We do not get over grief; we learn to live with it. The initial phase of grief is acute grief. This is that time when physical, emotional, mental, and reckoning with your worldview or beliefs symptoms can be very intense. The second phase of grief is integrated grief. This is a permanent form of grief in which we are able to reengage with the world and have some hope for our future. The pathway from acute grief to integrated can be full of difficult terrain. It is my j

What are you grieving that you feel you shouldn’t or that others seem to dismiss as worthy of grief? Disenfranchised grief can show up when you feel that… · Your loss isn’t worth being able to grieve · There is stigma around the relationship (such as grieving an ex) · There is stigma in the cause of death (such as overdose, suicide, and many others) · The way you are grieving is judged by others Your grief matters. Please give yourself and others the grace and patience to

When we grieve deeply, it can be exhausting to discern who to trust with the story. #grieftherapy #griefcounseling #groundedgrief #traumaticgrief #complicatedgrief

I’ve ached for my clients to be able to wear a name tag for at least the first two years… #grieftherapy #griefcounseling #groundedgrief #complicatedgrief #traumaticgrief #ambiguousloss #disenfranchisedgrief #my100dayproject

Grief is a learning process—a strenuous and unpredictable one no one signs up for. Why is that we expect ourselves or others to learn a whole new reality in a matter of weeks, months, or even years? Grieving people are relearning their world, themselves, and often, their beliefs about everything they thought they knew. Please be patient and kind. “It’s only been [fill in time since death or event]” can be a useful offering of grace to yourself and to another who is gri

Grief is many things AND it not the same thing as depression. Grief has depressive elements to it, yet it is not depression. Knowing the differences may be helpful. Grief typically shows up as… · Waves · Cycling moments of deep pain and moments of a reprieve (even in the form of numbing) · Missing and yearning · Loss of interest or pleasure due to the event or the loss Depression typically shows up as… · An unending flatness with little to no shift in mood · A pervasive