I Am A Griever

Practicing Self Compassion while Grieving

September 25, 2024

Grief is messy, confusing, enormously painful, and never seems to follow a linear path. This is when we need to take care of ourselves deeply, and yet, why is it that this is also when we beat ourselves up the most? We are good at being compassionate toward others when they are grieving — something…

Blog Post / I Am A Griever

Kate – Triggers

March 11, 2023

Kate discusses how she deals with her emotions when something triggers her grief

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Sibling / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / Video

Grief & Ice Cream

January 25, 2023

When my wife of 18 years died in 2016, I became a single father missing the love of my life, and also had to learn how to raise two girls (13-17 at the time) on my own. I remember a conversation I had with my mother-in-law and oldest daughter that began as reminiscing over a person who became a lost love to all of us. We all talked about different aspects of my wife but shortly, it transformed into a “who meant more to her” fest.

Blog Post / Death of a Child / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / Death of a Partner / I Am A Griever / Supporting Others

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

May 19, 2025

“Happiness is a choice.” A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook the other day. She then asked others what that quote meant to them. The responses were interesting and expected, and some were even inspiring. It’s so easy to say “I choose to be happy” when life is going well. On the other…

Blog Post / Death of a Partner / I Am A Griever

Keeping Records

November 17, 2023

I pulled the photos out of their envelope one at a time, turning over each one to carefully record the date, place, and people in the photo. Sometimes, I included comments. “Apple picking in Hamilton with Pop Pop, Fall, 2023. You loved the wagon ride!”. I slipped each picture into an empty pocket in my son’s photo album.

Blog Post / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever

Who are we to Decide? The Many Paths through Grief

July 16, 2024

A lot of my work with clients involves hearing their stories, but also answering many questions about if their grief is “normal”. Their grief is overwhelming, and our dominant culture’s strong message is – that grief should be kept at its edges, I often find this pervasive intention creeps into griever’s experiences – and my…

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / I Am A Griever

Jessica M – My Story

June 13, 2023

Jessica talks about losing her grandfather at 14 when her mother was terminal, her mother and aunt died when she was 15. She felt alone until she found a peer support group

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of a Grandparent / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / My Story Video / Video

Scott – Writing music

February 6, 2023

Scott talks about the cathartic nature of writing music stories

I Am A Griever / Music / Video

Holding Space for The Many Faces of Grief on Father’s Day

June 15, 2024

A lot of blog posts and articles about grief and special days tend to focus on how to navigate these moments when our loved one has died. Often these articles of grief also talk about the ways we have deeply loved or cared for the person who has died. Grief is a natural response to…

Blog Post / I Am A Griever

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

September 15, 2022

When we are grieving, some days are more difficult than others. Grief comes in waves like the sea and can feel like an intertwining labyrinth of emotions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates that are associated with our loved one who has died can contribute to more emotionally intense days which can be worsened through the anticipation and “what ifs” of the upcoming day. These difficult days can leave us feeling defeated and it can almost feel like we’ve taken two steps backward in our grieving process, but grief does not have a timeline, and these feelings of setbacks are opportunities for healing.

Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Griever

Nicole – Power of Speaking About Lost Ones

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses the importance of sharing memories of those lost to drug poisoning and speaking their names.

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death of A Loved One / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others / Video

Joyce – Beliefs

April 23, 2023

Joyce talks about her belief system after her son died

Death of a Child / Death of A Loved One / I Am A Griever / Video