Good intentions aren’t good enough. That’s true in grief, and it’s true in our ongoing conversations about racism, ableism, misogyny and other systemic other-isms. Even with the best intentions, most of what we say to a grieving person is unhelpful (at best). From “everything happens for a reason” to “other people have it worse!” our…
Blog
Learning How to Listen – Pain deserves acknowledgement, not repair
Learning how to listen to others’ pain without jumping in to fix it, explain it to them (!), or tell them it’s not as bad as they think it is is both an individual task and a social one. A few things I’d love to hear from you: What are some things you heard from…
grief today & every day (plus Alica Forneret)
Morning friends. It is a veritable shitshow in the world. Over on my IG, we’ve got grief educators from BIPOC communities speaking on grief for the next few days, so be sure to tune in over there. As we know, systemic racism and violence against BIPOC is not new. Grief visits communities of color at…
Black Lives Matter – Grief in Communities of Color
image above by @griefuncovered. I’m tired today. And my tired isn’t even a fraction of a fraction of what BIPOC feel every single day. Violence, ignorance, suffering, grief – all of it, plus no small number of boundary skirmishes around whose grief is valid and whose grief is worse. We cannot advocate for…
This is what grieving during the coronavirus looks like
Grief is already a profoundly lonely and isolating experience. Social distancing and stay home orders are making it exponentially harder. Even though it might sound counterintuitive, talking about how hard all of this is, helps. A new article on Hello Giggles examines how the experience of grief has changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. From…
Invisible deaths: from nursing homes to prisons, the coronavirus toll is out of sight – and out of mind?
Behind every statistic is an actual human who lived, loved, and was loved. Right now we’re inundated with coronavirus statistics. We see the numbers of those who have gotten sick and those who have died. Because of privacy laws and the very real dangers of contracting the virus, we don’t see beyond the staggering numbers,…
Coping with the loneliness and isolation – Megan Devine on Fox59 News
When times are tough we lean on each other for support. In this period of isolation we need those connections even more, but can’t rely on our usual methods for reaching out. So how do we connect right now? Thank you to FOX59 News for inviting me back on the air to discuss coping with…
Psychotherapist Megan Devine on how to cope with job loss amid COVID-19
With unemployment reaching staggering numbers, it seems like everyone at least knows someone who’s lost their job. And with so much tied to our jobs – identity, friendships, daily routine, and healthcare – grief and anxiety are understandable responses. Why does offering advice or suggesting that someone “think positively” hinder rather than help and what…