Danielle Sarris, Owner Of Texas Grief Therapy
Many therapists have studied grief. I've lived it. A marriage that ended, a health crisis that changed everything, a dog I still think about. That lived experience is why clients tell me they finally feel understood.
My Story, And Why It's Relevant To Yours
I didn't plan to become a grief therapist.
I planned to be a journalist.
And for a while, I was.
Then I moved to New York and spent years working at one of the largest advertising agencies in the world.
Eventually, I got married, moved to Austin, and traded the boardroom for the yoga studio.
For a decade, I taught yoga, helping people find their way back into their bodies when stress, loss, or life had pulled them out.
I was good at reinventing myself.
So I believed, on some level, that I could navigate whatever came next.
But what came next humbled me.
A health crisis that arrived without warning.
Symptoms that doctors disagreed about.
A body I no longer recognized or trusted.
An identity I had spent decades building…
Capable, steady, someone who figured things out.
That collapsed almost overnight.
I Found A Therapist Who Changed Things For Me
She introduced me to the science of healing.
To the idea that the brain can change, that people rebuild from impossible places, and that loss doesn't have to be the last word.
That’s when a thought took root:
“If I ever make it through this, I want to help someone else through their hardest chapter.”
That thought is why I'm here.
I went back to school.
I trained in attachment-informed grief therapy and trauma-informed approaches.
I built a practice grounded in the belief that what moves grief isn't techniques.
It's a steady presence with a person who has been through their own grief, not just studied grief.
That’s what Texas Grief Therapy is.
And if you're reading this…
You deserve a space where your grief is treated as the significant experience it is, regardless of what it looks like.
I look forward to meeting you and helping you carry the grief you’ve been carrying alone.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Texas Grief Therapy
Founder and therapist • January 2026 – still going strong
- Help clients move from emotionally stuck and isolated to grounded, hopeful, and clearer about who they are after loss.
- Specialize in grief that doesn’t fit the standard template — including pet loss, anticipatory grief, relationship loss, and identity shifts related to health, career, and major life transitions.
Offer a warm, unhurried space where clients feel deeply understood and supported at their own pace, without pressure to grieve on a schedule.
My Best Path, LLC
Founder and Coach • 2019 – Present
- Utilize ACT, CBT, mindfulness, meditation, movement, breath work, yoga asana, neuroscience, and traditional coaching methods.
- Coach and guide clients managing medical issues, chronic pain, and illness.
- Support clients in transitioning from a crisis state to a more stable baseline through PRT Therapy.
Christi Center, Austin, TX
Group Facilitator • Counseling Intern • August 2024 – May 2025
- Facilitated support groups for adults and children navigating various types of grief and traumatic loss.
- Helped a grieving child open up about the loss of his mother through trust-building.
- Built strong relationships with clients of all ages, including young children, through consistent care and empathy.
St. Edward’s University Community Counseling Clinic
Practicum Student • January 2024 – May 2024
- Achieved rapid behavioral improvements and received praise from clients.
- Provided individual and couples counseling to clients of diverse backgrounds.
- Formulated treatment plans, implemented play therapy, and responded to crisis situations.
AustinYogaTeacher.com
Group Instructor, Facilitator • September 2008 – November 2019
- Produced and rapidly sold out an engaging ‘Yoga for Creativity’ workshop.
- Noted for the ability to effectively facilitate process group communication.
- Created and spearheaded a well-received youth yoga program for the North Austin YMCA.
EDUCATION
Master of Arts, CMH Counseling, LPC track
St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX • 2025
Bachelor of Arts in Communications
Mills College, Oakland, CA • 1995
CERTIFICATIONS
Psychological First Aid (PFA)
2024
HIPAA Privacy Training
2024
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200hr)
Yoga Alliance (since 2008)
Telehealth: Legal & Ethical Issues
2024
What is it like working with Texas Grief Therapy?
“If you are looking for a fellow traveler in our journeys who can provide you with support and guidance in your crucible stage, I would highly recommend Danielle for your consideration to solicit a professional personal perspective. She has changed my life in ways I never conceived the possibilities. I faithfully believe in an outcome where she can do the same for you if you are willing to accept the challenge and illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.”
Greg Verdict
Staff Manufacturing Engineer
Los Gatos, CA
“I’ve witnessed Danielle’s grief work firsthand through her work at the Christi Center and the care she brings to every interaction. She puts your nervous system at ease with her open, calm, and grounded presence, creating a nonjudgmental space where it feels safe to express honestly. Danielle is deeply compassionate, relatable, and knowledgeable, blending clinical skill with lived experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a grief therapist to anyone seeking steady, thoughtful support through loss.”
Heather Stan, LMSW
Christi Center
Adjunct Professor at UT
Get Started With Grief Therapy In 3 Simple Steps
Click the button below and fill out the short form. Then, I’ll reach out to schedule a quick therapy consultation.
We’ll have a 15-minute conversation to check that we are a good fit. If we are, we’ll schedule an appointment. If we aren’t, I’ll refer you to someone I know who can help you better.
