Julie A Carda

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Name: Julie A Carda

After studying dance in Europe, Julie returned to the United States and graduated from Creighton University. With a desire to expand her knowledge of the arts and spirituality, she graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville with a Masters in Theology and Liturgical Studies. Over the past twenty years, she has taught high school and college courses, and facilitated workshops on the healing arts while occasionally writing for academic periodicals. Her quest to acknowledge world religions and the desire to expose the similarities of love and peaceful living, led her to travel, live, and study with shaman practitioners, herbal healers, Native American medicine women, Buddhist priests and other earth-based spiritual teachers. Through these experiences and experiences with global metaphysical teachings, she learned to honor the eternal Source of love in all people. Besides writing fiction, Julie is co-creating a Space of Love through advocacy for Kin Domains.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Recount One's Grief


One often calms one's grief by recounting it.
~Pierre Corneille~

In these times of rapid change, finding the time to really listen to people is an invaluable source of comfort for us and others. We need not solve or resolve, but rather hold others with compassion.  Allow the stories to unfold, be recounted, so the healing journey can progress.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Shock and Testing part of grief phases

In my research I came across a list of grief phases that includes two more than the Kubler-Ross version.  I like this broken out version.   For more detail follow the link.

• Shock stage: Initial paralysis at hearing the bad news.
• Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
• Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.
• Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
• Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
• Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.
• Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Quote for Grief


What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul.
~Jewish Proverb~

Friday, February 5, 2010

Problems with Grief Phases

While searching for websites with information on grief, I came across one which explains outcomes of the grief process. "A common problem with the phases of the grief cycle is that people can get stuck in one phase. Thus a person may become stuck in denial, never moving on from the position of not accepting the inevitable future. When it happens, they still keep on denying it, such as the person who has lost their job still going into the city only to sit on a park bench all day.

Getting stuck in denial is common in 'cool' cultures (such as in Britain, particularly Southern England) where expressing anger is not acceptable. The person may feel that anger, but may then repress it, bottling it up inside.
Likewise, a person may be stuck in permanent anger (which is itself a form of flight from reality) or repeated bargaining. It is more difficult to get stuck in active states than in passivity, and getting stuck in depression is perhaps a more common ailment."  Read more on this topic.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Quote for Grief Reflection


If you're going through hell, keep going.  ~Winston Churchill

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Phases involved in Grief


Although there are many theories about the emotional path grief takes most grief therapists agree about the general phases involved.
Denial:  “This can’t be happening to me.”
Anger:  “Why is this happening?  Who is to blame?”
Bargaining:  “Make this not happen, and in return I will____.”
Depression:   “I’m too sad to do anything.”
Acceptance:  “I’m at peace with what happened.”

Keep in mind these phases don’t have to take a set order.  Grieving can be very much like a roller coaster full of ups, downs, highs and lows.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Grief a Human Response to loss

Grief is the human response to loss of many kinds. Grief is the emotion felt when something or someone of great import and love is taken away. Although grief is most commonly associated with death, it can actually be a response to other loss.

Examples of such loss are: a relationship breakup, loss of health, loss of a job, loss of financial stability, a miscarriage, death of a pet, loss of a dream, concern over a loved one’s serious illness, loss of friendship, loss of safety after a trauma, loss of a job, retiring from a job, loss of a way of life, moving from home, concern for earth and global strife. Generally, the more significant the loss for a person, the more intense the emotional outpouring of the grief.

Have you experienced grief? What have you done with the emotional response?