by Chaplain Liz Danielsen Loss can have a significant impact on an individual’s life leading to physical, psychological, social and spiritual consequences. People understand the face of loss when it is associated with the death of a loved one. However, it is important to understand that loss is not only the loss of a loved Continue Reading >>
Category Archives: Grief
Preparing Your Heart for the Holidays
Whatever your age, and whoever has died, holidays lived in the absence of someone dear can be difficult. Customary routines are ended, never to be repeated in quite the same way. Easy-going laughter, once so commonplace, may be awkward or altogether missing. Gift-giving, once so fun-filled, may seem somehow empty. Familiar songs, once so comforting, Continue Reading >>
Understanding Grief
The concept of understanding grief can seem contradictory – after all, every person’s journey through grief is uniquely shaped by a person’s background, experiences, and relationships. However, despite its individual nature, there are common threads that can unify the experience of grief. In this blog, we’ll explore the various facets of grieving while acknowledging its Continue Reading >>
A New Life, Not a New Normal
So many people talk about finding the new normal in your life after you’ve had a loss. What is that really supposed to mean? For me, nothing has been normal since my husband died or from any of the other losses I have had to experience. How about you? The American English Collins dictionary tells Continue Reading >>
How To Prepare For The Hard Dates
Grief can get easier as time goes on, but it never really goes away. And though grief can manifest at times when we least expect it, when you lose a loved one, it’s not uncommon to dread certain dates. Whether it’s holidays, anniversaries, or birthdays, it can be hard to celebrate without them. It’s important Continue Reading >>
Understanding and Supporting Grieving Teens
Being a teenager is hard enough as it is – there are big exams, tough classes, peer pressure, romantic and social issues, friendships, bullying…the list goes on. It seems silly as you get older but, remember, there once was a time when a person not inviting you to hang out was enough to warrant a Continue Reading >>
Coping with Loss Through the Holidays
When you think of the holidays, what comes to mind? For some, it’s the hustle and bustle, lots of traffic, or maybe fond memories of years gone by. But, what if those memories only bring a flood of grief because of the absence of dear family members? If that resonates with you, please remember you Continue Reading >>
How To Deal with the Death of Your Pastor
When we lose a loved one, the journey to healing is not an easy one. As a member of a church or faith-based community, the members become your faith family and the pastor is the head of the household. A pastor shepherds his flock, checks on the ill and broken-hearted, and often guides us through Continue Reading >>
Guest Blog: Coping with The Loss of a Child
No parent is ever prepared for the devastating loss of their child. The death of a child may be the worst trauma a human being can experience. The pain from losing a child can seem unbearable and lead to many other complicated emotions. Grief is a natural process after dealing with such a loss. Here Continue Reading >>
Guest Blog: Coping with Divorce
When you say “I do” at the end of the alter and seal your love with a kiss, you may never imagine that you and your spouse will be separating someday. Navigating through a divorce is extremely difficult and can cause feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. When dealing with this it is normal to feel Continue Reading >>
How Bereaved Parents Can Cope
The death of a child at any age, under any circumstance, is indeed the toughest experience a parent could face. The grief is all-consuming, and it can be difficult to live your everyday life. There is no right way to grieve, but there are some things that may help you to cope. Find a support Continue Reading >>
Guest Blog: How to Deal with Chronic Illness in a Marriage
Remember that part of your wedding vows when you promised to love and honor one another in sickness and in health? If you’re dealing with a chronic illness in your marriage, where one or the other spouse is very sick, it’s not as simple as remembering that you made a promise to love and honor Continue Reading >>
Guest Blog: Understanding the Stages of Grief
Grief is an overwhelming emotion that we all deal with differently and, regardless of how strong your faith is, when someone you love dies, your heart will waver. Dealing with loss is difficult, exhausting, emotional, and painful. There are stages of grief and it is important to understand what those stages are in order to Continue Reading >>
The Benefits of Working With a Grief Counselor
Spiritual Care Support Ministries (SCSM) provides grief and bereavement counseling and support groups in Warrenton, Virginia, and around the world. With a faith-based perspective, SCSM provides compassionate care and emotional healing for individuals and families struggling with loss and pain, whether from illness or the death of a loved one, a chronic condition, divorce, or Continue Reading >>