Dr. Jessica Thomas

A leading figure in the intersection of mental health, academia, and the death industry, I’ve spent over a decade studying transpersonal psychology, psycho-spiritual development, mindful photography, and the art of reflection. My approach to death education, program development and clinical supervision integrates Eastern philosophy and Western psychology– which deeply considers how we are interconnected.

I am a professor at Lewis & Clark College where I teach on death, loss, and psycho-spiritual development. I hold a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology and also serve as President on the board of The NW Association for Death Education and Bereavement Support.

As a death and grief educator and therapist, I am passionate about expanding the ways in which we engage in conversation around death and dying. I strongly believe that exploring one’s own grief and loss experiences and sharing those experiences in community with others can promote a healthier society.

I’m the author of Choosing Light: Transforming Grief through the Practice of Mindful Photography and Self-Reflection and esteemed doctoral research, Mindful Photography and its Implications in End-of-life Caregiving: An Art-based Phenomenology.

“I honor my grief experiences as wisdom gained when I host a Within and Without Mindful Photography reflection group or train a facilitator or teach courses on death and dying. Bit by bit, I contribute toward a systemic shift in our society where we can be more death accepting rather than death denying and where there is more access to social grief support rather than grief isolation.”

— Jessica Thomas PhD. | Choosing Light