The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized the Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy and 14 other small businesses Thursday as winners of the fourth round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Grants. Gov. John Carney and Division of Small Business Director Jordan Schulties announced the companies at an event at CrossFit Petram in Middletown, one of the small businesses awarded an EDGE Grant in this round. Read More from Delaware News The post CGT Granted the EDGE Entrepreneur Award appeared first on Center for Grief and Trauma Therapy ..read more

And if not, well it only took 5 minutes to read. First, let me start off by saying that I am a person who believes in signs of some sorts. (I implore you to keep reading even if that first sentence throws you off as complete BS. But hey, it’s your life, so you do you.) About a year ago, I found myself getting restless, considering some type of change, and looking for the sign. I of course had no idea what I was looking for, when it would come, where I would be, or how I would even recognize this mythical sign, but I held out. Mostly, I just like to overthink things and then overthink them agai ..read more

Mother’s Day. The one day of the year where everyone from the neighbor you rarely see, to the advertisements on every media outlet within eyesight or earshot sings thanks and praises for the incredible feats of generosity, love, and nurturing mothers provide each day. Across the nation, this day is presumably filled with brunch or breakfast in bed, handmade gifts, or other personal traditions. But. How do we get through this day, Mother’s Day, if merely thinking the word mother inflicts heart-wrenching pain. Just as many people across the nation celebrate motherhood, many grieve the loss of it ..read more

Grief is the natural and expected reaction to any kind of loss, not just another person’s death.  A person will inevitably experience grief any time they lose something in which they have invested their time, energy, emotions, or dreams.  Grief is the complex process of experiencing emotional, physical, psychological, behavioral, social, and spiritual reactions to loss.   While it is an inevitable reality for all of us, older people have unique and often worse effects from loss.   Grief often has an impact on physical health at any age, but older people are at a much highe ..read more

I lost my father to suicide in March of 2014. I was waist-deep in a clinical psychology doctoral program; however, no class, therapy session or research paper could have prepared me for this crushing blow. This was my best friend, my supporter, the coolest guy I know – my dad. The first few weeks were a whirlwind in which my husband and I were tasked with getting all of Dad’s proverbial ducks in a row and tying up the seemingly infinite loose ends. Fortunately, through all of this, there was an overwhelming outpouring of love and support. Friends and family members called, texted and emailed i ..read more

The end-of-the year holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, and New Years, can be complicated to face when you are grieving. It is very normal to experience an increase in your grief during this time as we reflect back on memories, traditions, and connections while your loved one was alive. You may be even more aware of the absence of the person you lost while also trying to navigate through this very difficult time in our world…COVID, racial inequality, and political upheaval have added insult to injury, so to speak. At times, I wonder, have you felt like you are almost back to s ..read more

Halloween, while different this year, shows its face in the many traditions we have created around it – candy corn, plastic pumpkins with sly grins, hay bales, witches, spiders, and ghosts. These traditions are typically familiar to those of us around us, and we may assume that October 31st and the days before and after, look the same for everyone – but there are other traditions even more interesting. As we come into the colder, darker, cozier season and approach the holidays, many different cultures have ways of thinking of those they have lost, and keeping their memories alive. Let’s look a ..read more

The death of a loved one profoundly shatters our assumptive worlds as a person who meant such a great deal to daily life is suddenly gone.  The absence leaves a void that begs to be filled for what can feel like ages, and waves of grief are physically, mentally, and emotionally crushing.  This distress can be pervasive and life-altering, but the good news is that there are ways many people can transcend this distress and despair, ultimately finding new and meaningful ways to reconnect with the deceased. Research has helped highlight the importance of rituals to help individuals proce ..read more

As you learn to navigate life after a loss, you may notice different ways that your grief is affecting you.  Grief can have an impact on how you feel both physically and emotionally.  You might notice some changes in the way you think, act, or interact with others.  Grief can also have an effect on your sense of spirituality. While grief effects each person differently, one thing is true for everyone.  It’s not easy.  You may find that things are harder to manage now than they were before.  That is why coping skills are especially important while moving through yo ..read more

What do we mean by “healing grief?” This is such a great question! First, it is important to know that we often experience the expectations placed on us by those around us when dealing with grief. For example, others may say or expect that our healing process will go in a specific direction. They may suggest that there will be an “end” to our grief and we should be able to “move on.” But it really is not so simple and expectations like this can lead a grieving person feeling like he or she should be healed in a certain way in a certain time frame…and if he or she does not, then something is wr ..read more