal moment. You'll realize that your time here is finite. That life is not to be taken for granted.

You'll be faced with a unique opportunity to learn how to:  

  • Decide how, where and with whom you want to invest your precious time and attention.
  • Prioritize activities that give you a sense of purpose, meaning, and adventure.
  • Step up to risks and challenges that will help you produce your best life. 
  • Gain clarity about your life goals, dreams, closest friends, and dearly held dreams.
  • Commit to living life on your terms. 

You have a choice now. You can stay stuck in your loss. Or you can define and commit to living a life that's meaningful to you. 

It's possible for grief to heal on it's own. But you'll be walking a long and lonely road that seems endless.  And even when you start to feel better, life still might not feel right. 

Or you can take your healing process into your own hands. Take action to work through your grief more quickly and with more ease. 

Because I specialize in grief work, I can guide you through a process based on proven techniques for easing the emotional distress of grief. You'll feel better quickly and build confidence in a brighter future  I can work with you to rebuild your next chapter of life so it is meaningful and full of joy.  

My specialty is guiding people through life's most difficult experiences and helping them create lives that feel more aligned with their dreams and sense of purpose. 

If you want to know more, visit my “Work with Me” page.

Or set up a no-cost, no-obligation consult call to meet me and ask all your questions.

 Or drop me a note at cindy@shadowlandscoaching.com


I use the practices of resilient healing to help my clients work through grief.

If you want to know how I can support your healing process, click the button below to schedule a call.


Are you struggling with the recent or anticipated death of someone dear to you? Do you know someone who is? Download a copy of my e-guide A Griever's Guide to the Shadowlands of Loss. 

grief ebook as it looks on tablet

Meet Cindy Olney, PhD

Cindy on mountain in Acadia Maine

I’m a grief coach who specializes in helping spouses, significant others, and adult children navigate the difficult experience of a loved one's death. The loss of someone close to us can be  one of life's  most heartbreaking experiences. Knowing empowering ways to engage with grief can get us through the worst part of loss more quickly and lead us to a greater sense of love, meaning, and grace than we ever imagined.

I have a PhD in educational psychology and am certified as a life coach and end-of-life doula. I support clients both locally in the Metro Atlanta (GA) area and nationally. (Currently, all sessions are held online or via telephone.)

Caring for a loved one and grieving their death may be the hardest thing you ever do. But it can also be the most meaningful. 

My coaching can help you navigate grief using your own inner wisdom and core values. Once you tap into your own strength, you'll reconcile your grief and grow in ways that will support you for the rest of your life.  

From My Clients

"My wife of 49 years passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. We truly were soulmates. My daughter suggested several Life coaches that might be helpful. My initial conversation with Cindy quickly convinced me we were a good match. Cindy is an excellent, empathetic and patient listener. I enjoyed talking with her. She helped me understand that I was trying to think my way out of grief. I learned that the "emotional" trauma of the loss was what had me living in a fog. Once I understood that, she suggested strategies that helped me learn to move ahead more effectively. It was not easy and it took time. She was very patient and consistently put me in charge of selecting suggested strategies to plot my path forward. I am very grateful to Cindy for helping me through the most difficult experience of my life." -- Steve F

“The sessions really got through to what I was carrying unknowingly. It helped me in my day-to-day to figure out what my next steps would be. I felt really stuck before that. But I didn’t know why I was stuck, and I didn’t know what to do about being stuck. It helped me see a path forward. Cindy led me, using the questions and methods, to have my own understanding. I wouldn’t have figured out how to access that without the coaching conversation.” -- Kristy K

“I hadn’t resolved issues that I had intensely when my mom was sick, in her last few months. There was a lot of turmoil in that caregiving process. I tried to just move on. Cindy drew it out of me, had me find the answers. You don’t realize what you have in you until you have somebody like Cindy bring it out and help you figure it out. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. Coaching gave me a freedom to be my own person. To slowly stop trying to make things better for everyone else and let them work out their own lives. I’m not responsible for everyone. I’m responsible for me." -- Alma L

reached out to Cindy because of her skill and depth of knowledge with grief coaching. My mother-in-law has moderate but advancing Alzheimer's disease. Between the unexpected death of my beloved cat in April, plus almost my sister-in-law to a strange intestinal disease this summer, and watching my MIL's slow decline, I realized I need some tools to help me manage my feelings. Cindy was kind and patient as she led me through a series of questions and exercises that brought me relief (mentally, emotionally, and spiritually). I was able to work and process my feelings and emotions more fully after my time with her. I'm so grateful to have found such a profoundly talented person in the grief coaching arena. ~ Angie S

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