Dr. Jessica Thomas: Create. Reflect. Transform.
Providing Program and
professional development
For Organizers & Practitioners in the Grief and Death Industry
Dr. Jessica Thomas offers unparalleled expertise in navigating grief and loss. She believes in the transformative power of navigating life’s most challenging experiences with openness and creativity. Her methods are rooted in the principles of death positivity and mindful engagement to inspire meaningful reflection and see life and death through a new lens. Based on Dr. Thomas’s research and extensive experience, you can receive direct training in Within & Without™ therapeutic mindful photography for grief.
Looking for a therapist yourself?
Head to Dr. Jessica’s Practice Reflective Therapy
My Book and Trainings Now Available
Choosing Light: Transforming Grief through the Practice of Mindful Photography and Self-Reflection launched in July of 2024. Training for professionals based on Dr. Jessica’s original research and book will begin in January 2025. Registration for the Introduction to Within & Without™ training program for professionals will open in November 2024. Please sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive open registration and check out the training page to complete an application now.
The Approach
Dr. Jessica’s philosophy is rooted in 'death positivity'
An approach that views grief and death not as experiences that overshadow life, but as integral parts of the human journey. Dr. Jessica believes in empowering individuals, not just to endure these experiences but to thrive and transform through them. Resulting in people being active participants in their journey of healing and personal growth.
The Method
Explore the Transformative Power of Mindful Photography As Therapy
At the heart of this work lies the practice of Mindful Photography, a method pioneered by Dr. Jessica Thomas. While mindful photography is not therapy, this practice is a therapeutic tool that can be used in therapy or as an independent practice; it’s a way of seeing through a new lens, understanding, and connecting with the world and oneself. It’s about inspiring curiosity and meaning in moments of sorrow and joy alike and using creativity as a bridge to deeper self-awareness and understanding.
My Services
How We Can Work Together
For Your People
For Organizers & Practitioners in the Grief and Death Industry, whether you’re a counselor, hospice worker, therapist, social worker, art therapist, organization advocate, or volunteer, you can learn directly from Dr. Jessica to integrate creative practices.
Community Workshops
Are you interested in hosting a community workshop or educational event? Collaborate one-on-one with Dr. Jessica Thomas to facilitate a meaningful discussion or workshop tailored to your community's needs.
Within & Without™ training program for professionals
For professionals in the grief and death industry who are seeking to integrate a Within & Without™ therapeutic mindful photography program into their work.
Clinical Supervision
Dr. Jessica is an AAMFT-approved clinical supervisor offering post-graduate individual and group clinical supervision, mentorship, and professional consultation to MFTs and LPCs.
Professional Development
For those who value professional development, lifelong learning, and innovative approaches to counseling and education, Dr. Jessica provides professional education and academic consultation on her specialty topics.
Available Now!
My Book on Grief and Mindful Photography
For those actively grieving as well as for death and grief practitioners and educators, Choosing Light: Transforming Grief through the Practice of Mindful Photography and Self-Reflection will show you how the Within and Without™ Mindful Photography therapeutic method can be transformative for individuals, groups, and communities.
“Her words are a gift, which when opened, empowers the reader to uncover and make meaning out of often hidden, mysterious layers of personal feelings around death. This book is an awakening that is good for the soul.” – Susan L. Schoenbeck
My Signature program
Within & Without ™
Within and Without™ Therapeutic Mindful Photography is a creative way to explore your grief journey by slowing down and attuning with your environment. The practice can help mediate difficult thoughts and feelings as it brings you into present-moment awareness and inspires a shift toward curiosity.
Serving as a mirror to your grief journey, your images act as a catalyst for meaning making and even personal and transpersonal growth. Authentic insight surfaces as you create meaning based on direct experience and learn how to perceive your experience and trust yourself through the process.
Meet Dr. Jessica Thomas
Creative Paths to Healing
Dr. Jessica Thomas brings a depth of academic and practical knowledge to her work. She holds an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy and a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology. As a professor, she creates coursework and teaches on death and grief, psycho-spiritual development, phenomenological research, and counseling.
Dedicated to raising awareness about death and dying in the wider community, she has served for numerous years on the board of NW Association for Death Education and Bereavement Support, volunteered for hospice and passionately advocates for Death Cafes. Through openness and creativity, she guides individuals and groups on a path of reflection, personal growth, and collective healing.
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