Have you experienced a loss and  suffering with your grief alone?  While a person can feel better after
  a good talk with a friend or relative, the emotions you are experiencing may be intense and you need    
  someone who brings a  sensitive and sincere approach to help you transform your grief.
       
       Talking with a "trained listener" helps alleviate emotional distress by supporting  you.  




  I  am a professional Master level certified grief counselor.  Motivated
  with compassion, empathy, and integrity; I utilize over twenty years of experience      within the human service profession.  I hold an Associate of Science Degree in         Nursing (Registered Nurse), a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in                  Psychology, and grief certification through The Grief Recovery Institute. 

  As a holistic non-faith based certified grief counselor  I provide a transforming        approach to on-line support for losses.
Your grief may be caused by loss of:  a love one, pet, health, divorce, end of a relationship, substance dependency, trust, dreams, or security.      
         
        I will help you integrate the  loss  you have experienced. 
Welcome to the online home of Certified Grief Counselor Helen Hersrud, MS.
                                               GRIEF:  Everyone's Experience is Different

  • Fact: How you grieve depends on many factors, including your coping style and personality, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss.
  • Fact: Healing happens gradually; it can not be forced or hurried – and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving.
  • Fact: Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years.
  • Fact: Whatever your grief experience, it is important to be patient and kind with yourself and allow the emotional transformation your are experiencing.
  • MYTH: Grief should last about a month.
  • Fact: There is no right or wrong time frame for grieving. How long it takes can differ from person to person.
  • MYTH: It is important to be “be strong” in the face of loss.
  • Fact: Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to loss. Crying does not mean you are weak. You do not need to “protect” your family or friends by putting on a brave front. Showing your true feelings can help them and you.
  • Fact: It is best not to think of grief as a series of stages. Rather, we might think of the grieving process as a roller coaster, full of ups and downs, highs and lows. Like many roller coasters, the ride tends to be rougher in the beginning, the lows may be deeper and longer. The difficult periods should become less intense and shorter as time goes by, but it takes time to work through a loss.
  • Fact: Even years after a loss, especially at special events such as a family wedding or the birth of a child, we may still experience a strong sense of normal grief.


                                        Comments to Avoid when Comforting the Bereaved

  • "I know how you feel." One can never know how another may feel. You could, instead, ask your friend to tell you how he or she feels.
  • "It's part of God's plan." This phrase can make people angry and they often respond with, "What plan? Nobody told me about any plan."
  • "Look at what you have to be thankful for." They know they have things to be thankful for, but right now they are not important.
  • "He's in a better place now." The bereaved may or may not believe this. Keep your beliefs to yourself unless asked.
  • "This is behind you now; it's time to get on with your life." Sometimes the bereaved are resistant to getting on with because they feel this means "forgetting" their loved one. In addition, moving on is easier said than done. Grief has a mind of its own and works at its own pace.
  • Statements that begin with "You should" or "You will." These statements are too directive. Instead you could begin your comments with: "Have you thought about. . ." or "You might. . ." personal and individual experience. Source: American Hospice Foundation
                                                     Reprinting Material From GriefTalk4U
If you would like to reprint an article on a website (or blog, in an e-mail, or newsletter), please contact Helen Hersrud for permission. 
I will not authorize the reprinting of "all" the content from this site onto another website.

Bereavement counseling before or after  your loss can help you to prepare and integrate the  feelings of loss instilled in your life.
Printable Brochure contains grief and  educational support for the bereaved.
You may print for your personal use or professional client distribution. 
                          THANK YOU
                      Helen Hersrud,MS


  Alterations to brochure are not allowed. Thank you