I don’t teach grief from theory. I teach it from the ground I had to crawl through.
Meet Phil Cohen
In 2015, my 14-year-old son, Perry, was lost at sea in a tragic accident. My life split into before and after.
Me and Perry. The reason this work exists.
When Everything Collapsed
I tried therapy. Some of it helped. But much of it felt too clinical, like someone was reading grief from a textbook.
I did not need theory.
I needed someone who understood the wreckage. Someone who knew the fog, the guilt, the anger, the silence, and the pressure to “be strong” when breathing felt like work.
At one point, I was so lost, I Googled:
“How to grieve.”
What I found barely touched the surface.
The Questions I Had To Ask
I had spent most of my life studying personal growth, resilience, mindfulness, psychology, and what helps people change.
But nothing tested those ideas like losing my son.
Everything I thought I knew collapsed.
- What helps people move through devastating loss?
- Is healing possible, or do we learn to hide the hurt?
- What does it mean to live again without leaving them behind?
- Is purpose still possible after pain like this?
Will I ever feel fully alive again?
The answer was yes.
Not by going back to who I was. By becoming someone new, on purpose.
Where It Led
Grief did not shrink my life. It reshaped it.
I was invited to give a TEDx talk. I said yes before I felt ready. That moment forced me to put language to my pain, and it showed me how many people were quietly carrying grief with nowhere honest to put it.
I started sharing online. Not polished. Not performative. Honest. Messages came from people who felt seen for the first time.
Eventually, I left my job and chose this work fully.
Today, many people know me as The Grief Guy. I run grief workshops, lead Grief Circle, and speak to groups, leaders, and organizations about loss, resilience, and what healing truly asks of us.
I also created The Inner Garden, a 12-week grief program for people who are tired of being told to move on, stay strong, or wait for time to fix what time alone does not heal.
This was not the path I wanted.
But it is the path I now walk with purpose.
I am doing the work I wish existed when my world fell apart.
You are not broken.
You are grieving.
And you do not have to do it alone.