Empty Arms is so excited to introduce Jess Kuttner! Jess will serve as a resource for peer companions and support group facilitators. Welcome, Jess!
While I have not personally experienced the loss of a baby, my early life was certainly shaped by loss. My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was 17 and lost her battle with it 3 years later when I was 20. In the months just prior to her death, my mother started what she called a “healing circle” with close friends and family to process the impending loss together. This incredibly potent experience planted a seed in me about the power of group support in the face of heartbreaking loss.
I currently work as a psychotherapist and consultant in private practice. I have specialized training in postpartum mood complications, trauma and grief and loss. I have been a member of the Franklin Country Perinatal Support Coalition and spent several years facilitating MotherWoman groups through It Takes a Village and volunteering at Comfort Zone Camp, a bereavement camp for children who have lost an immediate family member. My current professional interest is in exploring how we can support and resource the caregivers who tend to the suffering in the world.
I have experienced both personally and professionally the deep connections that can be forged in the wake of loss, and the healing that can happen through coming together with others who are on similar journeys. Empty Arms weaves together several of my professional interests and personal passions and it is an absolute honor to be joining the board.