Coping with grief & loss - How to grieve - Grieving process & stages of grief - Tatler

"Grief is the natural response to the physical loss of someone we love. 'Pain is the agent of change, pain is what forces you to adjust to this new reality. And it is also through pain that you heal,' explains Julia Samuel MBE, a psychotherapist and founder patron of the charity Child Bereavement UK, which helps children who have experienced a bereavement, as well as adults who have lost a child. When we do not allow our grief to surface, when we suppress it, there can be long-term implications for our mental health. 'If you cut out pain, you also cut out your capacity to feel joy,' says Julia. 'So your whole capacity to feel can be shortened, and your openness to engage with all aspects of life can be diminished.' This was a message I heard from all the grief specialists and therapists I spoke to, including Christine Jensen, who deals specifically with unblocking past trauma. 'Feeling grief makes it more possible to feel other emotions such as love, joy and excitement. It deepens our relationships and connections with others.' "


Coping with grief & loss - How to grieve - Grieving process & stages of grief - Tatler