About

Dr. Darrell Owens, DNP and His Approach

I believe grief is a natural and non-pathological response to loss.

It is a universal yet deeply personal experience that challenges our understanding of life, death, and the significance we derive from our relationships and existence.

I also believe grief is a transformative process that shapes our identity and worldview, compelling us to confront the transience of life and our connections with others.

Grief is unique to the person experiencing it, is not comparable, has no timeline, and is without closure. Most importantly, I do not believe there is a wrong way to grieve. Grief is not an illness to be cured or a problem to be solved.

People experiencing grief need to have their grief witnessed and acknowledged. They are not broken and do not need to be fixed.

In the end, what people in grief need is to grieve.

I bring this approach to everything I do, from group programs to counseling to speaking engagements.

My Background and Experience

I’m an international expert in palliative care and a certified grief therapist and counselor who practiced at UW Medicine for 22 years. I have practiced hospice and palliative care for 33 years.

I’m currently:

  • Clinical Professor Emeritus, University of Washington School of Medicine.
  • An advanced registered nurse practitioner with board certifications in Adult Health – Primary Care, Geriatrics/Gerontology – Primary Care, and Hospice/Palliative Care.
  • The only nurse practitioner in the U.S. who has earned an MS in Thanatology and is certified as a thanatologist (CT) by the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC).
  • Maintain a clinical practice in hospice.
  • Serve as a consultant and affiliate faculty at Yale University School of Nursing.

I hold a BSN from Emory University in Atlanta, an MS in Health Services Administration from St. Mary’s College, and an MS in Nursing (Palliative Care CNS and two postgraduate programs, Adult Health Primary Care and Geriatrics/Gerontological Primary Care) from Seattle Pacific University. I also hold a Master of Science in Thanatology from Edgewood College.

I earned my Doctor of Nursing Practice in Geriatrics and Palliative Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and am a 2002 Harvard Medical School Faculty Scholar in Palliative Care Program graduate. In 2015, the UAB Alumni Association honored me with the Joanne Barnett Award for Compassionate Care.

During my 22 tenure with the University of Washington, I founded the Inpatient and Outpatient Palliative Care Services at Harborview Medical Center and Northwest Hospital in Seattle, WA.

Some additional career highlights include:

  • In 2011, I was selected as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner’s Nurse Practitioner of the Year for the State of Washington.
  • In 2012 was the first nurse practitioner to receive the Cambia Health Foundation’s Sojourn Award for Excellence in Clinical Leadership in Palliative Care.
  • In 2019, I was honored with the University of Washington Distinguished Staff Award for outstanding dedication to the University of Washington Community.
  • In 2020, I was inducted into the Washington State Nurses Association Hall of Fame.
  • In 2021, I was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a Fellow.
  • In 2024, the Association of Death Education and Counseling selected him as a Fellow in Thanatology.

My international work in palliative care includes teaching in Vietnam and China. I’m an adjunct faculty member at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Hue, Vietnam, Department of Oncology, and a palliative care consultant for the National Cancer Hospitals in Hanoi, where I’m helping to establish palliative care for oncology patients.

I’ve also published over 20 articles and chapters on various palliative care topics. My research areas of interest are disenfranchised grief in nursing and death anxiety among oncologists practicing in Vietnam.