jrobert4

Having lost his mother at the young age of 4, and his father at the age of 16, Jesse Roberts is no stranger to grief and loss. As a small child, his family did not discuss his mother's death openly, leading to his own personal journey of complicated grief. His father did not know how to cope with the loss of Jesse's mother, and began to deal with her death through using drugs and alcohol to avoid the pain. Jesse desires to use his story, his personal experiences, and his education to make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting. Jesse holds a B.S. in psychology from Gardner-Webb University, and is currently in his last year of graduate school in the Mental Health Counseling program there. In addition to pursuing his dreams of higher education, Jesse works with LifeShare Of The Carolinas as a Family Support Specialist, walking alongside and supporting the families of individuals who have suffered devastating neurological injuries as they navigate the end-of-life decision making process. Before beginning his work with LifeShare, Jesse served as a Community Grief and Bereavement Counselor with Hospice of Rutherford County. He is also the author of <a href="http://thegrieftoolbox.com/products/katie-ladybug-explaining-emotions-g… the Ladybug: Explaining Emotions of Grief to a Child," </a> which is a children's book that serves as a creative way of beginning conversations about the difficult topic of loss. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with his closest friends, who he considers to be family