Grief is a deeply personal experience that has the potential to leave us raw and reeling. These experiences that profoundly impact us are not something that we simply just “get over”. Instead, grief is something that we learn to carry with us. One of the profound ways we “carry” our grief is through rituals. Throughout […]
Have you heard of the grief analogy about a ball in a box? Imagine life as a box. Inside this box are two things: a pain buzzer and a ball of grief. When we first experience loss, that ball is big and heavy and it may feel like it is always pressed up against that […]
When you open social media, you are likely expecting to catch up with your friends and family. Maybe you’re looking for a distraction or searching for a laugh in the form of funny animal videos. But lately, instead of dogs doing silly tricks or wholesome posts from your loved ones, more tragic news and video […]
There is such a wide range of the kinds of grief we experience in life. If you’ve experienced grief before, you might recognize and name those old, familiar feelings when they resurface. However, for those who haven’t experienced grief before, it can be confusing, scary, and lonely. The truth is grief shows up in many […]
When we think of grief, we often think of it as something that happens after we lose someone. However, we can feel grief before the loss ever happens. Anticipatory grief, or the grief we feel before an actual loss is incredibly common, but rarely talked about and often overlooked. For some, they may not even […]
There are few things in life that have as much power to reshape our entire world quite like a cancer diagnosis. This is especially true when it strikes the people we love and care about most. In the US, a recent CBS News poll suggested that 54% of respondents have had or have had someone […]
As I reflect on my own grief hearing about the passing of former One Direction member, Liam Payne, I find myself wondering, how can the death of someone you’ve never met feel like losing a friend? As a teen therapist and grief counselor, this is also a question I often hear from clients after the […]
In part 2 of this series, we explored the emotional toll, relationship changes, and work life changes that can happen during infertility. In this part, we’ll discuss how you can approach a conversation with a friend or family member going through infertility as well as ways you can find support in your network and community. […]
In part 1 of this series, we explored what infertility can look like, as well as financial burdens and physical changes. The effects of dealing with infertility only start there. In this part, we’ll discuss how infertility affects your emotions, relationships, and daily functioning. The Emotional Toll Infertility is often referred to as a “rollercoaster” […]
This has been a tough month for me, I said goodbye to my adorable, 9.5-year-old, lion head bunny, Agnes. While she was only 3lbs, she was a huge part of my life. If you’ve just recently lost a pet, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I am sending over a big virtual hug. […]
A few days ago, I was aimlessly scrolling through social media. I came across a post that was being shared over and over again by folks I had gone to high school with. The post in question was posted by the family of a 14 year old freshman at my alma mater who died by […]
Let me introduce you to Jess* and Bosco… Jess was 12 years old when she got her beautiful pet rabbit, whom she named Bosco. To her, Bosco was perfect with his gorgeous black fur and little twitching white nose. Jess would spend time snuggling and playing with her rabbit. She loved him very much. However, […]
Every day, you deal with the heartache of the memory of your child (or children), who left this Earth too soon. While this lingers day in and day out, the month of May brings an overwhelming sense of sadness. You watch as other women and families celebrate mothers. You try to feel happiness for others, […]
“Grief is the last act of love we can give to those we loved. Where there is deep grief, there was great love.” —Unknown In the second part of supporting kids through tough transitions series, I talked about divorce. This time, I will share tips that might be helpful in getting your child through the loss […]