Miriam's Well Healing LLC

🌟 If you're grieving the Key Bridge, and that feels odd, don't worry - there are reasons you are having this emotional reaction. My latest blog post talks about validating those feelings and how to heal from them.
https://wix.to/doKaHB8
https://wix.to/p5CaABF

Grief & Trauma Support | Fearless Grieving to Fearless Living Loss and Trauma change you - but they don't have to break you. Claire M. Schwartz mentors her clients to navigate their emotional challenges, repair their health and their mindset, and guide them to a life not ruled by suffering. Relief & Resilience for our challenging times.

Very honored to have received this from a client. So blessed and humbled to be doing this work.

Real Life Answers to Your Exhaustion - https://mailchi.mp/217bf385943b/real-life-answers-to-your-exhaustion
Check out my latest Newsletter for why sleep doesn't create REST - and how to truly recharge your mind, body and spirit.

I was terribly moved to watch the memorial service for First Lady Rosalynn Carter yesterday - my god, the contributions of this women are astounding. She lived a life of service and compassion for those in need - walking the path of righteousness until she could walk no more.

May we all strive to live up to the example she set, alongside her husband Jimmy. It should not be political to recognize the changes they brought to the world, lifting up those in poverty, homelessness, mental illness and downtrodden. This is God's work, no matter what path you follow.

May she have a peaceful journey home.

Just a reminder that Miriam's Well Healing & You Can Heal Your Grief are partnering with and other leaders in the grief space to co-host "Gathering of Grief." This event unites organizations and individuals in a shared space to process our collective grief. Join us as we come together to find strength and solace in community.

Won't you join us?
📅 Date: Tuesday, Nov. 28th
⏰ Time: 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET

Discover more and join us at http://bit.ly/gatheringofgrief.

In times when the world feels caught in cycles of fight, flight, or freeze, Miriam's Well Healing & You Can Heal Your Grief are partnering with and other leaders in the grief space to co-host "Gathering of Grief." This event unites organizations and individuals in a shared space to process our collective grief. Join us as we come together to find strength and solace in community.

Won't you join us?
📅 Date: Tuesday, Nov. 28th
⏰ Time: 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET

Discover more and join us at http://bit.ly/gatheringofgrief.

Too often Trauma Survivors are met with dismissal - rejection - and really painful attacks. If you really want to help, you must come from a place of No Judgement. Compassion is everything.

If the behavior of a traumatized individual is confusing, please ask an expert to help you understand what is happening, so that you don't make things worse and so that person can get the help they need.

We sometimes get in the weeds about the definition of what constitutes Trauma. This breaks it down for you pretty clearly.

I would also add that two people can experience the exact same event and one develops trauma and the other does not. That does not invalidate the experience of either and both need to be treated with respect.

We are complex creatures....
Let's learn about one another to make our journey a little easier.

You are never alone.

It took me a long frustrating time to figure out how to get the help I needed - I was angry and flailing and it all felt so desperate.... But people just didn't listen and didn't hear me. And I was losing friends....

But then I finally got it - no one wants to hug a porcupine or comfort a growling wolf. So I had to learn a better way in order to get the compassion that I needed.

Trauma healing is filled with hard lessons - but I had to take responsibility for what I was putting out into the world, and then things started to get easier. And I am so grateful for the good souls who have taught me a better way.

Those of us who do Healing Work know how challenging the vulnerability piece is - when we have been gaslit, attacked and made unsafe, the world has taught us that Vulnerable = Weak or Dangerous. But in fact it is the opposite. Taking back your story and your narrative is hugely powerful and Harry has been demonstrating this beautifully. I applaud and support his courage on so many levels!

This is what I aim for every year - and what I wish for you all! Let us build and heal and sing and live, as only we can.
Mighty Blessings for a Safe & Happy New Year! Please take excellent care of yourselves and one another.
You are never alone.

It is very tough when we come from trauma to recognize an unhealthy situation, because that is what we come from - that's our norm! I got myself into tons of toxic and dangerous situations back in the day - it's a miracle I didn't get in more trouble....

But most of it was because I was unable to discern who was healthy to be around and who was not.

Most of it was because the acceptance I was seeking, and the fears that were driving me, were more powerful than good judgement.

But if you invite it in, it will stay. It will stay, make a nest and dig in. Setting healthier boundaries to rid ourselves of the toxicity, and then holding fast in never letting it in again, is a HUGE lesson in Trauma Healing.

Let me know what you think - you are never alone.

E-Gift cards are wonderful last minute blessings. No post office, no stress - just a click and healing is coming your way!

You can send these immediately, or schedule them for later delivery. I have several lovely designs and you can personalize them, too.

AND - they are 10% OFF till the end of the year. For the next two weeks, till 12/31/22. Minimum purchase is $100 - and they never expire.

https://tinyurl.com/yecahbxw
This is the link to order with all the details.
Wishing you all wonderful healing this Holiday Season!

Michael J. Fox said this when he was accepting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Awards, which is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It's an Oscar for philanthropy and Fox has done extraordinary work raising funding for the treatment and cure of Parkinson's, which he has had for over 30 years. His foundation has raised over $1.5 Billion - but this isn't a post about money.

