People often ask me “How exactly do you help people get through grief?” In this article, I lay out my process, which is rooted in “resilient healing.” Loss is a universal human experience, but we don’t have to passively live with sadness. Resilient healing gets you through the worst parts of grieving in a relatively short period of time.
When you lose someone dear to you, you need others to help you feel safe. People to hear your pain. To remind you that you’re still here, even though it doesn’t feel like it. Humans aren’t meant to grieve alone.
Grief bursts can blindside you. If they happen in public, you feel awkward and embarrassed. Having a micro-ritual in your back pocket will help you move through them quickly and get some healing from the experience.
A good grief companion has one predominant characteristic: they’re ready to enter your hell and stay there with you.
How I feel about my work? I see unfathomable grace daily. I see my clients lean into the intensity of grief and become wiser versions of themselves. That’s why I do what I do. I don’t bring faith to them. They bring faith to me.
Rip currents are narrow bands of water in surf zones that flow away from the shore. One minute, you’re swimming in a manageable tide. The next, you’re being pulled out to sea at 5 mph. Grief can feel like an emotional rip current. And the strategies for riding out a rip current will also work for navigating grief.