by Audrey Walls, M.Ed., M.F.A.
With a new year comes new faces and roles as Full Circle looks towards the future, with a few staff members stepping up into new and expanded opportunities for 2026.
As many of you already know, the departure of our long-serving Grief Services Director, Britt Cowart, at the end of 2025 led to a number of shifts and changes in our administrative and clinical staff roles. While we are incredibly sad to see Britt go, we are also excited for her next adventures in a well-earned sabbatical, both personally and professionally.
In this light, taking up the mantle of Grief Services Director is none other than Carrie Schaeffer, LCSW, our previous Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager. Carrie brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to the role, having worked with us at Full Circle for over 10 years. Carrie’s background as a therapist, group facilitator, manager, and training supervisor make her an undeniable asset to Full Circle and our greater community. Congratulations, Carrie!
Moving into Carrie’s previous role as Perinatal Bereavement Services Manager is one of the newer members of our Full Circle team, Jess Hoy, MSW! Jess joined Full Circle in 2025, initially as a therapist for individual counseling clients. However, once we met Jess, we were instantly impressed with her care and dedication to serving grievers and asked her to step into Carrie’s previous role. Jess is a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, earning her master’s degree in social work.
We are also excited to announce the addition of a new program manager for our senior population by promoting Karen Coyner, LCSW, DCSW, to Senior Adults Bereavement Services Manager. In this new role, Karen will oversee our Widow, Widower, and Partner Loss Group as well as continuing her service as a clinical supervisor and individual counseling therapist. Congratulations, Karen!
Last bu certainly not least, Full Circle’s Overdose Bereavement Services Manager, Laura McDonald, LCSW, is taking on an additional role as our official Clinical Intake Manager, providing a one-stop for our clients seeking individual counseling services. Anyone who knows Laura has seen first-hand her ability to create a warm and welcoming environment for all grievers, so we are incredibly grateful to have her role expanded!
We remain grateful for all the ways that our staff here at Full Circle continue to serve grieving children, adults, families, and communities across Virginia. Each of these fantastic individuals is committed to providing compassionate care, making them a natural fit for taking on a larger role in the Full Circle story. Congratulations Carrie, Jess, Laura, and Karen!
Full Circle Grief Center 