Category: Community Service

Blue Lights: A Holiday Story

For her kids, it was magic. For her, it was a turning point. She was the youngest one in the room, and everyone knew it the moment she walked in. Hearts of Hope’s Moving Forward Bereavement Group met once a week for eight weeks, a small circle of a dozen

Letters from Judy: There is No ‘Frontrunner’ in Grief

At the Heart of It Sometimes sharing about our grief with others can end up feeling like a competition—who has had the “worst” experience, or who will “win” by giving the “right” answers about how to grieve? This is common and can happen in a variety of ways, and it’s

A Soft Landing: The Real Experience of Being a Caregiver

At the Heart of It Caregivers often feel exhausted, isolated, and unrecognized. It’s normal to feel anger, resentment, and guilt as a result of the stress of caring for another. There is no such thing as “perfection” in caregiving. This is a unique experience that can be challenging, but meaningful.

Occupational Grief: Perspectives Across Professions

At the Heart of It Emotional stress like grief or overwhelm can manifest itself as physical symptoms. Those symptoms can create more stress and lead to something called the “Pain-Stress-Pain” cycle. Working through physical pain with a professional can help create the space needed to process our emotional stress and

Homesickness is a mini-grief

Can one form of grief be less significant than another? Here, we’ll explore how non-person losses, while sometimes perceived as “less-than” other forms of grief, can still feel the same. At the Heart of It Homesickness shares many similarities with grief in how we experience it when a loved one

Occupational Grief: Perspectives Across Professions

Interview by Terry Becker; article by Amy Roberts At the Heart of It When witnessing or assisting with a grief experience, professionals often set aside their own feelings in order to be there for their clients. Society doesn’t always offer validation for pet loss. The connection between pets and their