Her Story
About Genna
Genna Reeves, Ph.D. is a grief coach, peer counselor, certified grief educator, and death doula based in Northern New Mexico. She operates a private practice, Invictus by Genna: Grief & Loss Services, while also serving as the New Mexico Community Liaison for HeartLight Center, Inc., a grief support and education nonprofit. In her work, she facilitates peer-based grief groups, workshops, and educational programs that support individuals navigating loss through evidence-informed frameworks such as the Companioning Model, the Dual Process Model, and Continuing Bonds Theory. She also contributes to professional development and curriculum design within end-of-life and grief education spaces, including teaching for End of Life Psychedelic Care.
With more than 15 years of experience as a scholar and educator, Dr. Reeves previously held academic roles in fashion and museum studies, specializing in historic and cultural dress at institutions such as Colorado State University, Oregon State University, and Kansas State University. She holds a Ph.D. in historic and cultural dress from Oregon State University, along with advanced degrees in apparel design and merchandising and educational leadership and policy. Her earlier research explored how dress and textile objects function as tools of memorialization and cultural expression, laying a foundation for her later transition into grief and loss work.
Dr. Reeves integrates her academic background, clinical training, and lived experience of loss into a holistic approach to grief support. She has trained with leading grief educators including David Kessler and Claire Bidwell Smith, and is actively involved in grief-centered professional networks such as the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her work emphasizes compassionate presence, meaning-making, and community connection, while also incorporating creativity, ritual, and reflective practice to help individuals navigate complex and layered experiences of grief.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Genna
01What do you attribute your success to?
When I think about what I attribute my success to, the main word that comes to mind for me is curiosity first, and then also resilience. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner, and I have always talked to people about the fact that that is a superpower that we can embody, because learning is something that helps us grow. My success I really see as being attributed to a willingness to keep learning, growing, adapting my thoughts, and responding to the needs of grievers. Throughout my career, I've noticed that I've really been willing to follow questions that matter to me, to explore things that don't make sense to me. I also want to highlight that my success has come from my relationships. My PhD mentor in particular, colleagues I've worked with, and even clients and community members I work with have all shaped my perspectives and helped me be a more well-rounded professional.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to stay committed to continuous education and consistently keep my skills and knowledge up to date.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's okay to not have your entire path figured out before you take the next step. Some of the most meaningful opportunities that I have had in my life include leaving academia, building my own private practice, Invictus by Jenna, and really just stepping into the idea of supporting other people. It's okay if you create a new idea or a new role, similar to what I did, because maybe it's what the world needs, and someone just hasn't thought of it yet. Ideas are our greatest currency. The other thing I would say is to find your tribe, and it may not be who you think it will be. You may be surprised, but definitely find your tribe and the people that you work with well. I would also say to get into this work in terms of grief support and education for what I like to say, the motivation before the money. Because if your heart is truly in it and you are good at what you do and you train, then the money will come. The focus should be on motivation first. And then also, as I said, keep learning and stay current on research.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
For me, one of the things that I keep coming back to, and I think this is a theme that runs through professional life and personal for me, is I value community. One of the things that's most fulfilling for me is when I can combine community with movement of some kind. Spending time with my niece and nephew is incredibly refreshing and also nurturing for me, because it is such quality time to spend with these little humans who look up to me, and I appreciate that so much, and being able to connect with them.
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