Blog
Juxtaposition of Nostalgia and Grief
Ahhh ’tis the season for my grievers to struggle the most! Depending on where you are at in your grieving journey, this time of year is filled with dread or joy. For most grievers, it’s a mix of something in between. Do the holidays ever feel better after loss?
Your Life Is Not Sustainable
Inevitably when the fall hits, I see so many people start to recoil into their shells. The overwhelm and stress of day-to-day life slowly creeps back in, and the things you gravitated towards that brought those feel-good-vibes start to dwindle down. These transitions are a good opportunity to really look and see what is working in your life and what is not. Notice what made you feel so good about summer versus winter.
A Therapist's Guide to Navigating the Shit Show
Welcome to the Shit Show!
Life is life-in’ and the world is on fire. How in the heck are you expected to stay regulated AND help your clients stay regulated in a completely emotionally dysregulated environment?!
5 Losses in 5 Years
5 Losses in 5 Years….whew….I have been through so much loss throughout my entire life, that I know better than to ever try and outrun my grief. No matter how fast you think you are, no matter how hard you try to hide, no matter how much you try to shove it down, it will always find you. My losses are a part of me now, just like yours are a part of you.
Dad
My Dad died when I was 2 years old. My mom didn’t really know how to tell me this news as I was getting older (and I imagine started having curious questions), so she told me he loved playing guitar and one day he died of a heart attack while playing his guitar with a friend. It was surely a romanticized death ~ dying doing the thing he loved. However, that wasn’t the thing he loved most before he died. My Dad died of a heroin overdose. Let me tell you right now, this blog will not even begin to encompass all the life lessons I learned, or the immense pain I felt, when I discovered this fact.
Why Even Bother To Feel My Grief?
Recently I had someone ask me, “Why even bother allowing myself to feel all this grief?” In the moment, it might have been more of a rhetorical question, but it was valid nonetheless. Honestly, it’s a fair question to ask. Why do we bother feeling grief or other emotions that feel terrible and debilitating? What’s the point? Wouldn’t it be better to set yourself to auto pilot and cruise control your way until the end of your own days? Is there a way to avoid it all?
Part 2: This Shame I Carry Is Not Mine
It’s complicated when a parent doesn’t provide a secure attachment. If you’re just starting out with giving your origins of shame more thought, or trying to fill in the gaps between things you already know, I hope this helps shine some insight into this really complex topic.
This Shame I Carry Is Not Mine
Self blame, shame, guilt, and negative self talk are such heavy burdens to carry. Do you ever wonder where it all originates? Often these thought patterns and behaviors are on a continuous loop that becomes so normalized across various situations, that many people don’t even stop to question their legitimacy. In this blog, let’s get curious.
I Loved Her, Too
“But I think a lot of you are out there, like me. Those who feel they could never compare their grief to their partner’s loss of a parent, but who still have their own grief to tend to, while also trying to be the best support.”
Sometimes We Have To Let People Go
A poem about letting go of toxic people whom you once loved.
It Has Always Been
“There is a tremendous amount of grief that lives inside these bones. There is no separating life “before” or “after” someone died. It has always been.”
Rocket Ships
“Some days I wish there was some place I could send grief
Like on a rocket ship sent up to space
With a note written inside
‘Please do not return’”
Those Moments You Can’t Forget
There will always be those moments in grief that will stick with us to the end of our time, for better and for worse. Here’s to grieving unapologetically, to showing up authentically, and allowing life to feel bigger than death.
Stuck in Grief
Welcome to the club that nobody wants to be a part of. There are A LOT of different feelings that come up after a death loss. Here are some common things that come up for my grievers.
It’s More Than Just Loss
So many clients that I see initially present looking for grief therapy. The death of a loved one just feels too overwhelming and it’s spilling into all areas of life. How could it not? The grief is at the source of all that feels misaligned. But is that the only thing? It’s pretty common once we start diving into more sessions, that what’s going on is often more than just loss.
How To Write A Eulogy
It can feel like a lot of pressure to write a eulogy, especially if writing or speaking in front of others is not in your wheelhouse. If you’re looking for guidance or ideas, Consider These 5 Things on How to Write a Eulogy.