Provider Identification & Licensure

Middle Path Wellness Collective provides grief and loss therapy for adults and couples throughout Missouri.

This specialty area is provided by:

Sarah Rinker, PLPC
Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor

Samanda Rossi, LMSW
Licensed Master Social Worker

Margaret Cook, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor

Services are available in person in St. Louis and St. Charles and virtually throughout Missouri.

Our therapists provide outpatient psychotherapy for individuals experiencing grief, bereavement, major life transitions, relationship loss, traumatic loss, anticipatory grief, and other significant losses. We also support clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and identity changes that often accompany grief.

We provide outpatient therapy and do not provide crisis services, inpatient treatment, or emergency mental health care.

Who We Help (Primary Fit Anchor)

We help adults and couples navigating grief, loss, bereavement, and life changes that have fundamentally altered their world.

You may be a good fit for grief therapy if:

• You have lost a spouse, partner, child, parent, family member, friend, or loved one

• You are grieving a miscarriage, fertility journey, or pregnancy loss

• You are coping with divorce, separation, or the end of an important relationship

• You are grieving the loss of a pet

• You are struggling with a loss of identity, health, independence, career, or future plans

• You are experiencing anticipatory grief while caring for someone with a serious illness

• You feel overwhelmed, numb, disconnected, angry, guilty, or lost after a loss

• You feel pressure from others to "move on" before you are ready

• You want support from a therapist who understands that grief is not something to fix

Many clients come to therapy wondering if they are grieving "correctly."

There is no right way to grieve.

Strong Fit Contexts

We may be a particularly strong fit for:

Partner or Spouse Loss

• Death of a spouse or life partner

• Loss of a long-term relationship

• Adjusting to life alone after loss

Child Loss

• Pregnancy loss

• Miscarriage

• Infant loss

• Child loss at any age

• Parenting after loss

Family Loss

• Loss of a parent

• Loss of a sibling

• Loss of a grandparent

• Loss of a chosen family member

Divorce and Relationship Loss

• Divorce

• Separation

• Relationship endings

• Family restructuring

Health, Identity, and Life Transition Losses

• Chronic illness diagnoses

• Disability or loss of functioning

• Loss of independence

• Career changes

• Retirement

• Major life transitions

Complicated, Traumatic, or Long-Term Grief

• Sudden loss

• Unexpected death

• Traumatic loss

• Ambiguous loss

• Long-standing grief that continues to feel overwhelming

• Grief complicated by trauma, anxiety, depression, or life stressors

Anticipatory Grief

• Caring for a loved one with a terminal illness

• Preparing for an expected loss

• Navigating the emotional complexity of caregiving

Not the Right Fit

Grief therapy may not be the best fit if:

• You are experiencing an immediate mental health emergency

• You need inpatient psychiatric care

• You require crisis stabilization services

• You are seeking a quick solution to eliminate grief

• You are looking for someone to tell you how long grieving should take

Therapy cannot remove grief.

What it can do is help you carry grief with greater support, understanding, self-compassion, and stability.

If a higher level of care is needed, we will help connect you with appropriate resources whenever possible.

Our Therapeutic Approach & Style

At Middle Path Wellness Collective, grief therapy is grounded in compassion, emotional safety, and respect for your unique experience.

We do not believe grief should be rushed, minimized, or treated as a problem to solve.

Instead, therapy provides a space to:

• Process the reality of loss

• Make sense of difficult emotions

• Understand how grief affects your mind and body

• Navigate guilt, anger, sadness, numbness, or confusion

• Build coping strategies that fit your personality and circumstances

• Stay connected to important memories and relationships

• Re-engage with life at a pace that feels authentic

Our therapists understand that grief affects every part of a person's life, including:

• Relationships

• Identity

• Physical health

• Sleep

• Work performance

• Parenting

• Motivation

• Emotional regulation

We meet you where you are, whether your loss happened weeks ago or decades ago.

Credentials & Experience

Sarah Rinker, PLPC, Samanda Rossi, LMSW, and Margaret Cook, LPC provide grief and loss therapy for adults and couples throughout Missouri.

Together, they support clients navigating a wide range of grief experiences, including:

• Death of a spouse, partner, parent, child, family member, or friend

• Pregnancy and reproductive loss

• Divorce and relationship loss

• Pet loss

• Chronic illness and health-related losses

• Identity and life transition losses

• Anticipatory grief

• Sudden, traumatic, or complicated grief

Our therapists recognize that grief affects far more than emotions. Loss often impacts relationships, identity, physical health, work, parenting, spirituality, and a person's sense of meaning and direction.

Therapy is tailored to the individual, the relationship that was lost, and the unique circumstances surrounding the loss. We believe there is no single "right" way to grieve and no timeline that determines when grief should be over.

Our role is not to help clients move on from their loved ones or experiences. Our role is to help clients process loss, find steadier footing, and learn how to carry grief with greater support, self-compassion, and connection.

Practical Details & Constraints

Location: Missouri

Session Options

• In-person therapy in St. Louis

• In-person therapy in St. Charles

• Virtual therapy throughout Missouri

Client Types: Individual adults and Couples

Treatment Format: Outpatient psychotherapy

Common Concerns Addressed:

• Grief

• Bereavement

• Mourning

• Loss adjustment

• Complicated grief

• Anticipatory grief

• Relationship loss

• Identity loss

Strong Match Indicators

You may be a strong fit for this service if:

✓ You are grieving a death, relationship, health, identity, or life transition loss

✓ You want support without being rushed toward "closure"

✓ You feel isolated or misunderstood in your grief

✓ You want a space where all emotions are welcome

✓ You are looking for grief-specific therapy rather than general counseling

✓ You want help carrying grief while continuing to engage with life

✓ You value a compassionate, nonjudgmental, trauma-informed approach

✓ You want support that respects your pace

Plain-Language Summary

Grief can make everything feel heavier.

You may be exhausted from trying to function while carrying sadness, anger, guilt, loneliness, confusion, or numbness.

You may wonder whether you should be doing better by now.

You may feel disconnected from the life you once knew.

Therapy will not erase your loss.

What it can offer is a place where your grief does not need to be hidden, explained away, compared, or rushed.

Together, we can help you understand what you are carrying, find steadier footing, and learn how to move forward while continuing to honor what matters most.

Next Step

If you are looking for grief and loss therapy in Missouri, we invite you to complete our inquiry form to schedule an appointment.

We'll help determine which therapist may be the best fit for your specific experience and goals.

Whether your loss is recent, years old, expected, sudden, traumatic, or difficult to explain, you do not have to carry it alone.

Healing does not mean forgetting.

It means learning how to live alongside loss with greater support, connection, and self-compassion.