grieving with words...

Because the daily prompts allude to the death of a person, this group is focused on loss by death. There are many kinds of losses that happen in life, and while some of the content in this group would translate over, this group is focused on loss by death.  

Grief has its timeline. No matter if it was last week or 10 years ago, your loss is welcome.

On the day the group starts, the group is closed, meaning it becomes a private space for ONLY those members who had signed up for that group. Anything you share in the group is considered private and confidential, and sharing of postings or writings is not allowed.  Grieving With Words takes your trust in us seriously, and should it become evident that confidentiality is not being followed, the group members involved will not be allowed back into the group. When the group starts, each member will be required to agree to these terms.

This group is different than an in-person group. One, no one is required to be vulnerable and share. There are not several people in the room staring at you, waiting for you to share. You can decide what comfort level you feel, and then share accordingly. We do encourage you to share as much as you feel comfortable sharing. You might be surprised how your sharing could positively impact another group member. Having said that, it’s completely up to you!  Two, this group is intended to be a space that provides a soft landing for what you have shared. It is not a place to challenge another member’s experience.  After all, we all do grief in our unique way. When you write something, you won’t get advice, judgment, or comparing one member’s grief to another. Not every person will feel comfortable posting, and if that is the case, that person may still be gaining the richness of seeing some of their experience as they read the words of others. 

The short answer is, yes.  Having said that, maintaining a safe space for all to share is key to the success of the group. To that end, members may “Cheer” (aka “Like”) a member’s post. In a member’s response, they are asked to reflect back to the person what they had said, acknowledging that person’s truth. Members are not to give advice or feedback that carries a tone of judgment or criticism. Grief is hard enough, and in our culture finding safe spaces to share without being met by advice-giving, criticism, or judgment is crucial to the expression of what’s inside us.  

One key difference is the daily grief prompts that have been curated to guide members through noticing things about their grief. Embedded in the prompts are also key learnings about how grief impacts our sense of well-being, identity, and our changed view of life. It can certainly fuel your private journaling too. But the big difference is this group is like reading other grievers’ journals in parallel to your journal. From this experience comes a sense of connection to others who share the path you are on. Also, there’s a strange sense of ease, knowing you have this community that can shoulder with you the grief you experience. 

No. Your words are your words. If it includes swear words, that's okay. Whatever your heart says to write, write that. 

Then don’t. The beauty of this group is you are not required to write, and you can write in your own timing. You will still receive a daily prompt regardless.  However, most members find that when they write, something is released inside of them. It’s as if the chaos inside has found a voice. You can also revisit a previous prompt if something in your life precluded you from writing to a prompt you missed. 

No. Whatever skill level of writer you are, you are welcome.  

Helpful? Yes. Easy? No. There’s no question that none of us like to enter into our pain. I spent the better part of 30 years running from my pain. But if we can enter our pain with gentleness and respect, something begins to shift in us. Our pain is eased. Not gone, but eased. The daily prompts are designed to help you explore your pain, find new understandings of your pain, and be with others who knew of this kind of pain. I say to my clients, “You can go over the waterfall alone, or you can go over the waterfall with another person who knows something about that waterfall too.” Going through pain WITH someone can serve as a comfort. (NB: I wish we could turn the waterfall OFF! Right?)  One other thing to consider.  If you believe yourself to have PTSD, you are encouraged to have a therapist as an adjunct to this group.  This will provide even more safe space for you as you venture into your pain. 

There’s no doubt that one of the powerful experiences in this group is finding others who have lost someone and are on the journey of grief. Because of this, it is only natural for a cohort of group members to want to stay connected to each other after going through the group. Often members may choose to exchange personal contact information at the end of the group, but no one is required to do this. Grieving With Words does not provide group members with a list of members' names and contact info. It is strictly at the choosing of each member.

Grieving With Words does not provide refunds. Once you have purchased access to the group, your purchase is final.  We encourage you to read through these common questions and group descriptions before purchasing. Finding the right fit is important, so this group may not be what every person needs.