Diane Dalbey, PhD. is a BodyMind Therapist, specializing in pain and trauma. She studied medical QiGong in Los Angeles and at the International Medical QiGong Institute in Beijing. She teaches QiGong and often uses Medical QiGong in her private practice, as a partner to many other therapies. You can visit her website at DrDianeDalbey.com. Diane is also an advocate of healing through…
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
Healing (Page 5)
A lot has been written about “getting through the holidays.” But, for someone who is grieving, words of hope and comfort can never be said often enough. This week, virtually on the eve of both Christmas and Hanukkah, the visual cues announcing the holidays are almost overwhelming. Lights, decorations are everywhere, triggering feelings of loss and loneliness. Now, words of encouragement are…
What a valid question in the middle of so much pain, loss and change! The answer depends upon your perspective and where you are in your grief. Although there are similar phases/stages of grief, YOU go through your grief process in your own unique way. Most of the time, you don’t have a hint of what that means until you are forced…
By Fern Lippert, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist Holidays are normally a time of rejoicing, sharing meals with loved ones, and carrying out the family traditions. Unfortunately, this year for many that has changed. A loved one is no longer there and now holidays can be a time of tremendous sadness. It reminds us of what we no longer have. We often wonder, “How…
So you’re feeling too much pain and isolation and decide to join a grief group. Or you simply work up the courage and jump in. Whew! That is not an easy step. No one wants to join this “club.” At first, everyone seems to be more or less in the same boat. It appears that everyone is sad and grieving a huge…
When you’re grieving, it may feel like you’re in a long gray tunnel that you’ll never get through. It’s depressing, lonely, exhausting and feels endless.
It’s difficult to see the light. It can be frightening to think that you’ll never get through… that your life will remain in the gray.
If you allow yourself to grieve, you will heal. Life, as you knew it, will be changed forever but you will get through. You will have a newly defined life, one that you never asked for, one that you never imagined. This new life can again bring happiness, joy and peace.
How do you know if you’re healing?
When you’re living your life, you go about your normal routine as usual. Then when someone you love dies, surviving grief can feel like you’ve been transported onto a Ferris wheel in the middle of a lake. When you’re up high, you feel like you’re on top of things and have some measure of control. As you descend, your view and perspective changes. So do your emotions and your coping strategies. As you gain momentum plunging downward, you can feel an unraveling dread and a rise in panic. Suddenly, you’re totally submerged in deep water, much longer than you care to be, struggling for your very breath. Then the realization hits you. You’re drowning and you don’t know what to do. You don’t even know how to breathe anymore… You are at a total loss.
Initially in grief, you can have many people around you such as family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. If you join a bereavement group, you may also have the understanding and support of the members. However, during times of intense pain, it’s necessary to learn to rely on yourself.
The following are three “Self” resources that can help you during this difficult time of grieving:
Losing a parent can be one of the most traumatic events that an adult will go through. It can also present a rare opportunity for potent changes in life. When we lose a parent one of the ways we heal is by finding benefits and gifts that come out of a traumatic loss and the healing process. Often, this requires that we…
Not long ago I learned that a very good friend’s husband was hit by a bus and left in critical condition only to pass away shortly after. He was a great man with a sweet soul and a gentle nature. He loved his animals, his wife, and kids, and seemed to always have a smile for you when in his presence. When…
“There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this, and after this.” — N. Kazan There are indeed events that divide your life into “before and after.” And holidays often make you realize the significance of the event you’ve experienced. If you’re grieving, holidays —…