Trauma and Grieving

In my practice, both personally and professionally, I have found that Trauma Recovery and Compassionate Grieving Work go hand in hand. Trauma can involve a sense of loss, loss of agency, opportunity, time, relationship, profession, understanding … Compassionate Grieving offers a gentle space to bring up and be with what was lost and to be with that in a place of gentle unfolding and love, whether that is love of Self, love of a transcendent principle or being, and/or love of another being. This is one way to begin to work with both trauma and grief that are honoring and that process what has been lost in our modern colonized world.

So yes, we can even grieve the loss of an honoring and compassionate grieving and trauma healing process, as our ancestors once knew. In acknowledging this loss, trauma and grieving become part of a larger Healing Justice Practice.

Even naming the possibility of having trauma recovery and being spacious with grieving can offer a landing process for the big feelings and increase our capacity. There is a process of identifying and unblending from parts in order to “be with” and comfort them that comes from practicing IFS, that can ease being with big feelings versus consumed by them. This unblending can also be achieved with compassionate noticing of the mind and body. It’s the “being with” the feelings and memories that is often the first step to finding comfort and orientation in the process.

In other blogs and videos, I will go into more depth with being with the grief and discomfort as memories come up. For now, I invite you to take loving care of yourself. If you are familiar with calming and self regulating techniques, such as being in self empathy, Polyvagal Theory Techniques, Havening, journaling, inner child comforting, creative expression, or calming activities that work for you, please feel invited to care for yourself on the journey with trauma recovery and grieving.

If you need support with developing a bank of Self Resourcing practices/activities, please feel free to email me to schedule a session or look for other blog entries or web materials that offer support. I will try to post a few resources on this blogging site from time to time as well, so please feel free to bookmark and visit the site again later.

For now, I wish you warmth and care on your continued journey of healing, support and self-empowerment.