It's about persevering and striving and doing battle with an enemy that has no face and whose time scale you cannot measure. He very publicly talks about his challenges and how he navigates this deadly illness that no one asks for. How does he do it? With an amazing family, and Two Tools - Optimism & Gratitude, which he wisely points out, are intertwined.

So when we complain about our latte order not being right or the mail that got wet or our delivery being late ( which I often do - ahem...), I turn to the wisdom of folks like Michael. How would we handle what he has been through? I can only hope I would manage it with 1/10th of the grace that this man does.

Bereavement Leave at work is woefully inadequate - and companies often order folks back to work, rather than work with you to give you more time off to address family issues, as well as your own healing.

Seek out more options, such as FMLA, short-term disability, and PTO donation programs to fill the gap. You can also find support for grief counseling and time off for mental health through your insurance, social service programs and much more.

If employers actually took a moment to think about it, they would see that forcing someone back into the office while they are distracted, having memory issues and emotional outbursts means they probably cannot function well in their jobs. Show some compassion and work with your employees to get them more stable - which will serve everyone - as well as build loyalty and appreciation.

I often hear about spouses or friends who refuse to talk about a particular issue. Either they say they are “working on it themselves” Or they just dismiss it outright.

But this is gaslighting, and it can cause distrust, resentment and anger. Healing can only take place when two parties can sit down and openly discuss an issue, and allow themselves to sit in that uncomfortable position. Listening, compassion and flexibility will build solutions instead of walls.

Otherwise, over time, a deep rut can develop that can become much harder to cross later on. Better to find a solution together, which will actually make you closer.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments. You are never alone.

The amount of stress and agitation that it takes to hold in your trauma can wreck havoc on your body and your health. If you have health issues that don't seem to go away, it's possible that there is trauma underneath that needs healing. Doctors don't tend to ask about your emotional health when evaluating physical health.... But you cannot pull them apart. Migraines, tummy issues, teeth grinding, so many things.... Be kind to yourself. Breathe. Explore some healing. You are never alone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cTRHErtFok

A lovely and long discussion with my friend and colleague Tony Lynch from his Memories of Us podcast that we recorded a few months ago. We tell our stories and find out how much we have in common, and how we moved out of our brokenness into a space of service. And how we still struggle sometimes. Some fascinating and hard truths here - give a listen.

This is on Tony's YouTube page where you can find other videos that he has hosted - he specializes in talking to men about their mental health and healing.

Memories of Us Podcast Ep 69 Claire Schwartz Tony Lynch talks shop with Claire Schwartz BA, Spiritual Counselor, Certified Professional Coach and Grief Healing Expert. Claire has been walking the path o...

Special Update on my Grief Retreat - Inflation Compassion within.... https://mailchi.mp/f0b87e834259/911-support-gathering-9158649

Where did Claire vanish to? I *tried* to take a vacation.... Like so many others this summer, it was...lumpy....and triggery! But I made it through - blessed and lucky. My story is below. Stay safe, my friends!

There's a New Trauma in Town - Travel Trauma There’s a new Trauma in town – Travel Trauma! Brand new triggers of old fears. And I walked right into them…. I didn’t write much last week about what I went through trying to travel for the first time in three years. I hadn’t been to my favorite getaway in Canada, where I have gone every ...

Have you registered for my Grief Retreat? Feel your mind calm and your heart be eased in a loving and lovely space. Tickets are limited, please join us! Let your healing begin....- https://mailchi.mp/5554aa7c20b6/911-support-gathering-9158449

As this challenging "holiday" approaches, I want to share that it is NOT a requirement to fake your happiness if this is rough. The idealized idea of what families look like is far from the truth. Be good to yourself - be compassionate - set your boundaries. And if you have lost your mom like I have, even though your road was complicated, celebrate what you can, discard what you do not need, and breathe.... You are never alone.

Love this article by Dr. Sherry Walling on the link between the Great Grief and the Great Resignation - as we search for more meaning in life in these troubling times. And Grief Healing winds through all of it....

"Far more than simple sadness, grief is loud and forceful and dynamic and sometimes demands profound change, and additional support. Grieving well is hard work."



https://fortune.com/2022/04/11/great-grief-resignation-covid-pandemic-workers-labor-shortage-economy-workplace-mental-health-careers-sherry-walling/"

Commentary: How the Great Grief led to the Great Resignation Millions of our neighbors, friends, and colleagues are grieving–and rethinking how they want to spend their finite time on earth.

This leaped out at me today - and the same is true with Trauma Healing. Healing cannot happen within a framework of judgement and it cannot happen on a schedule. The most important piece is to START. Ask questions - get help - lean forward. You are never alone.

Watch this interview with an extraordinary mom and how she has coped with and survived the murder of her 7 year-old daughter - two outstanding quotes:
- Grieving what you thought your life would look like, and in that moment, you have the possibility to pivot and say, "This happened - and yet - there can be more."
- The gift of vulnerability, as difficult as it is sometimes, is that it's okay to say, I need help.

Her book, The Other Side of Yet, is out today.
May her service to others keep Gabrielle in the world.
A glorious child, taken too soon....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSR3typhwyQ

Former 'GMA' producer shares personal journey of grief after daughter's murder l Nightline Robin Roberts talked with Michelle Hord who has written about her journey following the death of her 7-year-old daughter Gabrielle in a new memoir "The Other...