Healing For Grieving Hearts - Halifax, NS
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Do you tell yourself to be strong for others?

25/2/2018

 
Take your time to heal and grow. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

Where are you in your grieving process?
Are you able to be patient with yourself?

When grieving the loss of a loved one we often don’t see over the mountain of pain and sorrow.   

We want the pain to stop.

Sometimes we convince ourselves that it is better to ignore our pain. We might distract ourselves with work, Netflix, or hours on social media. 

If you have to look out for children you might think that it is better to be strong for them. 

Unfortunately the reality is that being strong for others will prolong your grief. Hiding it from your children will teach them that grieving about a loved one is wrong. They might start to hide their feelings as well. You don’t want that. 

"Grieving is an inherently human and healthy process. However, when we ignore the reality of the grieving experience, we prolong our pain and cause damage to ourselves. "

When we grieve, we have to integrate a new reality into our lives. 

It is important that we have compassion for and with ourselves as we heal.

Take good care,
Jacqueline


PS: Do you want to dive into rituals as healing tools? Healing Rituals online course is here. ​

Allow yourself to heal. What does that mean when grieving?

20/12/2017

 
Allow yourself to heal. -HealingForGrievingHearts.com

Allow yourself to heal

What do I mean by that?

When we are hurting lots of us have the tendency to hide inside ourselves. 
We want to deal with all our feelings by ourselves. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. 

When you are grieving the loss of a loved one you might want to rethink how to cope with your feelings and pain. 

Allowing yourself to heal means to create space that will help you heal.
  • That space can be nature.
  • It can be a corner in your home where you light a candle for your loved one.
  • It can be a get together with a good friend that doesn’t judge you for what you are feeling.
  • It can be a celebration of your loved one's life where memories are shared. 

Allowing yourself to heal means to become active in your healing process. (click to tweet)

It means to step out or your own inside turmoil and transform it into a visible dialogue. This can be painting, journaling, rituals, and memory sharing.   

The coming holidays might be a first step to try new possibilities. The most important part is to be gentle with yourself. I wrote a post last year about how to prepare for the holidays. You can find it here. 

I am wishing you that you will find the space that helps you heal and that you will be surrounded by supportive family members and/or friends.

I am keeping you in my heart,
Jacqueline



​The Healing Rituals course will launch on 
January 19, 2018
. 

Interested to get early access? 
Sign up here. 

(You don't buy anything at this point.)

When words are missing. How to support each other through grief.

15/10/2017

 
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Two weeks ago, a group of like-minded people met and we talked about all things life. 

One of our group members shared her recent experience of grief and helplessness over the suicide of a loved one. 

We all went silent. Most of us cried with her and for the family that was left behind with many unanswered questions. 

There were no words to comfort. No words to make it easier for her. 
There were only our open hearts to listen and be with her fully. 

Just being there for each other and listening is healing. 

We all know that it doesn’t take the pain of grieving away but the sharing helps to realize that we are not alone in this. 

Are you in the midst of grieving or a painful anniversary date is coming your way soon? Reach out to people that are open to listen to you and/or just be with you.

May you all find loving support even when your own words are missing. 

Take good care,
Jacqueline


PS: Give me a call. I am here for you. ☎️ 

Lifting layers of grief through art therapy?

17/9/2017

 
Art making opens your soul and expresses what was waiting deep inside. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

​When we are grieving if feels like our brain shuts down. Our focus shifts to the hurt in our heart and soul.

Our normal thought processes are interrupted by the experience of our feelings. More often than not we don’t have any words for what we feel. Our heart clenches. We have difficulties breathing. We long for a moment of peace and quiet inside our torn hearts. 

In our younger years we have experienced loss of love and belonging before. We might have lost a pet, a friendship, a job, or had to move to a new city. Our younger self dealt with these loses. Most often it stored them and packed them away under layers of belief systems, we created, to survive the hurt. 

At one point we encounter a new loss. This one can become the straw that brakes the camel’s back. 

Talking about what is going on inside becomes difficult. We are missing the words that might bring us help. 

This is where art therapy can help because we all think in images. 

Experiment: 

Don’t think of a tree right now. 

No really, don’t think of a tree.

Did you see a tree with your inner eye when you read it? 

Art therapy uses our ability of visual imagery to help us find the expression of our feelings. We don’t have to be artists or have knowledge of art making to do so. Our soul will guide us to find the expression that is helping us the most in that very moment. It will help us to shed layers of sadness and believes that are not necessary anymore. 

By expressing our grief, our sadness, our heart break in a hands-on art making process the soul feels recognized and heard. The healing process starts. 

If you want to know more about art therapy and grief coaching and how it can help you? Follow the link to read more or send me an email.

I am here for you.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: Want to receive these Healing Notes every Sunday by email? Sign up now.


Are you wondering how you can cherish your memories and honour your loved one?

2/7/2017

 
Share your Memories - HealingForGrievingHearts.com


Are you wondering how you can cherish your memories and honour your loved one?

A friend of mine shared the following story last week on Facebook. 

When my father passed away quite a few years ago my mother asked us if we would like to have something of his to remember him by. 

I chose his dress shoes as they remind me of when he would take each of my siblings and I out to dinner separately. Wonderful conversation while dining and having him all to myself for an evening. 

I keep the shoes on a beam above my head in the studio where I paint . I have only taken them down once when our son Jack needed to wear them for a play he was in ( he has since out grown them).

I took them down again last weekend and polished them up for our daughters prom date to wear. Not only did my dad get to be at his granddaughters prom but he got to dance with her as well. ❤️



Just in case you wondered. I asked her if it would be OK to share her story with you. 

This was her answer: My father was a lovely man who loved and supported his four daughters in every way. I am and know he would be honoured if you shared this story.

If you have a similar story that you would like to share get in touch.
​
If you want to create rituals yourself and the many ways you can honour your loved one join the Healing Rituals online course. 

Click the link to find out more at Healing Rituals. 


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    Author

    Jacqueline Steudler is an Art Therapist and Grief Recovery Specialist®.
    ​
    Her program 
    Healing For Grieving Hearts enables you to move from overwhelming grief to a new sense of purpose. The program includes mindful action steps and therapeutic art interventions. Jacqueline facilitates the program in person or by Zoom. 
    http://www.healingforgrievinghearts.com

    Book a FREE 30-minute call.

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