Good things happen in therapy sessions because clients have a safe place to embrace their emotions. A place where they don’t worry if someone else feels uncomfortable. A non-judgmental place. Where snotty faces, red eyes, or outraged railings at God are accepted.
My clients can tell their stories of their person. They cement the memory by speaking it out. I carry that memory forward by saying, “So what I heard you say about your mother is__________.” Then they know that I got it!
And, it’s a safe place to vent. Over and over, clients express their frustration with those who want to “fix” or “help” them.
We’ve all had this experience.
Well, Thursday, sitting in my office listening to a client, I once again heard,
“I am so tired of people asking, ‘What can I do for you?’ Sometimes I am too numb to FEEL, let alone KNOW what I WANT or NEED - except to have her back!”
As I heard that, the phrase “Pick One” popped into my head and an idea struck me like a lightning bolt.
Let me explain
When I was a speech-language pathologist working with non-verbal autistic teens I would hold up two photos of something I knew they liked to do and said, “Pick One.”
They would reach for that photo and it would become the positive reinforcement after 5 or 10 responses.
So, when the phrase “Pick One” came to me I immediately pictured THE GRIEF JAR.
I imagined my client thrusting The Grief Jar toward the person who asked, “What can I do for you?”.
The jar would be full of things one can do to support a grieving person. Then, they can pick one. Something they feel they can and want to do.
In four previous posts, I listed specific things we can do for a grieving person. [see links below]
Let’s do this together
Let’s create The Grief Jar. We can begin with my ideas and you can add more.
I’ve started The Grief Jar here:
https://www.facebook.com/BeyondYourGrief
Go to the page and add your ideas or requests.
You can read previous posts about how to support a grieving person. The links are here:
12/9/2023 (2 ideas) Holiday Survivors Guide https://www.beyondyourgrief.com/holiday-survivors-guide/
11/22/2917 (3 ideas) Simple Connections for Grieving Parents https://www.beyondyourgrief.com/3-simple-connections-grieving-parents/
7/15/2018 (5 ideas) What’s the Best Way You Can Support? https://www.beyondyourgrief.com/what-is-the-best-way-you-can-support-someone-who-is-grieving/
12/30/2018 (10 ideas) 10 Ideas Sparking Love Actions https://www.beyondyourgrief.com/10-ideas-sparking-love-actions/
We are in Global Grief. The world needs your wisdom, guidance, and insights.
See you on Facebook. I will share our posts on Monday, July 27th. It would’ve been Reed’s 38th birthday.
Love all around, above, below, to the left and to the right, before you and behind you,
Georgena
