Grief During the Holidays with Patti Brown, MS LMFT

The holidays can be a time of great joy and celebration,  but for some, it can also be a time of grief. Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT discusses giving ourselves the permission to grieve honestly. She debunks the concept that grief should be contained within a certain period of time, and discusses how navigating grief is deeper than trying to contain it to a prescriptive model. She offers insights including the significance of ceremonies and rituals, as well as thoughtful questions to ask a loved one who may be grieving during the holidays. With this being a short episode, not all important aspects of grief were able to be discussed, including how the element of shock can affect us. For more information, please see the resources listed below.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

Resources mentioned during this episode:

Recommended books by Patti on this topic are "The Wild Edge of Sorrow "by Francis Weller,  "Bearing the Unbearable" by Joanne Cacciatore, and "It's okay that you're not okay" by Megan Devine.

After the death of her son Jimmy in 2014, Margo Fowkes created Salt Water, an online community that provides a safe harbor for those who are grieving the death of someone dear to them.  Links to Margo's previous conversational episodes with Patti can be found below: 

• There is always room for hope - A Conversation about Loss & Grief with Margo Fowkes ( part 1)
• An Honest Conversation about Grief & Vulnerability wit

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