Your body carries so much when you are grieving. Remember, grief is in your body, in your neuro-chemistry. Pay attention to it instead of pushing it away or ignoring it. The Loving-Kindness for the Body Meditation by Trudy Goodman, a renowned Buddhist meditation teacher and Harvard-trained psychotherapist, may guide you. Trudy’s practice is also great to do in bed upon waking, right…
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Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
Posts by Jo Christner, Psy.D.
“Healing Grief… Moment by Moment” is a podcast created and produced by HOPE Connection. In each short episode Dr. Jo Christner or another HOPE Connection therapist offers a meditative exploration of a different aspect of grief and the healing process. As you listen, we wish you love, light and comfort. This episode: “Grieving Alone” (April 2025) — Jo Christner, Psy.D.
There is a famous line in the 1932 classic movie, Grand Hotel, where Greta Garbo says… “I want to be alone.” That phrase says so much. Alone… is it healthy or unhealthy? Well, that depends upon many factors and circumstances, especially when you are grieving the death of a loved one.
Animals, when wounded, seek isolation to lick their wounds and hopefully heal. It’s a self-soothing behavior that occurs naturally. Is it normal for human beings, when emotionally wounded from loss, to want to isolate and be alone?
The death of your spouse most likely turned your whole world upside down… out of balance. Everything seemed to change in your life… especially you. Your belief system, physical routines such as sleeping and eating, energy level, emotional stability, relationships have all been altered… even your environment has taken on a different meaning. That feeling of safety, comfort and familiarity about your life no longer seems to exist.
“Healing Grief… Moment by Moment” is a podcast created and produced by HOPE Connection. In each short episode Dr. Jo Christner or another HOPE Connection therapist offers a meditative exploration of a different aspect of grief and the healing process. As you listen, we wish you love, light and comfort.
Grief Support Group Los Angeles The mission of HOPE Connection is to help people whose lives have been touched by the death of a loved one – by providing individual and group support, educational programs and information that helps alleviate the pain of grief and promote healing. In this series of videos, Group Members share what HOPE Connection has meant to them.…
A bereavement group for adult children who are grieving the death of a parent. Groups meet weekly in an eight-week series and are facilitated by licensed therapists. Download the flyer for more information. Saturday, 9:30 – 11:00 am HOPE Haven – 11850 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200A WLA 90025 Tuesday, 7:00 – 8:30 pm Encino – Exact location to be determined Wednesday, 7:00…
A note from HOPE Connection: We received the article below shortly after the news of Robin Williams’ death. The author’s husband committed suicide, and she posted these heartfelt words on her Facebook page. It is a truly powerful message. She has graciously allowed us to reprint her post in the hope that lives may not only be touched, but saved. – Dr. Jo…
Grief is a natural process that has similar stages and phases for everyone but it is also unique to each individual. In the beginning, it may feel like the pain is unbearable. Just like a cut on your skin that heals and eventually scabs over and leaves a scar, there is an internal healing that happens with grieving. It, too, will be…
When you suffer the death of a loved one, you are thrown into a state of emergency in your body, mind and soul.
Brain imaging studies have shown that when an individual experiences a significant loss, changes occur along a broad network of neurons. The ancient survival mechanism of the fight or flight response is automatically triggered in your brain chemistry. Even if not consciously aware, at a deep level we fear for our survival. There is incredible amount of tension held in the body that is stressful and takes a huge toll emotionally, mentally and physically. Grievers often