Announcements from CPC February/March 2023

- - - - See the list of current staff with contact information below
      - We are taking referrals for telehealth and in-person
      - We are HIRING! See our website: pastoralcounseling.com
      - February article: Recovery from Grief and Loss by Kelly Bojan

Recovery from Grief and Loss by Kelly A. Bojan, M.S., RIC, NCC,

Licensed Resident in Counseling

Oftentimes when we think of grief and loss we may automatically think of death. However, many life experiences can induce feelings of grief, such as loss of pets, moving, life changes, job loss and changes, milestones such as graduation or getting married. Grief and loss are a part of life; we cannot escape it. Grief and loss are universal experiences, yet many times people are unprepared to deal with grief and loss.

How we grieve, and how we cope with loss can be directly impacted by what we have been taught about grief and loss, and what we believe about it. We may have been taught to grieve alone or to be strong for others and not show our feelings. We may have heard of, or learned that healthy and ‘successful’ grieving involves letting go of loss or that we are supposed to somehow “move past” or “get over”.

Recovering from grief and loss does not mean forgetting, letting go of, or getting over our experiences. Recovering involves moving toward and confronting the loss, while uncovering what we wish could have been different, better, or more (James & Friedman, 2009). Further, when confronting grief and loss, it has been proven that having someone listen to and witness our experiences is tremendously helpful (James & Friedman, 2009).

There are many benefits of therapy for recovering from grief and loss. Having an objective witness to our grief is a profound and impactful part of the recovery process. Combined with the therapists’ ability to help us understand what grief means for us, and to discover what we wish had been different, better, or more, can help us to face grief and loss with support and compassion.

Not ready for therapy? I recommend starting with “The Grief Recovery Handbook” by John W. James and Russell Friedman. If you are looking for a professional to walk with you through your grief and loss please reach out to Center for Pastoral Counseling to get started.

KELLY BOJAN, MS, RIC, NCC is a Licensed Resident in Counseling with the Center for Pastoral Counseling of Virginia and is available for In-person and/or Telehealth Sessions at our Annandale and Alexandria (St. Lukes) offices. See her bio at pastoralcounseling.com under staff or contact her directly.
Email: kellybojan@pastoralcounseling.com or Phone: 703-903-9696 #200.