Tell Me a Bit About Grief…
Grief is Hard!
I do not know of anyone who has had it easy. Added to this is the fact that grief is not just one emotion. It is many, many emotions happening sometimes together, sometimes separately. It is also very important to understand that grief is an individualized experience. By this, I mean that everyone processes grief differently. This is mainly because grief is attached to a specific person and your feelings and memories of this person.
When Someone Close to You Dies, You Will Feel Many Things.
You will feel heartsick and joyless, alone and lonely. You will feel overwhelmed and scared, lost and adrift. And, these emotions are not fleeting. They can come and go for several years.
These emotions will, at times, make it difficult to think and concentrate. Also, you may feel like you are in a haze and as though your mind is in a fog.
Likewise, You Will Be Anxious and Question Many Things.
How will I be able to move forward after this devastating blow? Will my life ever be filled with happiness again? How will I ever be able to make the life-changing decisions that I now face? What will the holidays be like? Will family gatherings be uncomfortable? Will people treat me differently? These types of feelings and questions are associated with grief and its aftermath. They are overwhelming, hurtful, and emotionally charged. And, these are only a few of the things that you might experience. Grief is HARD and you need to Reclaim Your Life!
Reclaim Your Life!
You will Reclaim Your Life by working on many things. Some will be difficult. Some will make you sad as you contemplate moving forward. However, do not allow “moving forward” to have a bad connotation. Your choices are moving forward or living stuck in the past. By far, living in the past is the worst of the two and, if left unattended, can cause severe issues.
You may be afraid to move forward for many reasons. Maybe you feel it is a betrayal to your loved one. Maybe you feel that if you move on with your life you will be leaving your memories behind, and the thought of this is unacceptable and heartbreaking. Maybe you feel that your dreams are now unachievable so there is nothing of which to look forward. Whatever your reason for not moving forward, you need to let go of it so you can progress through your grief. I promise you that doing so will not be a betrayal or require that you leave your memories behind or that you cannot achieve new goals that you set for yourself. Together, we will journey forward.
Embrace Your Life!
Our goal will be for you to be able to envision and then prepare to Embrace Your Life. This is our ultimate goal. In order to live a healthy, productive, and satisfying life, you will need to be courageous and committed to this outcome. After all, you still have a life and it is meant to be lived.
It is time to commit to the rest of your life. No, it will not be what you once envisioned. However, this does not mean that what lies ahead will be drudgery. You are strong and resilient and you can love your life again. There is so much to see and do. Because of our work together – You should feel comfortable again out in public. You should have some new interests. You should begin to seek out others for companionship and activities. You should be able to enjoy family gatherings and holidays.
What's Next?
When you are ready, we will work together to create a plan for what you want to do next with your life and how you are going to make it happen. This will be possible because we worked on various ways to overcome your pain and anxiety. For instance: You will understand that grief and happiness can co-exist. You will know your values, objectives, and goals. You will possess coping skills. You will understand Thought Etiquette. You will understand that your grief must be processed YOUR WAY, in your own time. You will understand that the most important thing is that you are always moving forward, never standing still or retreating. You will understand that moving forward is NOT a betrayal.
If you would like to receive a copy of this webpage for your reference, please see below.