An 8-Week Creative Grief Support Group for Adults Grieving the Death or Anticipated Loss of an Animal Companion
Thursdays 6-8pm
September 17-November 5, 2026
HeART Space | Tucson, Arizona
Remember. Create. Connect. Honor the bond that remains.
The relationship mattered.
So does the loss.
There is no single way to experience the death of an animal companion. Grief can change over time and may hold many different emotions, memories, questions, and experiences.
Still With Me is a place to explore those experiences without expectations about what grief should look like. Through reflection, creative expression, and connection with others, we make room for both the loss and the relationship that continues to matter.
There are Many Ways to Express Grief.
Still With Me is a creative grief support group. We use simple creative practices as another way to explore memory, loss, love, and the continuing relationship we carry with an animal after their death.
Each week, you'll be invited to experiment with different materials and forms of expression. Some practices may involve paint, drawing or collage. Others might include writing, objects, photographs, or natural materials.
This is NOT an Art Class and no Artistic Skill is Necessary.
No artistic experience is needed. Techniques may be demonstrated when helpful, but there is no expectation that you make something beautiful, or that you even like what you create.
What you make matters less than what happens while you're making it.
You choose how much you want to share. Throughout our time together, there will be opportunities to share stories, creative work, and reflections about what you notice through the process of making. You are always welcome to share at the level that feels comfortable to you. Or you can simply listen and witness the experiences of others.
Each gathering will include time for connection, guided reflection, creative expression, and conversation. You're always welcome to participate in the ways that feel supportive to you.
Join us for Still With Me
Thursdays, 6:00–8:00 PM
September 17–November 5, 2026
HeART Space
6502 E. Speedway Blvd., Unit B
Tucson, AZ 85712
Registration: $375
Registration includes all eight gatherings and all materials for the creative-expression activities.
Payment plans are available.
If you feel this group would be meaningful for you and cost is a concern, please reach out. Limited financial support may be available.
Limited to 8 participants.
After registering, you'll receive a welcome email with everything you need to know before our first gathering.
Save My PlaceWhat You Can Expect
Each week, we’ll gather for two hours of supported reflection, creative exploration, and connection. While every gathering will be a little different, you can expect a thoughtful balance of time together and time for your own creative process.
You can expect:
- A small, consistent group of adults who are also grieving an animal companion.
- Guided creative invitations using a variety of materials and approaches. All materials are provided.
- Time to make and reflect without pressure to produce a particular kind of finished piece.
- Conversation and connection with opportunities to share what you’re noticing or experiencing.
- Choice in how you participate. You may share, listen, create, modify an activity, or simply take some time for yourself.
- No art experience required. Techniques will be demonstrated when useful, but artistic skill is never the goal.
- A respectful, non-judgmental environment where different relationships, losses, emotions, and ways of grieving are welcome.
There is nothing you need to prepare, perform, or get right. Come as you are.
Do I need to be an artist or creative?
My animal companion is still alive. Can I participate?
My pet died a long time ago. Is this group still appropriate for me?
What kinds of animal companions does this group include?
What if I feel guilty or question decisions I made about my pet's care or death?
Will I have to talk about how my animal died?
What happens during a typical gathering?
What if I miss a week?
Can I bring my pet with me?
This Group May Be Right for You If...
Still With Me may be a good fit if you:
- Are grieving the death of an animal companion, whether the loss was recent or some time ago.
- Are experiencing anticipatory grief as an animal companion approaches the end of their life.
- Feel regret, guilt, or uncertainty about decisions you had to make—or may soon need to make—about care, treatment, euthanasia, or end-of-life choices.
- Are adjusting to the changes that come with an animal companion's illness, aging, or death.
- Find that others don't always understand the significance of your relationship or the depth of your grief.
- Are carrying a mixture of emotions that may include sadness, love, relief, anger, gratitude, guilt, or uncertainty.
- Want to remember and honor your animal companion without feeling pressure to “move on.”
- Are interested in exploring creative practices as a way of reflecting, expressing, remembering, and making meaning.
- Would value being with others who understand that the death of an animal companion can be a significant life experience.
A Note About Support
Still With Me is a creative grief support group, not therapy. The group offers opportunities for reflection, creative expression, connection, and shared support, but it is not a substitute for psychotherapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis services.
Grief can sometimes bring experiences that need more individualized or clinical support. If it becomes clear that your needs extend beyond what this group can provide, we may encourage you to connect with an appropriate mental health or healthcare professional.
You are welcome to participate in Still With Me while also receiving individual therapy or other forms of grief support.
About Your Facilitator
Hi, I'm Carly Flagg.
As a Certified Creative Grief Support Practitioner, professional coach, end-of-life doula, and longtime facilitator and educator, my work centers around creating spaces where people can slow down, notice what they are carrying, and explore it with curiosity and compassion.
Creativity is an important part of that work. I don't believe we make things in order to make grief disappear. We make because sometimes the process of choosing a color, working with our hands, arranging an object, telling a story, or creating something that didn't exist before can help us encounter our experience differently.
I created Still With Me because relationships with animal companions can hold tremendous meaning in our lives, and their loss deserves to be acknowledged with the same care and respect we bring to other significant relationships.
You don't need to arrive knowing what you need from these eight weeks. My role isn't to tell you how to grieve. It's to create a thoughtful, compassionate space where you can explore what is present, connect with others, and discover what feels meaningful to you.
Join us for Still With Me
Thursdays, 6:00–8:00 PM
September 17–November 5, 2026
HeART Space
6502 E. Speedway Blvd., Unit B
Tucson, AZ 85712
Registration: $375
Registration includes all eight gatherings and all materials for the creative-expression activities.
Payment plans are available.
If you feel this group would be meaningful for you and cost is a concern, please reach out. Limited financial support may be available.
Limited to 8 participants.
After registering, you'll receive a welcome email with everything you need to know before our first gathering.
Save My Place