Support Groups

AFTER THE FIRE

A Free Online Support Group for Survivors of the Spokane Complex Fires

Tuesdays | 3:00–4:30 PM
October–December 2026 | 10 Weeks | Online
Free of charge

The fire may be over, but recovery takes time.

Surviving a wildfire can affect far more than where you live. It can change your sense of safety, your relationship with your community, the way your family copes, and how you think about the future.

After the Fire is a free, 10-week support group for people impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires. Together, we’ll create space to talk about what was lost, what has changed, and what it means to recover—both individually and as a community.

We’ll explore topics including:

**Property loss & rebuilding**
Coping with the loss of a home, belongings, familiar places, and the life that existed before the fire.

**Anger, injustice & moral injury**
Making space for complicated feelings about the cause of the fires, including anger toward the person responsible.

**“Could this happen again?”**
Understanding anticipatory anxiety, hypervigilance, and the challenge of rebuilding a sense of safety.

**Pet loss**
Honoring the particular grief of losing an animal companion—or living with what happened to animals during the fire.

**When family members cope differently**
Understanding different coping strategies and what happens when the people we love respond to trauma in very different ways.

**The holidays after disaster**
Navigating traditions, celebrations, family expectations, and reminders of what has changed.

**Grief, loss & collective trauma**
Understanding disaster recovery as a process and finding ways to move forward without minimizing what happened.

You don't have to be “over it.”
There is no single timeline for recovering from disaster. This group offers a place to connect with others who lived through the fires, understand common responses to trauma and loss, and begin making sense of what comes next.
The initial group will meet for 10 sessions from October through December. If there is enough interest, the group may continue into 2027.

Hosted by Catalyst Counseling
Catalyst Counseling has served Washington communities for more than 10 years and is opening its second location in Spokane in January 2027. As we become part of the Spokane community, we want to begin by showing up for our neighbors who have been affected by the fires.

[Register using the Contact or Book Now buttons - they will take you to our intake form where you can choose the support group as an option]

*Space may be limited. Advance registration required.*