When Life Changes Overnight, You Don’t Have to Navigate It Alone
I’m Jill Gray, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist serving clients in California (#99995), Florida (#MT3586), North Carolina (#2544), and Arizona (#LMFT-16065). I’m also the owner of West Coast Counseling and Psychotherapy and a Certified Thanatologist through the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC).
I specialize in working with adults and teens navigating cancer, chronic illness, grief, loss, and the emotional realities of death and dying. Much of my career has focused on supporting people through medical diagnoses, treatment, recurrence, survivorship, caregiving, anticipatory grief, and life after loss.
These experiences can change every part of a person’s life — relationships, identity, future plans, mental health, sense of safety, and connection to others. Therapy can provide a space to process the fear, uncertainty, anger, sadness, exhaustion, and isolation that often come with illness and grief, especially when it feels like the rest of the world expects you to “stay positive” or move on too quickly.
My style is warm, direct, collaborative, and grounded in honesty. I believe people deserve a space where they do not have to filter their experience or protect others from the reality of what they are going through. Whether you are coping with a diagnosis, caring for someone you love, grieving a death, or struggling to adjust to a life that no longer looks the way you expected, therapy can help you feel more supported and less alone in the process.
I offer virtual therapy sessions for residents of Arizona, California, Florida, and North Carolina. If you think we might be a good fit, I’d love to hear from you.
About My Practice
My Experience
My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in genuine curiosity about each client’s life, relationships, and lived experience. I work from an existential perspective, helping clients navigate the uncertainty, identity shifts, grief, fear, and meaning-making that often arise alongside illness, loss, death, and major life transitions. I believe therapy should honor the fact that every person’s path is different, and I strive to create a space where clients feel safe being honest about difficult emotions and experiences without judgment.
In addition to my private practice, I facilitated cancer and grief support groups for adults and teens at Cancer Support Community South Bay from 2013–2023. Much of my professional experience has focused on supporting individuals and families navigating cancer, chronic illness, caregiving, anticipatory grief, bereavement, and the emotional realities of death and dying.
Newsworthy mentions:
How local nonprofits helped a South Bay woman conquer cancer and homelessness
Writing from the heart
Beach wellness – your story, your voice
Education:
BA, Anthropology | University of Central Florida
MA, Clinical Psychology | Pepperdine University
Post Graduate Certification in Thanatology | Hood College
Awards:
Mowry Outstanding Student Award in Thanatology, Hood College, awarded May 2022
Associations:
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Florida Mental Health Counselors Association
Association for Death Education and Counseling
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
Virtual Therapy
I moved to St. Petersburg, FL and transitioned my practice from an in-person office in Redondo Beach to a fully virtual model. Therapy sessions are now conducted through a secure video platform, allowing me to work with clients throughout Arizona, California, Florida, and North Carolina.
Many people are initially unsure whether virtual therapy feels as connected or effective as in-person therapy, but research consistently shows that video sessions can be just as effective. Virtual therapy also allows clients to access support from the comfort and privacy of their own space, without the stress of commuting or being limited by location.