Traumatic Loss

What is Traumatic Loss?

Some examples of traumatic loss are death by suicide, overdose, accidental death, or murdered and missing persons. When a death occurs without warning, is untimely, if it involves violence, or if the survivor believes that the death could have been prevented was unfair and /or was unjust we call this a traumatic loss.

What Are the Effects of Traumatic Loss?

When you are a survivor of a traumatic death, you have a double layer of grief. First, you must cope with the trauma surrounding the circumstances of the loss ,and then, deal with your grief. Some people describe traumatic loss like your thoughts and emotions are thrown into a big emotional blender. And so, it is easy to get utterly stuck in a place of prolonged and intense symptoms of trauma.

  1. Ruminating thoughts about the death along with guilt and self blame, can create the false conclusion that the survivor is going crazy.

  2. Flashbacks, images and nightmares are clear signs of trauma.

  3. The survivors’ beliefs about the world, themselves, and others are shattered. This is a lonely and angry place to land and remain.

What Are Some Ways to Navigate Traumatic Grief?

Once those symptoms of trauma are healed, we can go on to learning about navigating grief.

  1. Self care is your super power. Sleep, healthy diet, movement, and creative endeavours are fundamental ways to keep yourself healthy.

  2. Social support is often very helpful. Both individuals and groups help break the loneliness.

  3. Learn to celebrate and honour the person in both everyday life and during special holidays.

How Can I Help?

I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the training and experience in Trauma Informed Care.

  • EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. With this process, the emotional charge and false beliefs are eliminated.

  • Strategies to reduce high levels of anxiety. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), where I work with clients to learn how our thoughts influence our emotions, and further, how our emotions influence our actions.

  • Collaborate together to create your resilient grief plan.