Empowering Mental Health Through Nature
Therapy sessions in parks, beaches, and more.
Welcome to Grief Without Walls
My Mission
At Grief Without Walls, my mission is to provide high-quality, compassionate care and support to individuals, couples, and families struggling with grief & bereavement. Whether your loss was recent or long ago, the pain of a loved one dying can hit at any time. I’m here to help you through your grief journey, wherever you may be on that road.
Welcome
Discover a safe and supportive environment to work through the grief for a loved one who has died. To put it bluntly, grief sucks. And it’s very difficult to get through alone. Whether with a professional and/or with friends & family, it’s important to find support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at spencer@withoutwallstherapy.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Grief Without Walls is an outdoor psychotherapy practice that offers individual and group therapy sessions to help clients dealing with grief for the death of a loved one.
Sessions are held at local parks, the beach, or other similar settings, and most clients prefer to walk and talk. Other clients prefer shooting a basketball or kicking a soccer ball around or playing catch. Some bring their dogs (which is totally fine as long as the dog isn’t disruptive to the session)
My name is Spencer Presler and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I have been a licensed psychotherapist since 2012 but began working with those in grief in 2008, when I began volunteering at a grief camp called Comfort Zone Camp* (www.comfortzonecamp.org), where I facilitate group “Healing Circles” I have also worked with many people in grief in my private practice.
As for the why? I believe I can help because I have a lot of experience, both professional as well as personal, starting when my dad died when I was 16 and because I am a naturally compassionate and empathic person. I also recognize that this ain’t cheap, so I try to provide maximum value by offering full 60+-minute sessions vs the industry-standard 45 or 50-minute “hour" (I don’t closely watch the clock & have never stopped a client mid-story and told them we’ll finish next time). In addition, I offer clients free "Booster Calls", or ~10 minute calls between sessions because I know life happens and sometimes we need a little extra support.
Plus, all sessions are outdoors and numerous studies have shown that merely being outside, especially among nature or even just near some trees, has tremendous benefits for our mental health. And because most clients choose to walk at least part of their sessions, there is also the added benefit of mild exercise (good for both the mental and physical health). You can even bring your dog (as long as it doesn't interfere with or distract from our conversation).
Most of all, because I genuinely care. I know the pain of grief all too well and I love helping provide tools to help others heal well, minimizing the scarring that can result from unprocessed or unresolved grief.
*Comfort Zone is an amazing and totally FREE camp for kids who have experienced the death of an immediate family member, with programs in many states around the country. It’s also an incredible volunteer experience; they match campers up 1-on-1 with an adult volunteer for a weekend camp session (no clinical experience needed).
Studies have shown the long-term impact unresolved grief can have throughout one’s life. But you can learn to deal with it in ways that will ultimately allow you to heal with minimal scarring & long-term problems. With both emotional and physical wounds, our bodies/minds will naturally heal with time. But the amount of long-term damage & scarring, physical or emotional, will depend on how well the healing process goes. And, like you would do if you broke your arm, for a major loss, it’s worth consulting with a professional.
But whether you do or don’t, like with a physical injury, most of our healing is how we care for our wounds at home. Again, we can heal cleanly with minimal scars & long-term issues OR, we can heal in unhealthy ways that keeps us messed up for a long time. I can provide you with healthy tools to help you through your grief journey.
But whether you talk with a professional or not, please lean on safe friends & loved ones. Too often we talk ourselves out of calling a friend in our time of need because we don't want to bother them, or be a "downer", or be "that person." But your good friends WANT you to call them. They want the opportunity to be a good friend. They want to help support you. Just like you'd probably want to help support the your best friends.
Yes, I have been providing general psychotherapy and mental health support to clients for almost 15 years. I believe that we’re each uniquely ”crazy” in our own ways, and that sometimes we need a little help getting through a rough time.
I‘m a “teach a person to fish” sorta therapist who wants clients to walk away with coping tools that empower them and allow them to get through whatever life may throw their way. My goal is for you to not need me anymore. It’s a horrible business model but I try to work myself out of a job each time I meet with a client.
For in-person sessions, my default location is Mar Vista Recreation Center in West Los Angeles but I can meet you at most public locations in West LA, from La Cienega Park to the Northeast and Marina del Rey to the Southwest. I can meet at farther locations for an additional fee.
And yes, I do have sessions on the phone or video (on a protected & encrypted, HIPPA-safe website).
No, I do not currently accept any insurace plans, nor do I have any plans to at this time. My sessions are $250/session and I offer a sliding scale that goes as low as $100/session (scale is based on current income & assets).
I hate for money to be a barrier so I try to work with clients to help you stretch your dollar, even if it means we have less frequent full sessions that are supplemented by my free Booster Calls.
It's a horrible business model, but each session, I try to work myself out of a job... I try to get you to the point that you don't NEED a therapist on a regular basis; where you have the tools necessary to handle whatever curveball life may throw at you. And if you ever need a refresher, I'll be here for you (as one client told me, her husband will tell her she needs a walk in the park with Spencer).
Contact Us
Hours
Open today | 09:00 am – 05:00 pm |
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