Advice on Grief and Loss and Addiction

Many addicts in the early stages of recovery will experience grief and a sense of profound loss. Robert Weiss LCSW, recently published a thought provoking article about the role of grief and loss in addiction recovery. Weiss suggests that addicts and family members in the early stages of recovery may not have considered the strong role that the grief process...[ read more ]

Losing a parent can be one of the most traumatic experiences you will ever face. While some factors may make the grief process more complex, such as unresolved conflict with the parent, or the way in which the parent died, the loss of a parent has a lasting impact in your life. In some situations, this grief may lead to...[ read more ]

It inconceivable. The pain that a parent experiences when their child dies. There are no adequate words to describe what they are going through or how deeply their emotions run. Parents who have lost a child find themselves in a canyon of immense sadness.  Friends, family members, teachers, coaches and peers struggle as they want to provide comfort. Being available,...[ read more ]

Developmental disorder trauma in children has the potential to be disruptive to a child well beyond childhood. These traumas, if unresolved, can pose significant challenges to the adult child in their life, socially, and otherwise. This new approach to looking at childhood trauma helps us understand how interventions can assist children and adult survivors of traumatic events or pasts. This...[ read more ]

Knowing if you should take your child in to see a therapist can be very challenging. Especially when it comes to young children who don’t have the emotional or communication skills to verbalize what they need or how they’re feeling. Therapy can be very helpful for kids. It can teach children healthy coping skills,  how to understand, articulate and express...[ read more ]

For several years I worked for the Department of  Family Services. I worked closely with children who were removed from their homes in order to keep them safe from an abusive parent(s). Some of these children were later returned to their homes, and some went into the foster care system. Some of the children were never removed and some of...[ read more ]

John Pavlovitz recently wrote an article that has been making its way around Facebook. John’s article talks about the support that people need after they experience a loss. He talks about how people are very present immediately after a loss, and that they continue to be supportive and helpful up until the funeral. After the funeral, there is a significant...[ read more ]

You never expected your child to be glad that you were getting a divorce. You knew they would be sad, probably confused and maybe even worried- but this anger? It’s intense. You struggle as you want to stay connected with your child, you want them to know that you are there for them- no matter what- and most importantly, you...[ read more ]

“What really happened to grandma” asks your child after your mother, your child’s grandmother, died in a recent car accident. What happened is that grandma failed to yield a 4-way stop and was hit by another car, resulting in severe head trauma and ultimately a brain hemorrhage. Grandma died in an ambulance, on the way to the hospital.     “Talking...[ read more ]

There are many misconceptions about the grief cycle and the stages of grief. This visual humorously, yet honestly, illuminates the discrepancies. When grieving there is no template, no order, and no right or wrong way to be experienced. Unfortunately, there are many resources out there, websites and books, that suggest that there is in fact a proper way to experience...[ read more ]