When two women from different professional worlds—Jennifer Harris, an interior designer, and Courtney Guhl Huckabay, a mental health professional—volunteered at The WARM Place, they had no idea that their shared passion for helping grieving children would lead to a lasting friendship and, eventually, a book. Both personally impacted by the loss of their fathers, they found deep connection and purpose through their volunteer work. Over time, their conversations around grief, family patterns, and letting go of possessions inspired Reframe & Reclaim, a practical and heartfelt guide to help others transform their spaces and emotional well-being. The WARM Place is honored to share their story and the connection that was made through our program. Here is a little more about their story!
Tell us about yourselves! Jennifer, an interior designer and Courtney, a mental health professional – we’d love to know more!
Courtney: I grew up in the Fort Worth area and attended TCU for undergraduate and graduate school. I am a wife, a mom and enjoy travel and being outdoors. My passion is to help others grow and succeed in their personal and professional lives. I enjoy counseling clients, supervising counselors and training mental health professionals.
Jennifer: I was born in Fort Worth and have lived here off and on over my lifetime. I have designed home decor and seasonal products for several large retailers and while I am an Interior Designer by profession, I am a recovering maximalist by genetics. I love the instant gratification you get from transforming spaces, especially through organization. It’s a puzzle with multiple outcomes and with every client needing a personalized solution. I enjoy late night brainstorming sessions to discover new design solutions, traveling, camping with my family, and spending time outdoors. I currently live outside of Austin but will be moving back to the Fort Worth area later this year. I am married with 2 boys, ages 8 and 6.
How did you hear about The WARM Place? What initially made you feel inclined to get involved and volunteer your time?
Courtney: I first learned about the WARM Place through my counselor training when I was as a school counselor. I attended a grief counseling workshop hosted by the WARM Place and knew that I wanted to be connected to the WARM Place immediately. I love the mission and work that the WARM Place has established. My father died unexpectedly of a heart attack when I was a college student at TCU. At that time, I did not know about the resources the WARM Place provided. Once I was connected with the WARM Place, I knew I wanted to be a part of this mission to help support young people through death loss. I wanted to be an encourager to other young people.
Jennifer: I was initially a client when I was 15 years old and The Warm Place had a profound effect on my grief journey after my father’s sudden death. Especially Shirley Wells and Lee Bohme who were my facilitators. Being able to go to a place where grief was normal and being experienced by other kids my age made the journey much less lonely and manageable. When I was in my late-20s I was inspired by my positive experience there to return and facilitate in the teen and young adult groups.
Do you have a special experience or memory that you hold onto from your time volunteering at The WARM Place?
Courtney: I have so many invaluable experiences volunteering with the WARM Place. I volunteered with the teens and young adults during my time volunteering (2008-2010). I was not only helping other young people in their grief journeys, but I was also learning to heal personally through my time in giving back. Honestly, working with the other facilitators and volunteers, I gained life-long friends and invaluable experience. I am most thankful for connecting with and volunteering with Jennifer Harris. We became supportive friends, both experiencing the death loss of our fathers, and continue to encourage and support each other through life today. She is one of my best friends and confidants. Truly, good things can come from challenging experiences.
Jennifer: Just seeing the kids move through their own grief journeys and the difference we were able to make from their first visit to their closing. You could visibly see the weight of grief being lifted as they continued to attend the group. I will also always cherish the lifelong friendships I made with the other facilitators.
We know that you both recently accomplished a major project as a pair, you wrote a book! Please tell us more about this exciting publication, Reframe & Reclaim. What inspired you to pursue this?
Jennifer: It started when I was helping my brother reorganize his home. I began to see that he had perspectives, excuses or justifications, and many life habits that were also shared with other family members and myself. While going through his belongings, I realized that he had a difficult time letting go of things from his childhood that he collected. I also shared this pattern and began to question how these habits began and what to do to gain more perspective. I reached out to my friend, Courtney, a professional counselor to find out more about this insight.
We discussed social learning and family customs that we adopt in life. As we talked more about this mindset of habits and patterns, I wanted to learn how to shift to healthier habits. It has always been easy for me to organize my belongings, but I have a difficult time letting go of things. I realized that much of this challenge is from my experience with death loss and my personal grieving process. As Courtney and I talked more, I reflected, journaled and took notes. She explained that many people have challenges with things, and we decided we wanted to write about our experience and ideas so that we can help others.
The book, Reframe & Reclaim: A 7-Step Guide to REFRAME Your Relationship with Your Belongings and Reclaim Your Space, was born. We interviewed other people and researched through reading to identify multiple justifications people use to keep belongings that may not truly serve us in our current life chapters. It was an insightful journey to research, interview and write about the challenges that so many people have surrounding their belongings. We have created a simple 7-Step process, R.E.C.L.A.I.M., to guide people in their personal reflection and evaluation of their belongings. Our book outlines the steps and illustrates how clients in our case studies experience this process. It is created to be self-lead so that readers can experience this process at their own pace. Our hope is that this book will help others to find healthier mindsets and peace of mind as well as create more functional spaces in their homes.
We know that you both met at The WARM Place as volunteers and clearly your friendship has only grown and strengthened over the years. What would you say to someone who might be on the fence about getting involved and supporting grieving children?
Courtney: I would encourage anyone who has a heart for children and young people to get involved. Supporting grieving children can seem overwhelming, and some may not feel qualified, however, the WARM Place equips the volunteers with training, resources, and support for the volunteers as they walk with young people in their grief journeys. You don’t have to be a professional counselor, you just need the ability to provide time, a listening ear and compassion. I am forever grateful for the experience I have had with the WARM Place.
Jennifer: It is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved. You don’t have to know everything or be perfect and there are other facilitators in the room with you. You just have to be open to listening to those who are grieving. You will get so much more back than the small time commitment you give.
