Nonprofit Camberwell Grief Sanctuary offers healing through nature near Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A local nonprofit is using nature to promote healing from grief and trauma.

Camberwell Grief Sanctuary was founded in 2019 to create a community of people who have experienced profound loss and trauma.

The grief sanctuary is located at 3289 Highway 421S in Bedford, Kentucky. After its initial property was 19 acres, the nonprofit recently expanded to 228 acres in Trimble County.

KDP Graduation.jpg — Kelly and Mark with their daughter Kaytryn Dianna Parrish

Kelly and Mark Parrish lost their 19-year-old daughter Kaytryn to a car accident in 2012.

"We found ourselves in a hospital for six days while she slowly could not recover from her injuries. We left the hospital without a child," Kelly said. "No one prepares you for that."

They searched and struggled to find a place to grieve.

"I wanted a safe place in nature, I couldn't go and break down. People were there with their kids or throwing frisbee or with their dog, and I'm unraveling on the park bench," Kelly said. "It didn't feel like a safe space."

Those moments of sadness led to inspiration.

"Now where we are sitting at Camberwell, is a result of all we wished we could have found in the aftermath when we were in such a desperate situation," Kelly said. "So immersed in despair, what helped us was nature and our faith."

Mark has been a marriage and family therapist for 30 years. He said he's become a better therapist as he's learned about grief at Camberwell Grief Sanctuary.

"Grief I refer to as emotional weight lifting. It's like something you got to carry on the inside," Mark said. "If you learn how to carry it without numbing it or running from it, it can change you on the inside and make you stronger."

The nature sanctuary has six walking trails on the expansive property. The Little Kentucky River and other creeks run throughout the property, allowing for people to fish or sit waterside. People can also pick out trees for lost loved ones.

"Going to a cemetery you feel death, when you come out here, you feel hope," Mark said.

Camberwell Grief Sanctuary offers one-on-one grief therapy and mentoring, along with support groups for adults and children.

There's also an addiction cemetery planned, which will give people the chance to bury a substance, like a bottle of alcohol, and say goodbye to it.

The grief sanctuary is a place for people to feel understood, supported and safe.

"It speaks differently for everybody and that's a beautiful thing to provide," Kelly said. "When people leave, they feel at peace. Their shoulders come down, it is the first time they can exhale in a long time."

To learn more about Camberwell Grief Sanctuary, click here.