(818) 788-HOPE (4673)
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills

Posts by Jo Christner, Psy.D. (Page 4)

Living Through The Holidays

The holidays are too often a painful reminder of your changed life and the death of your loved one. They may force you to realize how much your life has changed. Holidays certainly may not feel festive — they may feel more like a spotlight painfully illuminating your sense of emptiness, aloneness and broken heart. How can you move from hiding or…

I Exhale

I exhale. The breath born but a moment ago recedes into the past as I await the next breath to begin. Because every breath is a gateway between past and future, breathing is an ever-present metaphor for the temporal world in which we live. Nature’s patterns proceed in rhythms. Requiring belief in life’s continuity in stark counter-point to the reality of our…

Excuse Me, I Have What?

I can’t find my keys! Where are those papers that I signed? I know they’re here somewhere. Oh, no, I forgot my doctor’s appointment… again. This is my 2nd fender bender in the last month. I have bruises all over from bumping into things. I’m so very tired. I just can’t think straight anymore. What is wrong with me? Am I going…

Meditation & Healing

Meditation is a valuable practice that can help people in the process of grieving for a loved one. If you’re not familiar with meditation, “How To Meditate FAQ” by Tara Brach is an introductory guide that will help you become familiar with the principles of meditation. Tara’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a…

HOPE Connection: Our Members Speak – Don

Los Angeles & Ventura County Grief Support Groups 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…

My Step-Mother’s Funeral

Losing a parent is a unique event, and HOPE Connection’s Parent Loss Groups have proven to be just as invaluable as our Spousal Loss Groups. Here, Sydell Weiner gives a powerful testimony to the life-long effect of losing a parent. Click here for more information about HOPE Connection’s Parental Loss Groups. I ride to the cemetery with my step-sister’s daughter, a red-headed…

How To Reconnect After Losing A Loved One

After a loved one dies, people often have an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. They feel lost, and the process of despairing and searching begins. Not only has our loved one died, we’ve lost our sense of connection. “S/He was my life.” It’s difficult to describe the depth of this kind of loneliness, feeling as though no one could possibly understand or fathom…

At Last – Someone Who Understands

The hospital smells of disinfectant, trying to mask the presence of heartbreak and disease. I walk into my husband’s room and give him a hug. I hold on tight, and even though he’s too weak to reciprocate, I relish the familiar touch and feel of his body. How, I wonder, will I find the strength to watch him decline. He promised he’d…

Reiki Healing For Grief & Loss

Stella Davies became interested in healing from an early age, earning a Post-Graduate Expressive Arts Therapy (Drama) diploma at 22. In 2005 she discovered Reiki, trained as a teacher in 2011 and then as a Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master in 2014. Contact Stella at Info@StellaDavies.com. Losing a loved one is one of the most traumatic life events we can experience. The loss reverberates through our being on…