Grief is one of those experiences that is too big to hold on our own in isolation. It needs to be held in the wider arms of community, in the wider arms of the earth, in the wider arms of spirit. Ritual is a place where all these elements come together.

Talking about grief, though important, often doesn’t reach the places that are yearning to be seen, held, and integrated. Healing frequently requires forms of expression that meet the body and emotional brain where they are—through movement, sound, imagery, touch, and relational presence—rather than relying on language alone.

I have found that grief is a great teacher and guide, who teaches us to connect more deeply with the full range of who we are, to connect with compassion, humanity, and spirituality. 

Grief, unprocessed, can cut us of from our emotions further, cause anxiety and depression, and block us of from feeling our full range of joy, creativity, and connection. 

When I work with clients experiencing grief—whether it is fresh and tender, or old, hidden, and hardened—I find that grief often needs a few essential things: