Divorce Grief Therapy Austin
Support for Life After Divorce and Emotional Loss
Divorce leaves a mark, no matter whose decision it was, no matter how necessary it had to be. Healing isn't about moving on quickly. It's about having space to feel the loss and find your way forward when you're ready.
When Separation Was Right, But It Still Hurts
You may be stuck between two truths: leaving was necessary, and you’re devastated. One moment, you feel certain you made the right choice. Next, you wonder if you destroyed everything.
But divorce grief is real. And it's deeper than most people understand.
You're not just losing a relationship. You're losing the life you built, the future you planned, and the version of yourself you knew inside that marriage. That touches everything. And it can be scary building from ground zero.
Most support misses that. You don't need someone to tell you to move on. You need someone who understands how much there actually is to grieve.
When people come to me after a divorce, they’re often expecting to feel “better by now.” Or even celebratory once the divorce papers are signed.
What they usually find instead is a mix of grief, relief, confusion, and exhaustion that doesn’t move in a straight line.
Not to mention figuring out finances and coparenting with someone you may not be emotionally (or legally) able to talk to.
My work is not about rushing you forward; it’s about helping you process what’s still active so you can start to build the new life you want for yourself.
Separate Conflicting Emotions So They Feel Easier to Manage
In our work together, this is what I help you move through and rebuild:
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Making sense of what happened
We look at the full relationship, not just the ending, the patterns, turning points, and conversations that still echo. Over time, things start to feel clearer and more contained. -
Separating what you feel
Grief, relief, guilt, and regret often arrive together after divorce. I help you untangle them so you’re no longer carrying one overwhelming emotional knot, but something you can actually hold. -
Rebuilding who you are now
After years inside a relationship, it can feel like your sense of self has shifted. We focus on rebuilding identity from where you are now, not who you were before or who you think you should be. -
Settling your nervous system
Divorce lives in the body as much as the mind. Certain moments can feel like they’re happening again. If appropriate, I will talk to you about using EMDR therapy to help your system process these stuck experiences, so they lose their intensity.
This isn’t about forcing closure. It’s about helping you process what happened so you can stop surviving it and start living beyond it in a grounded way.
Rebuilding a Life That Feels Like Yours
The divorce was necessary. And it left a gap that can feel bigger than everything else right now.
But there is something beyond this moment, a version of your life where this loss doesn’t define you. Where you’re not just getting through the days, but slowly starting to feel present in them again.
You don’t need to be taught how to cope. You need space to process what this has actually meant for you, without being pushed to move on before you’re ready.
Moving forward doesn’t mean leaving yourself behind. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. Both can exist at the same time.
You’re not alone in this.
Divorce Therapy That’s Grounded in Lived Experience of Loss and Reinvention
What I bring to this work isn't just training. It's the perspective of someone who has walked through her own identity collapse, her own reinvention, her own "I don't recognize my life anymore" moments, and come out the other side.
That lived experience matters in the therapy room. It means I don't flinch at the hard parts. It means I understand grief as something that reshapes the way you see yourself, not just the way you feel on a given day. And it acknowledges how the process of divorce will have you meeting new versions of yourself.
My therapy sessions are never rushed. Not because I'm being soft, but because I've seen what happens when grief gets pushed underground before it's been processed. It comes back. So we take the time the grief actually needs.
I bring clinical skill, attachment-informed care, and EMDR therapy for the moments that stay frozen in your body long after the relationship ends.
But what holds all of that together isn't technique. It's presence. It's showing up fully, staying with it, and trusting that you have the capacity to rebuild even when you can't see it yourself yet.
What Does It Feel Like After Working With Danielle?
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 opportunity by challenging the self-limiting illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.
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.
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
Meet Danielle Sarris
I'm a grief therapist in Austin, Texas, and I work with people who are grieving a divorce. Not just the marriage, but the identity, the future, and the version of themselves that existed inside that relationship.
I'm not early in my life or my career, and you benefit from that. I've reinvented myself multiple times, from journalist to media manager to yoga instructor to therapist. Those experiences taught me that healing isn't about rushing. It's about having a steady presence that allows you to take the time you need.
In the therapy room, you experience the perspective, depth, and steadiness of someone who has been there. I understand grief not just clinically, but from lived experience.
I understand what it feels like when your world shifts and you don't recognize yourself anymore. I don't flinch at the pain you're experiencing. I know we can't rush healing.
Therapy should feel human, not clinical. Warm, honest, nonjudgmental, and sometimes even a little funny.
Healing is deep work, but it doesn't have to be heavy every second. We can talk about the hard things while still making room for breath, humor, and relief.
When you walk out of the office for the last time, the goal is that you'll feel a hope that is honest and earned. That doesn't forget the past but sees the possibilities for your future.
