Not So Happy Holidays…?

Deb Langhans – Contributed photo

For some of us, this holiday season is synonymous with joyful anticipation, wonder and magic. For others, this time of year heralds a period of palpable depression, even dread. Why might this be? One possible explanation is unresolved grief.

Grief is the normal and natural reaction to significant loss of any kind. It represents the conflicting feelings caused by the end of, or change in, a familiar pattern of behavior… the feeling of reaching out for a loved one who’s no longer there.

Grief from loss by death–of people and pets–is only one kind of grief. Divorce, retirement, illness, change in financial status, moving, legal problems, “empty nest,” starting school, and ending addiction all represent other significant forms of loss; less tangible yet still notable is the loss of trust, safety, control, faith and fertility.

While grief through loss is part of our earthly experience, our society doesn’t typically provide helpful or healthy information, expectations or advice for successfully processing it. In fact, unresolved grief is everywhere; and it’s cumulative and cumulatively negative. Unresolved grief is the underlying problem for many who come to mental health counselors with other presenting issues. It can rob us of normal energy, concentration, sleep, eating habits, and life-enhancing emotions like joy and hope.

If you are still carrying the burden of a broken heart during this holiday season, “The Grief Recovery Method®” might be one solution for helping you finally heal your loss.

The Grief Recovery Method®” is a comprehensive approach to grief recovery, created 35 years ago by the internationally-respected Grief Recovery Institute. Its time-tested programs help people heal from all kinds of personal loss. 8-week support groups and one-on-one sessions create a safe environment in which participants explore old beliefs about dealing with loss, discover how loss has affected their lives, and learn new, effective actions which lead to completion of the pain attached to that loss.

My mother passed away last July, and I thought I was pretty prepared for her death. But our last four months together were very stressful and, at times, overwhelming for me. Months after her death, I was stunned by how unsettled I felt; I sensed there were aspects of her passing and our relationship that still needed processing. In addition to increasing my focus on end-of-life issues in my practice, I became a certified Grief Recovery Specialist in The Grief Recovery Method® to provide myself support during my grieving process. Its action-based curriculum truly helped me resolve significant unfinished business with my mom.

Especially based on my own empowering experience, I’m excited to offer an 8-week Grief Recovery Support Group in early 2016 as well as one-on-one sessions in my studio. If you recognize that you or someone you love is continuing to suffer needlessly from unresolved grief, please contact me @ [email protected] (378-8907) for more information. Broken hearts can be healed.

Deb has been a wellness educator for over 25 years; she’s a state-certified reflexologist and licensed massage practitioner. In addition to grief recovery work, Deb offers wholistic health coaching, therapeutic reflexology, “inner child” exploration and “inner journey” workshops that encourage self-discovery and creative expression. She also facilitates the ongoing Cancer Caregivers Support Circle.

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