We’ll schedule our first session, and you’ll finally be able to feel like yourself again after a loss that turned your whole world upside down.
Our first sessions focus on understanding your story and creating a sense of safety. After the initial sessions, you might notice you have more room to breathe, you feel less isolated, and you begin to come up with language for what once felt overwhelming. Our work isn't about 'fixing,' it's about helping you carry what you're carrying with more support and clarity.
Get A Free 15-Minute Grief Therapy Consultation Today
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you ever experienced grief or loss yourself?
Yes, and it’s a meaningful part of why I do this work.
I’ve lost a marriage.
I’ve lived through a health crisis that arrived without warning and collapsed my sense of identity almost overnight.
I lost my dog Daisey, who used to nap beside me while I worked and watch over me like it was her purpose.
I’ve navigated the kind of losses that don’t come with a ceremony or a casserole.
The ones the world around you doesn’t always know how to respond to.
Those experiences aren’t incidental to this work.
They’re the foundation of it.
When you sit across from me, you’re not sitting across from someone who only studied grief.
You’re sitting across from someone who has been in their own hardest chapter and found their way through.
What is your therapy approach?
My work is primarily attachment-informed and relational…
Meaning I believe healing happens inside a safe, consistent relationship, not inside a protocol.
I don’t move clients through grief on a schedule or toward coping on a timeline.
The pace is yours.
The sessions are shaped by what you bring in, not by a predetermined framework.
I also draw on trauma-informed approaches, EMDR, ACT, mindfulness, and somatic and body-based methods when they’re useful.
For some clients, the most important work happens in conversation.
For others, bringing the body into the process is where the real movement occurs.
What stays consistent across all of it is that I’m not here to fix you or reframe your pain into something more manageable.
I’m here to be present with you in it and to help you find your way through at your own pace.
Are you a licensed therapist?
Yes.
I am a licensed therapist in the state of Texas.
I hold an LPC-Associate license (Texas License #100765)…
Which means I’m fully licensed to practice therapy and do so under the clinical supervision of Angela Hardin (Texas License #66400).
Angela is an experienced supervisor who oversees my work as part of the standard licensure process in Texas.
Supervision at this stage isn’t a limitation on the quality of care you receive.
It’s an additional layer of support built into the process…
Meaning you have not one but two experienced clinicians invested in your care.
Do you work nights and weekends?
Yes, I work weeknights until 7 pm and weekends.
During your free consultation, we’ll discuss what appointments are available to you.
Do you work with children?
Yes.
I serve all age ranges.
Children grieve differently from adults, but they grieve just as deeply.
If your child is struggling after a loss or significant life change and you’re not sure how to support them, this is a space built for that.
Parents often find that when a child has somewhere to process what they’re carrying, it changes things for the whole family.
Do you offer telehealth/online therapy?
Yes.
Online therapy is available to anyone in Texas.
All you need is a private space and a good internet connection.
Online sessions run the same length and follow the same approach as in-person sessions.
Many people find telehealth just as effective…
And for some, the ability to be in their own space actually makes it easier to open up.
If you’re located in North Austin or Driftwood and prefer to meet in person, that option is available too.
And if you’re not sure which format is right for you, we can talk through it during your free consultation.
Do you take insurance?
I’m currently in the process of credentialing with insurance panels through my clinical supervisor, and I will update this page as plans become available.
For clients whose insurance I’m not able to bill directly, I offer services through a private-pay model.
You simply attend your session and pay at the time of service via cash or card.
If I’m unable to bill your insurance, I can provide a superbill (detailed receipt) that you may submit to your insurance company to request out-of-network reimbursement.
If finances are a concern, please feel free to reach out, and we can talk through options.
What happens in the first appointment?
The first session is about two things:
Understanding your story and building a sense of safety.
There’s no pressure to have everything figured out before you arrive.
You don’t need to know exactly what you’re feeling or be able to articulate it perfectly.
You just need to show up.
We’ll spend the time getting to know each other…
What brought you here, what you’ve been carrying, and what you’re hoping to find on the other side of it.
I’ll ask some questions, but this isn’t an intake interview.
It’s a conversation where you set the pace.
Many people leave the first session feeling something they didn’t expect…
A little lighter, a little less alone, and relieved that the thing they’d been dreading turned out to feel more like finally being heard.
How do I book an appointment with Danielle?
Simply fill out the form on this page.
Then I’ll reach out for a 15-minute conversation to check that we are a good fit.
If we are, we’ll schedule a therapy appointment, and you’ll finally be able to feel like yourself again after a loss that turned your whole world upside down.
If we aren’t, I’ll refer you to someone I know who can help you better.
Can I book Danielle for a speaking engagement or media appearances?
Yes.
Danielle Sarris is available for speaking engagements, media inquiries, and journalist interviews covering grief in all of its varied forms: child loss, pet loss, death, breakup, divorce, ambiguous loss, anticipatory loss, etc.
Please reach out via the form on my contact page.