With Lighting The Way, I hope to inspire people during some of the hardest times in their lives. We all grieve, so why not learn about tools and resources that can help us turn that grief into something positive? From learning to deal with grief during the pandemic, to navigating your children’s grief journey, I’m here to support you and your grief journey, whatever that may look like.

The method at the forefront of all of my grief recovery services is the Grief Recovery Method. I believe in this method and have seen it dramatically improve not only other people’s lives, but also my own. Whether you’re suffering from a heartbreak or are dealing with moving away from your family for the first time, the Grief Recovery Method contains resources to help you take your pain and frustration, and use it to make yourself stronger.

What Is The Grief Recovery Method?

The Grief Recovery Method, created by John James, is the only evidence-based grief recovery program in existence. Since its founding over 30 years ago, the Grief Recovery Method has had one goal in mind: to help people better understand their emotional pain and learn to overcome their grief. 

Common Grief Recovery Method Questions

Many people tend to improperly deal with their emotions. Instead of facing them head on and trying to understand the “why” behind their feelings, they tend to bury their emotions. The Grief Recovery Method may seem a bit ambiguous at first, especially to those who are unfamiliar with tapping into their emotions and focusing on their feelings. The more you understand the Grief Recovery Method, the better equipped you’ll be to handle losses.

1. What is grief?
   • Grief is a natural reaction in response to a significant loss of any kind. 
2. How many different types of losses are there?
   • According to the Grief Recovery Method, there are over 30 types of losses. These losses can be intangible, such as the loss of faith and the loss of trust, or tangible, such as divorce and losing a parent.
3. How do I know if I could benefit from the Grief Recovery Method?
   • Because everyone grieves throughout their lives, everyone can immensely benefit from incorporating the Grief Recovery Method into their grief journeys. If you want to have a better understanding of whether or not you are dealing with an incomplete loss, ask yourself the following questions:
     1. Am I unwilling to think or talk about my loss?
     2. Do I only focus on the negative aspects of a relationship that no longer exists?
     3. Is it extremely painful and difficult to think about the past?
   • If you answered “yes” to the above questions, then you’re probably carrying around the pain of an unfinished loss. Utilizing the Grief Recovery Method’s tools will help you deal with your loss and overcome its emotional and physical side effects.

Steps of Grief

Working through emotional pain can be a long, difficult journey. Although everyone’s journey is different, there are steps of grief you can take to ensure a beneficial healing.

Step 1: Reflect On The Past

• Consider the actions you’ve taken in the past after a loss, and try to understand why they haven’t helped you. These actions unknowingly become a part of your habit, so it’s important to be aware of what they are so you don’t repeat them in the future.

Step 2: Note Quick Fixes

• If after a loss you usually do something that makes you feel better in the moment, but doesn’t deal with the problem at its core, make sure you recognize that habit. Many people pick up a distraction, which can range from exercising to eating, so they don’t have to think about what’s going on in their lives.

Step 3: Lay Out Your Losses

• Take a look at each loss that you’ve endured, and decide which one you should deal with first. Grief is cumulative, and it piles up, so it’s important to tackle each loss one by one until you’ve dealt with all of them.

Step 4: Take Recovery Actions

• Identify the elements of your losses that feel unfinished. This way, you’ll be able to understand what you wish you could have done differently, and what you wish you would have had more time to complete.

Conquer Your Grief With Lighting The Way

I created Lighting The Way because I’m passionate about helping people use their grief to make themselves stronger. I utilize the Grief Recovery Method because I believe in the process, and I’ve seen how much the resources within it are able to help people. If you have any other questions about the Grief Recovery Method, or you’d like to book a session with me, please contact me today. I look forward to helping you during your grief journey, and can’t wait to see how much stronger you become because of it.