Grief

Grief

Grief is unique to each person, each relationship, and can feel like an emotional rollercoaster ride. Grief is a personal expression of love.
It is a natural time of darkness. It precedes any light coming back in. It brings a tornado of grief dimensions that are unique to each individual.

One may experience physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual manifestations of grief.  Each of us will experience a loss in our own personal way.   We crawl through the tunnel of grief certainly before we learn to walk and one day run again. There are no prescribed timelines.

“The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”

— Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

There is a need inside all of us to have another person bear witness to the grief we experience when a loved one dies. To affirm that our grief and pain matters. We are hard-wired for connection and are not meant to suffer alone and in isolation. Carefully seek out individuals who encourage you to be yourself and can sit with your pain and compassionately listen to your many thoughts and feelings without trying to fix you. Expressions of grief take a variety of forms from talking it out, journaling, painting, dancing, crying etc..    We learn to live with our grief and discover a new normal as we integrate our loss.  If you are struggling to find a safe

space for your heart, I encourage you to seek out sources of support. This circle of support may be a trusted friend, family member, coach, spiritual or religious leader, professional grief counselor, or grief support group.

As a grief counselor, I have had the honor of working with hundreds of grieving people and I have seen them walk towards hope and healing when they have been given a haven to share their loss and love story. I have completed 90 hours of training held by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition. I work to companion the bereaved by walking with them on their journey through grief. If you need my support it would be a privilege to work with you.