[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
By its nature, the grief journey is a transition: an event that asks you to change from who you were before to who you are after a loss and then to who you will be tomorrow.<\/p>\n
It can be particularly unnerving that when grieving people look inside themselves for the strength, the persistence and the courage of their earlier self\u2014they may not find the \u201cme\u201d they have known. It speaks to why C.S. Lewis, in his writings on grief following the death of his wife, wrote, \u201cno one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fear as a part of grief makes sense to counselors, social workers, and chaplains at HopeWest. Why wouldn\u2019t fear emerge when you can\u2019t find the once familiar you? And now, you are faced with the challenge of living as the person you\u2019ve become after a loss who looks different than the person who was there before.<\/p>\n
Our support is aligned to help you navigate both fear and grief as you experience new ways of feeling, thinking, and acting in the world.<\/p>\n
In our grief groups and counseling sessions, you\u2019ll find we may need to spend time working through painful emotions, but we also look at the ways you shift, change, and even grow, as you engage in your unique journey.<\/p>\n
As we approach the fall season, I\u2019d like to extend an invitation: consider that time matters when trying to get to know, accept, and value this new, changed you. There is a good possibility that there will be grief in understanding that you are not the same following your loved one\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
Fall, as the transition from warmth to cold, can act as \u201cpermission\u201d to take extra good care of yourself, to nest inside your home a bit more, to rest and reflect as you come to know more of who you are now.<\/p>\n
If you’re experiencing grief, consider Mending Heart Greif Support Group. Mending Hearts focuses on adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one. This is an \u201copen\u201d group where one can attend without a multi-week commitment. Each group explores the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual aspects of life within grief. Our professional counselors and bereavement volunteers create a safe, confidential environment.<\/p>\n