By Allyson England Drake, M.Ed, CT Ambiguous Loss is a painful type of grief that is often misunderstood or ignored by society. But the reality is, ambiguous grief causes many feelings and emotions similar to grief due to the death of a loved one. So, let’s take a moment to understand the definition and ramifications… The post An Introduction to Ambiguous Grief first appeared on Full Circle Grief Center ..read more

by Whitney Asher When that first wave of grief hit me, I remember feeling numb. In hindsight, I think it was a mix of shock, total disbelief & devastation over the news I didn’t want to hear: my Mom had cancer.  As someone who wasn’t familiar with grief at first, I wasn’t sure what was… The post The Light of Music first appeared on Full Circle Grief Center ..read more

An Introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy What is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy, or EMDR? Is it right for me? Find out more in this blog article by Britt Cowart, LCSW, Grief Services Director at Full Circle Grief Center. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy, or EMDR, is a therapy tool commonly used… The post What is EMDR Therapy? first appeared on Full Circle Grief Center ..read more

By Patty Kruszewski A broken vase and seven stitches brought George Throop into my life. But it was the death of my daughter a year earlier that set it all in motion — and that led me to create the cherished circle of individuals I call “Favorite People I Wish I’d Never Met.”   As I was… The post Favorite People I Wish I Never Met first appeared on ..read more

Tip One: For anyone dealing with the death of a loved one, the holidays can be a time of sadness, dread, or pain. It can be difficult to cope, especially when you see the sights and sounds of holiday happiness all around you. One of the best things you can do is give yourself permission to… The post Tips for Coping with Grief at the Holidays first appeared on ..read more

Helping Grieving Children Through the Holidays Adults play an important role in helping children grieve, especially over the holidays when new emotions and memories can hit with full force. Children often have trouble expressing their emotions, and when they see their parents hurting, they naturally want to protect their parents, so the children may not… The post Help Grieving Children Through the Holidays first appeared on ..read more

By: Rachel Gaffin, Full Circle Intern When I was seventeen, one of my best friends died in a car crash. Two years older than me, Julia was someone I always looked up to; we bonded in a French class and quickly discovered a shared love for Chipotle, a really good belly laugh, and long conversations… The post What I Would Tell My High School Self: Thoughts on the Dual Process Model of Grief first appeared on ..read more

By: Jenny Bliley, LCSW, Bliley’s Funeral Home, Guest Blogger “Sometimes love is for a moment, Sometimes love is for a lifetime, Sometimes a moment is a lifetime.” Over thirty years ago, Bliley Funeral Home created a memorial service called Interment of Angels for families who experience a miscarriage or stillborn loss. The service was originally… The post After a Miscarriage or Stillbirth: The Benefits of a Memorial Service first appeared on ..read more

By: Shannon O’Neill, Guest Blogger In the last year and a half, I have lost two of the most important people in my life — my husband and my mother.  Not long after my husband Daryl died in October 2020, I started an open letter to him. It’s titled “Happy Anniversary,” because I started it… The post I Write Letters to the Dead and I Wear Their Clothes first appeared on ..read more

By: Rachel Machacek, LCSW When talking about self care in grief, yoga and meditation are excellent (and research-backed) strategies for grounding and stabilizing, especially when grief feels like a high speed roller coaster, whipping us around with no end of the ride in sight. It’s a whole body-mind-spirit experience that often takes us out of… The post Easy Yoga for Grief: Two poses. Two minutes. first appeared on ..read more