Losing a loved one is one of the most personal and painful experiences that we face in our lives. In the aftermath of a loss, it is easy to get stuck in the pain and feelings of overwhelm and avoid the process of mourning the loss. While grief is a difficult and process, it is also a healthy one. Based on William Worden’s book, Grief Counseling and Grief therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health … [Read more...] about How to Move Forward After Loss: The Four Tasks of Mourning
Grief and Loss
The Anniversary Effect: The COVID Version
As we approach the date of the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID lockdowns, I find my mind going back in time more frequently. I have been replaying and recalling past interactions and memories that took place leading up to the official start of quarantine. For example, I find myself more aware of the one-year mark as the weather becomes warmer and sunnier. This one-year mark … [Read more...] about The Anniversary Effect: The COVID Version
Forgiveness and the Barrier of Blame
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it” – RUMI I wrote this blog for those who want to forgive and are ready to do so. If you are not ready to forgive or even to process what has happened, that is okay too. It’s not yet the right time for you to read this blog. When someone breaches your … [Read more...] about Forgiveness and the Barrier of Blame
When Couples Grieve Differently
There are a range of normal and healthy responses to grieving a loss. However, couples sometimes experience distress when they perceive their partner’s way of grieving as different. Difference is actually okay. But it is often the stories couples tell themselves about this difference that causes an issue: i.e. “He/She just doesn’t care,” “He’s/She’s taking too long to get over this,” “He/She is … [Read more...] about When Couples Grieve Differently
Depression: When to Get Help
Feeling sad is a normal and healthy response to many different situations in life. For example it would be well within the range of normal to feel sad in response to the death of a friend or family member, the end of a romantic relationship, an unexpected move, a difficult career transition, etc. Many people struggle with how to know when sadness may actually be depression, or when sadness has … [Read more...] about Depression: When to Get Help
Coping with a Miscarriage
One of out three pregnancies ends in a miscarriage. Although miscarriages are common, the loss of a pregnancy can be very distressing to a woman and her partner. The distress can be influenced by the meaning of the pregnancy to the couple, each partner’s personal history, the couples experience with medical providers during the pregnancy, the couples experiences with the fertility process, etc. … [Read more...] about Coping with a Miscarriage