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“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing… Perhaps more strictly, like suspense. Or like waiting: just hanging about waiting for something to happen. It gives life a permanently provisional feeling.” C.S. Lewis [More]

When you are sat down by a doctor and explained that you have an incurable medical condition that could become completely debilitating to you, cause you daily pain, and change every aspect of your life, you die. Your physical life has died, your career has died, your ability to care for your family has died, your ability to enjoy the intimacy between yourself and your partner has died. But your lungs still breath air, your heart still pumps, and you must create a completely new life in spite of your medical conditions. [More]

It is completely normal to envy your friend, relative, or coworker when she has something that you cannot have (at the moment!). Do not feel guilty of your negative feelings; you perhaps need some reassurance that ‘everything will be fine.’ It is frustrating when you are happy for a friend, yet sad for your own loss. This mental state makes it even more difficult to overcome and push away such feelings, as it is complicated to satisfy motherly and fatherly instincts. [More]

Grief refers to the physical, behavioral, and emotional reactions to a loss. Many people regard it as illness; however, it is a struggle that involves a feeling of emptiness (Perreault, 2011). According to the Grief Index of 2003 Survey report, the cost of grieving employees born by US businesses was nearly $74 billion a year.These hidden costs are not just the loss of a single business; in reality, it damages the economy and society. [More]

Many people have lost a parent, but very few people have had to deal with the pain of losing a child. It can be a really difficult thing to go through if you're a parent, and sometimes, the pain that fathers deal with during it is left behind. Both mothers and fathers have to work through the heartache, albeit differently, so it's important to take a look at that pain and see what we can do in order to help our way through it. Father's Day is coming up, and this day can be incredibly painful and heartbreaking for fathers who have lost a child in some way, shape or form. [More]

One of the most difficult losses that anyone will likely experience in their lifetime is the loss of a parent. If you’ve never experienced this type of loss, helping your spouse get through it can be arduous. Most don’t have the words to say or try to rush them through the grieving process, which only prolongs recovery. When equipped with the right tools and support, you can help your spouse get through to brighter days. [More]

Grief is inevitable for those of us who choose to love. As difficult as the death of a loved one may be, our ability to cope with emotional distress can lessen the burden. As parents, one of your jobs is to help kids learn to cope, and how to think. FB- Children don't naturally understand loss, difficult life situations, or the grieving that accompanies them. LuAnn Pierce, LCSW, explains the ways you can help your child cope during these times. [More]

It is a day that you have worked toward for years - the day you send your child off to college. You have prepared for this moment their whole life, saving up for their education and teaching them the skills they will need to be a successful adult. Yet while your child is suddenly immersed in the wild chaos of college, your home is deafeningly quiet. How do you endure having an empty nest? [More]

When a loss hits you, people are at a loss as to what to do, what to say, how to help. If you yourself have suffered a loss what did you most need from others? Think about how you wanted people to respond and ask yourself if that would fit in the current scenario. If you have not suffered a loss, ask yourself the same question, if it did happen what would you like from others. [More]

When trauma affects one person in a family, the whole family unit is affected. In fact, many professionals believe that anything that affects one person in a family (or couple) will also affect the other(s). It is easy to see how this could happen. A family is thought of a unit – one whole made of many parts. [More]