A Simple Way to Book a Free Consultation
Fill out the contact form with your details. I’ll review it and reach out to schedule a brief consultation.
We’ll meet for a short 15-minute conversation to see if this feels like a good fit on both sides. If it does, we’ll move forward with scheduling your first session. If not, I’ll do my best to point you toward other supportive options.
We’ll begin with your first session and move at a pace that feels steady for you. Over time, many clients feel more grounded, less emotionally overwhelmed, and more able to make sense of what they’re carrying without it taking over.
We start where you are. Early sessions focus on your story, your marriage, your grief, and what feels most manageable right now. Over time, you may feel more space, less alone, and more able to name what once felt overwhelming.
It’s all about helping you carry what you’re carrying with more support.
Get A Free 15-Minute Divorce Therapy Consultation Today
Divorce Therapy FAQs
Do I need divorce therapy if I'm the one who chose to leave?
Yes. Choosing to leave doesn’t protect you from grief. It often makes it more complicated because you carry both the loss and the guilt of ending it. Many people who initiate a divorce are surprised by how much they’re grieving. That grief is real, and it deserves support, regardless of whose decision it was.
How is divorce therapy different from regular therapy?
Divorce therapy goes deeper than coping strategies. It addresses the grief, the identity loss, the trauma of specific moments, and the work of rebuilding who you are outside the relationship. I use attachment-informed care and EMDR—not just talk therapy. That helps you to process what’s stuck, so you can move forward.
What is EMDR, and will it help with my divorce?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that helps your brain process experiences that are stuck in your nervous system. It helps with the moments you can’t stop replaying, the betrayal you still feel in your body, the images that come back when you least expect them. It’s particularly useful for divorce because it works on both the trauma and the grief underneath it.
How long does divorce therapy take?
It depends on where you are and what you’re carrying. Some clients feel significant shifts in a few months. Others work with me for a year or longer. I don’t operate on a set timeline. We move at your pace, and we wrap up when you feel genuinely ready, not just okay.
What if I've been divorced for a while, but I'm still struggling?
That’s completely normal, and it’s one of the most common reasons people come to me. Grief doesn’t follow a calendar. If you’re still feeling stuck, disconnected from yourself, or unable to move forward, therapy can help, regardless of how long ago the divorce was finalized.
Do you take insurance?
I work on a private-pay basis. I do provide superbills so you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement. I also keep a limited number of sliding-scale spots available, if cost is a concern, reach out and we’ll talk through options. I never want finances to be the reason someone doesn’t get support.
Where do you see clients?
I see clients in person at two locations, North Austin and the Texas Hill Country in Driftwood. I also offer telehealth sessions for anyone in Texas. If you’re in the state, we can work together.
Can divorce therapy help if my relationship issues started long before the divorce?
Yes. Divorce therapy can help you make sense of long-term relationship issues, family dynamics, communication skills, conflict resolution, anger management, rebuilding trust, and the life experiences that shaped how you related to each other in the committed relationship. For some people, divorce brings up old wounds around self-esteem, trauma, domestic violence, sexual abuse, family conflict, substance abuse, mood disorders, panic attacks, or depression. Individual therapy gives you space to understand what happened without blaming yourself or your loved one for everything. The next step is not to rewrite the past. It is to understand it clearly enough that you can build healthier relationships moving forward.
Do you offer online divorce grief therapy for people outside Austin?
Yes. Danielle offers Online Therapy and virtual counseling sessions for clients anywhere in Texas, including South Austin, San Antonio, Round Rock, and other areas where getting to an office may be hard logistically. Online divorce counseling can still be a positive experience when you need steady support, coping skills, and therapy options that fit your life circumstances. Some clients come in for grief counseling, anxiety counseling, trauma therapy, abuse recovery, women’s issues, stress management therapy, or relational challenges after divorce. While Danielle is not the right fit for marriage counseling, premarital counseling, or sex therapy, she can support adults who need individual counseling after divorce and help them decide what kind of support makes the most sense for their therapy journey.
How do I know if you're the right therapist for me?
The best way to find out is through a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll talk about what you’re going through, I’ll share how I work, and we’ll both get a feel for whether it’s a good fit. If I’m not the right match, I’ll help point you toward someone who might be.
What if I start feeling better and want to stop?
We’ll always talk about it. Sometimes a break or ending makes complete sense. Other times, feeling better is the beginning of the deeper work, not the end of it. We make that decision together, thoughtfully.
What issues do you refer to?
I focus on grief and life transitions. If you’re also dealing with addiction, ADHD, or sexual issues within a relationship, I’ll refer you to someone who specializes in those areas. I want you to get the right support, not just any support.