The article, “Cyberbullies and Grief”, by Rev. Amy Ziettlow, Naomi Cahn states

“RIP trolls claim that they are mocking “grief tourism,” which they define as saccharine outpourings of grief. Yet to those who experience this kind of trolling it inspires disgust and deep sadness.”

See on www.huffingtonpost.com

Grief and Depression After the Holidays

With all the excitement and mystery of Christmas on its way out, many are left with cold weather, wrapping paper, smashed boxes and a withering tree at the end of the driveway.  Grief Counselors may find themselves counseling many people towards ways to rediscover balance and a normal routine again after the Holidays.  Part of the blame is society.  While society turns Christmas and the holidays into a capitalistic endeavor that begins after Thanksgiving dinner and ends the day after Christmas, people are left with an emptiness.  Spirituality and a true understanding of the holidays extend the values well into January with the feast of the Epiphany.  Yet, the mainstream materialistic dominance in society dictates policy for the most part and people are left with little if anything to look forward to after New Years.  Some people are more resilient and some people may even welcome a return to the normal life, but for some it is a hard transition.

Rheyanne Weaver from empowerher.com writes about post holiday depression in her article, “Post Holiday Depression: Why Are You Feeling So Low After the Best Time of the Year?”

“Though some people dread having to see their family around the winter holidays and don’t enjoy Christmas shopping and the colder weather, others feel more depressed after the holidays are over, since they have to go back to the same routine, among other haunting realities.”

To read the entire article, please click here

If you are interested in learning more about grief counseling, please click here

AIHCP

Grief Counseling Review: Remembering Well

From a standpoint of one who deals with grieving families, this short work is a must have in one’s grief counseling library.   Grief Counselors come across a myriad of issues and challenges in the aftermath of death.  When grief counselors, pastoral counselors, funeral directors, or ministers are asked to aid in the memorial of a lost loved one, it can become a difficult task to deal with in a professional but also compassionate manner.  This text answers many of the problems one will face and helps guide the pastoral professional.
From preparation to guidelines on preparing a soul sketch, “Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death” is an excellent guide.  Beyond the mere planning, the text also helps the pastoral professional deal with unexpected inner family conflicts, types of deaths and even how to help family members beyond the funeral.  Yet far from a clinical text, this book also offers a personal touch of real stories that correlate with the information provided.  This creates an informative work but also a readable story that touches the human heart.
Sarah York masterfully interweaves her knowledge with her experience to create an excellent guide for any pastoral professional.  If you are interested in learning more about Sarah York, please visit her website at www.sarahyork.com
If you are interested in learning more about grief counseling, please also review our program.

Mark Moran, MA