“Only people who avoid love can avoid grief. The point is to learn from it and remain vulnerable to love”.
– John Branter
Grief remains one of the least recognized concerns facing members of our modern society. Barbara Saint John says, “We are a country of grieves and we never learned how to grieve”.
Grief is a natural and normal reaction to loss. Mourning is a very complex issue and clients experience their grief in many different ways. Unfortunately, grief is a reality that everyone faces from time to time. Most people have experienced, some difficulties in life whether personal, professional or financial.
Despite the fact that mental and physical symptoms of grief often go unacknowledged grief can be paralleled to a physical illness. Barbara is sensitive to the fact that grief may affect the mind and the body and may have far reaching physical and emotional consequences. Sometimes clients have difficulty sleeping or eating many experience memory impairment and loss of concentration some feel agitated or just plain exhausted. Barbara can help you replace unhealthy coping strategy with healthy ones.
Grief can stir up emotional turmoil that may affect a client’s behavior and judgment. Barbara is aware of that fact that whatever we attach to or identify with and loss we then experience Grief.
Barbara Saint John does not limit her practice to the loss from death, however she assists her clients in mourning various types of losses from “Pets to Jets”.
Common causes of GRIEF include:
- Death of a spouse
- Divorce
- Marital separation
- Imprisonment
- Death of a close family member
- Personal injury or illness
- Marriage
- Dismissal from work
- Marital reconciliation
- Retirement
- Change in health of family member
- Pregnancy
- Sexual difficulties
- Gain a new family member
- Business readjustment
- Change in financial state
- Death of a close friend
- Change to different line of work
- Change in frequency of arguments
- Major mortgage
- Foreclosure of mortgage or loan
- Change in responsibilities at work
- Child leaving home
- Trouble with in-laws
- Outstanding personal achievement
- Spouse starts or stops work
- Begin or end school
- Change in living conditions
- Revision of personal habits
- Trouble with boss
- Change in working hours or conditions
- Change in residence
- Change in schools
- Change in recreation
- Change in church activities
- Change in social activities
- Minor mortgage or loan
- Change in sleeping habits
- Change in number of family reunions
- Change in eating habits
- Vacation
- Christmas
- Minor violation of law
- Loss of Trust, Loss of Approval, Loss of Safety and Loss of Control of my body
Even worse, those who suffer from grief often hear others comments as a criticisms which are vocalized by others who have widely accepted myths about grief. These comments may create feelings of being negated for experiencing grief and loss.
“You know time heals all wounds…”
“Just find a way to replace the loss…”
“You must be strong for others…”
“They are in a better place…”
“Time to bury your feelings and get over it…”
Those who have suffered a great loss will continue to let grief adversely affect their lives if they accept these myths in lieu of taking a proactive approach to grief recovery.
When to seek help:
- Are you having difficulty moving on?
- Do you experience numbness or detachment?
- Are you experiencing anger or are you agitated and on edge?
- Have you socially withdrawn?
- Are you having difficulty re-engaging in life?
- Do have feelings or thoughts that this life is empty?
- Are you having trouble accepting the death or the loss?
- Do you have a sense that your future holds no meaning without the deceased?
Barbara Saint John… Grief Specialist… can help guide those who wish to reconcile their grief and move on to a richer quality of life and find their new normal.
There’s no way to prepare for the loss of a loved one, and the flood of emotions that follows is equally impossible to predict. Feelings of sorrow, abandonment, fear, guilt, anger and depression are common and natural.
Grief is a personal journey, and visitors to The Zone receive guidance in how to make that journey as constructive and cathartic as possible. Understanding why and how you grieve is key to moving forward. Barbara Saint John, co-founder of The Zone and certified grief specialist, works directly with patients who visit to work through feelings of loss and grief to design a personalized session that meets their needs.
Techniques learned at The Zone can help visitors to achieve a sense of relaxation in spite of worry, anxiety and fear. By learning to quickly relax in the face of overwhelming negative emotion, you’ll be better equipped to deal with grief and loss.
Everywhere Nowhere – No One Really Dies As Long As You’re Alive
Barbara Saint John’s latest book on Grief and Loss
This book was written as part of Barbara Saint John’s grief exercises over the course of three years. Co-Author, Daniel J. Marco, writes of his indescribable loss after the tragic murder of his son Zachary Marco. They wrote this book to share their perspectives in this compelling, comforting, hopeful tale of survival and moving from tragedy to a new normal. visit: EverywhereNowhereBook.com, to learn more.
You may also order the book through Createspace.com, an Amazon Company, Here: Order Now – Everywhere Nowhere