The daughter of Cuban refugees, Marialicia González was raised in Miami with values of community and resilience. Though her family experienced so much loss of country and culture, grief was never spoken about. 

When her childhood friend died suddenly, Marialicia was struck by how little it was talked about. It was all she wanted to do. A few years later, another friend died suddenly, and this was followed by four more sudden deaths of family and close friends, over the next three years. 

Adults were silent about it. Friends didn’t know what to say; Marialicia felt alone and confused. 

Where was the wisdom? The wise ones who knew how to navigate these waters?

At 19, in the midst of experiencing sudden deaths, she attended her first birth. Having the doors of death and birth open so young, catapulted her into a journey of fascination, deep respect, and curiosity, about all things birth and death and everything in between. 

Poetry writing and heartache transformed her to become a strong voice in the cultural shift to normalize the experience and expression of grief. She is passionate about breaking down the social barriers around grief and the stigma attached to it. 

Marialicia helps people feel like themselves after loss. She is a published author, poet, artist, and mother. Her first book, “Language Has No Words,” is available wherever books are sold and her first children’s book will be published in early 2026. She is co-founder of the popular Oregon-based literary non-profit, Grief Rites Foundation, where art is used as agency for the expression of grief. For over a decade, she has held grief groups and rituals, internationally and locally, creating grief literacy content for all ages. 

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She is a Hospice Nurse, Certified Grief Educator, and Traditional Midwife, bringing her passionate wisdom and teaching to anyone seeking healthy and heart-ful relationships. Her warm, grounded, and embodied approach has served thousands over the last 30 years.  

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Marialicia offers services in Spanish and English and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.