THERAPEUTIC COUNSELING & CONSULTING
Maria DeBonis-Richards, MSED, CT
She/Her
RESIDENT IN COUNSELING
Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying, Loss and Bereavement
*Accepting New Clients
Therapist
I offer a warm, down-to-earth space where you can feel truly heard and supported. I show up authentically, drawing from both professional training and personal experience, and I believe therapy works best when you feel safe to be honest and are ready to engage in your own growth. Humor, curiosity, and reflection are tools I use to help make the process meaningful—even when the work is hard.
My approach is integrative and person-centered, grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and shaped by humanistic and existential perspectives. I help clients clarify their values, recognize their strengths, and explore patterns and messages from past experiences. Often, my questions spark insight that leads to meaningful reflection and personal growth.
Before pursuing licensure, I spent over 15 years in career counseling, supporting adults and college students through major life transitions, identity exploration, and reconnecting with what matters most. I’ve also worked extensively in grief and loss—facilitating children’s grief groups through Full Circle Grief Center, leading widow loss groups with Full Circle and Bliley’s Funeral Home, volunteering with Comfort Zone Camp, and serving as an End-of-Life Doula and certified foster parent. I am a Certified Thanatologist through ADEC, a credential earned through more than 1,700 hours of specialized training, continuing education, and a comprehensive exam. This work has deepened my understanding of the emotional, psychological, cultural, and spiritual aspects of death, dying, and bereavement.
I work best with reflective, motivated clients navigating grief, caregiving, major life transitions, anxiety or depression, relationship or family challenges, involvement in the foster care system, or the emotional impact of medical diagnoses. My goal is to offer a space where your experience is met with honesty, compassion, and steady support—helping you process loss, adjust to change, and move forward with insight and respect for your story.
I hold a Master of Science in Education in Counseling from Fordham University in New York and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Professional Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Resources
Riley the Rabbit Learns About Death
Riley the Rabbit Learns About Death
By Ashley Hall
As a grief counselor who supports children experiencing the death of a loved one, I am always looking for books that provide honest, developmentally appropriate conversations about grief. Riley the Rabbit Learns About Death does an excellent job of introducing children to the realities of death in a gentle, compassionate, and understandable way.
One of the strengths of this book is its use of clear and concrete language. Riley's mother explains that Uncle Ramsey "died" rather than using euphemisms such as "passed away," "went to sleep," or "we lost him." This is especially important for children, who often interpret language literally and can become confused by indirect explanations about death.
While this book is written for children, I believe adults can benefit from it as well. Children's books about death often model healthy ways to talk about grief, answer difficult questions, and support emotional expression. For parents, caregivers, educators, and helping professionals, this book serves as a valuable example of how to have honest conversations about loss.
The book also includes several helpful resources at the end, including a glossary that explains terms such as funeral, casket/coffin, and dead. There are discussion questions for parents and caregivers, suggested activities, and a contact page where families can list important sources of support such as school counselors, clergy, grief counselors, and trusted adults.
My one minor critique involves a statement from Riley's mother that "Uncle Ramsey would want you to have fun and be happy." While this is a common sentiment and likely intended to be comforting, some children and adults may feel pressure or guilt if they are not feeling happy or ready to have fun. Grief is highly individual, and it is important for people to know that sadness, anger, confusion, and other emotions are also normal and acceptable responses to loss.
Overall, Riley the Rabbit Learns About Death is a thoughtful and practical resource for families navigating grief. I would recommend it to parents, caregivers, educators, and clinicians who are supporting bereaved children. At Therapeutic Counseling and Consulting, I work with adults as well as children ages 7 and up who are experiencing death-related grief, and I can see this book being a valuable tool for helping start meaningful conversations about loss, remembrance, and healing.
Maria DeBonis-Richards, MSED, CT
Resident In Counseling
Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying, Loss and Bereavement
Planning for Peace: How End-of-Life Wishes Shape a Meaningful Life
End-of-life planning is often avoided, yet it’s one of the most powerful ways to bring clarity, intention, and peace into both life and death. Through lived experience, formal study in Counseling of Death and Loss, and training as an End-of-Life Doula, one truth becomes clear: planning for the end is connected to living well.
The Rabbit Listened
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld is a simple but meaningful book about grief, emotions, and support. While it is often seen as a children’s book, its message is valuable for people of all ages. The story begins with a child building a block tower, which suddenly gets knocked down. The child feels upset and different animals come along with ideas about what to do like yelling, fixing the problem, blaming others, or trying to distract. These responses may sound familiar, as they reflect how people often try to handle difficult emotions. However, none of these approaches truly help the child feel understood.
A Grief Observed
A Grief Observed
By: C.S. Lewis
This book was written after the death of his wife, and this brief but powerful book offers an unfiltered look at grief as it is truly experienced—messy, unpredictable, and deeply personal.
Lewis’s honesty is what makes this work so impactful. He openly expresses shock, anger, doubt, and longing, giving readers permission to recognize these feelings in themselves. Many who are grieving find comfort in seeing their own thoughts reflected on the page, especially when they worry their grief is “too much” or somehow wrong. Rather than offering solutions, the book creates space for grief to exist as it is. It reminds readers that there is no linear path through loss and that difficult emotions are a natural response to love.