EMDR Protocol for Grief

EMDR Protocol for Grief

Would you like to strengthen your connection with your deceased loved one? You might be interested to know that there is a specific EMDR protocol that honors continuing bonds after death while decreasing the distress that accompanies grief. It is especially helpful for those that have experienced a traumatic loss. It is unlike traditional talk or grief counseling. The IADC protocol feels much more experiential and spontaneous. When the grief-related distress diminishes, clients generally experience a state of calmness, openness, and receptivity.

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Disenfranchised Loss and Grief
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Disenfranchised Loss and Grief

Disenfranchised grief is highly personal. What is painful for one person, family, or community may not be so for another. This may increase feelings of isolation, anger, or shame. It can feel as if your pain is invisible to the world. A few examples of disenfranchised loss include loss of physical health, loss of home, loss of community/culture, miscarriage, infertility, abortion, estrangement, brain injury, dementia, severe mental illness, addiction, incarceration, and loss of faith.

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Ambiguous Loss: Frozen Grief
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Ambiguous Loss: Frozen Grief

Ambiguous loss is unique and different from other types of losses because it is steeped in uncertainty. This uncertainty can impact one’s identity and relationships. People crave clarity but often find little. For this reason, it can be one of the most difficult losses that people experience.

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How long will I grieve my child?

How long will I grieve my child?

I’ve learned that these waves of grief are a normal and natural response to loss. When someone you love dearly dies, you may experience these waves in varying degrees of intensity for the rest of your life. Your relationship with the waves, however, will most likely change. In the beginning, it feels like you won’t survive.

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Your Brain on Grief

Your Brain on Grief

Our brains undergo some profound changes after a devastating loss. Your brain has a painful problem to solve. When your loved one was alive, your brain created a special kind of map for that person. And a lot of time and energy was used to create this map. It really struggles to navigate the new reality of loss and transform the relationship.

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Grief & Holding Space
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Grief & Holding Space

Wondering how to support someone that is grieving? One way you can show your support is by holding space. Your simple presence may be the most healing and helpful thing you have to offer. Grievers often need someone to be present and bear witness to the pain, tears, and memories.

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Family Estrangement & the Holidays
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Family Estrangement & the Holidays

Families go “no-contact” for many reasons. Choosing to end a relationship with family members may be an adaptive response to an unhealthy environment. However, nearly all estrangements are accompanied by a sense of loss, sadness, or anger – this true even if you are the one that chose to go “no-contact”. Images of happy families on Facebook and Instagram may add salt to the wound.

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Grief and the Holidays
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Grief and the Holidays

This can be a particularly hard time of year for those of us that grieve the loss of loved ones. As we gather, we are naturally reminded of the ones that are not here to celebrate with us. It may feel incredibly unfair as you scroll through all the images of happy families and couples on Facebook or Instagram. You may desperately wish that you could spend one more special day with your deceased mother, sister, or spouse.

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Grief: What the Research Says
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Grief: What the Research Says

Ever wondered what the research says about grief and bereavement? Well, as it turns out, the things that we’ve learned from research are interesting - and I would say for me personally, very validating. Here are just a few of the important findings, from 25 years of grief and bereavement research:

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Grief and Continuing Bonds
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Grief and Continuing Bonds

Does the relationship end with the death of a loved one? Many people have been taught that moving forward after the death of a loved one means severing their connection. However, this idea has been revisited and challenged by grief researchers. As it turns out, some continuing bonds can be healthy and adaptive, while other bonds are not as helpful.

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Grief and Children
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Grief and Children

Children grieve death and non-death losses just like adults. And like adults, each child’s way of grieving is unique. A child’s grief response is influenced by the child’s personality, temperament, and developmental level.

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Grief: One Man’s Personal Account
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Grief: One Man’s Personal Account

Grief comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you're drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while.

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