On Pet Loss: The Shadowed Grief
When we consider the comfort, joy, and support given to us by pets, it makes sense why losing them can be devastating to our psyches.
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Grief
Sleep: Building a Healthy Routine
In regards to mental health, we know that many diagnoses, like depression, anxiety, and PTSD have symptoms that relate to sleep disturbances.
Secondary Trauma & Grief
The population of caregivers & loved ones of those who are battling severe medical conditions, experience a trauma that often goes unnoticed.
Moral Injury: What exactly is it?
Essentially, moral injury can occur when someone either engages in or witnesses an event and/or action that goes against their own personal values, ethics, and beliefs. There are two types of acts that can lead to moral injury; acts of commission and acts of omission.
Grief: Ways to Cope During the Holidays
On one hand, we are expected to be festive and merry; on the other, we are reminded that person is no longer here or in the capacity they once were. It can be exhaustive to cope. Unlike an anniversary or birthday, where the day itself can be dreadful but otherwise there are limited triggers about it, the holiday season is different. The sights, sounds, activities, and gatherings go on for weeks.
Grieving the Death of a Parent as a Young Adult
Losing a parent is a life-changing, profound experience that almost everyone will go through at least once. In fact, the death of a parent is one of the most common types of death, and as a society, we expect we will outlive our parents. As a result, while the grief that accompanies the death of a parent can quickly be recognized with the inundation of flowers and sympathy cards, this commonality seems to minimize the loss and makes us think we should “get over” it soon. The truth is, it can still be a tremendous loss – and this sense of “get over it” can make the healing even more difficult because it comes with guilt.
What Are Ruminating Thoughts?
Everyone ruminates. Whether it’s thinking about something we said to someone, something we did wrong, or some recent event that is stuck in our mind.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy is a newer form of therapy. Art therapy is an integrative mental health therapy that is designed to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities through the process of art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a therapeutic relationship.
Grief: The Myth of the Five Stages of Grief, and the Truth about Recognition and Resolution
Belief in the stage theory of grief pushes the idea that bereaved individuals must undergo a specific sequence of reactions over time as the result of the death of someone who was significant to them. Not only is this inaccurate since individuals may not experience all the stages in their set order, but it also is stigmatizing to those who never experience the stages at all as they may think there is something “wrong” with them.
Why Ending Therapy When You’re Feeling “Fine” May Not Be Best
Most people also think when they are starting to feel better that therapy has worked and they can now stop coming. For some people this can be true. But with most of our trauma folks, “better” simply signifies not being in constant crisis mode.
