Rooting Through Grief, LLC.

11/12/2025

Very excited to share a refreshed and updated website with more comprehensive resources and additional offerings! There will also be a space to find anything that I post or share in emails!

Rootingthroughgrief.com

10/28/2025

Did you know there are different types of grief? 💭

Let’s talk about one that often goes unseen — disenfranchised grief.

🕊️ What is it?
Disenfranchised grief is the kind of grief that’s carried quietly — often hidden — because others might not see it as a “real” loss. It’s the grief we feel but don’t feel allowed to express.

💔 Why does it matter?
When grief is done in isolation, it can deepen feelings of shame, depression, and anxiety. It can keep us stuck. Grief needs to be witnessed. Being seen and heard in our pain is a vital part of healing.

🌿 Examples of disenfranchised grief:
• Losses that aren’t socially recognized (a miscarriage, a pet, a friendship, a dream)
• Losses that others minimize (“you didn’t even date that long,” “you can just have another”)
• Grief that feels complicated or carries stigma (divorce, su***de loss, estrangement, addiction, mental illness, infertility)
• Cumulative or invisible losses (aging, identity changes, chronic illness, loss of safety or faith)

Your grief is valid — even if others can’t see it. 💚

✨ Healing begins when your story is witnessed.

10/08/2025

🐴Equine Assisted Psychotherapy offers a unique and profound path to healing by inviting horses into the therapeutic process. Horses, with their innate sensitivity and honesty, reflect back what is often hidden within us—our emotions, our energy, our unspoken truths. They do not judge, fix, or force; instead, they meet us exactly where we are, offering presence, connection, and a mirror to our inner world. In their company, clients often find clarity, courage, and compassion for themselves in ways that words alone cannot reach. It is this sacred partnership between human and horse that makes the work so powerful—healing happens not through instruction, but through relationship.

Through the jorney of grief, horses allow us to access parts of yourself that words often can’t reach.
It is a profound experience and partnership as grief and loss are navigated♥️

10/03/2025

✨ What a gift it was to spend a beautiful Saturday with incredible humans and my favorite four-legged angels (besides dogs 🐴).

Together with Body & Sole Wellness and Horses Healing Humans, we immersed ourselves in the herd for the entire day—sharing Reiki, connection, and the simple privilege of being present with these magnificent animals.

For those who know me, horses light up my soul. It was such a joy to experience that magic alongside these wonderful women (and gentleman).

As an EAGALA-certified therapist, I’m thrilled to share that equine therapy is now one of the offerings available through Rooting Through Grief, LLC

If you feel called to learn more about equine sessions, I’d love to share the healing gifts of the herd as part of your own journey of growth and transformation. 🌿

10/01/2025

Rooting Through Grief was born from my own experience of loss after my brother died by su***de. In my grief, I felt the silence, the loneliness, the “let’s change the subject” responses—and I knew no one should have to carry that weight alone.

That’s when I committed to becoming a grief therapist. My mission: to create a space where grief is welcomed, honored, and heard.

In my office, you won’t hear:
❌ Move on
❌ Get over it
❌ Let go

You will hear:
✔ How can I support you?
✔ I’m here to listen.
✔ You are not alone.

This is the heart of Rooting Through Grief. 🌱

01/04/2023

A vulnerable self reflection demonstrating ambiguous grief….

“Write about or work on whatever revolution is happening in your heart “ Liz Gilbert

It never ceases to amaze me the many forms of ambiguous grief that come to light as we journey through this life. Many of us hope and pray to never be touched by the obvious losses, the “tangible”losses such as death of a loved one, divorce, loss of our beloved pets. We brace ourselves and hope that we’re fortunate enough to not have to face that type of loss too many times in our lifetime. However, there are the unexpected losses, the things that we can’t even imagine, or brace ourselves for, that sneak up on us and show us that grief has many faces.
Grief is the experience of any loss in our life -something that marks and ending that carries memories and significance to our life experience. Grief can even be accompanied by pride, gratitude and joy. Often people judge their grief for endings that don’t feel tragic or losses we should be grateful for…However, allowing our grief to be shared and acknowledged, allows for deeper connection with others .The one that has been forming inside of me lately is the ambiguous loss of being a mom in the way that I have had so much joy experiencing for the last 20 years; yes there have been rough patches and yes, I have dreamt about a time when my children would be more independent and I could have more “space .”When your kids are young, people tell you to make sure you have hobbies so that when they leave the “nest“ you are still able to recognize yourself even without the role of mother/parent as you have known it. What no one prepared me for was the deep grief, the emotional part of letting go of our children, and allowing them to spread their wings and become the independent people we raised them to be. While you feel proud, and you know that this is exactly what you wanted for them, there is no loss of grief in that letting go. My life is filled with books I want to read, classes I want to take, fitness and friends that I long to connect with. Those are not the parts of the motherhood transformation that I will struggle with. It’s the parts that I did not anticipate that have snuck up on me.
Sometimes this grief and longing is confused by the milestone 50th birthday- is it my age that is creating so much reflection and self inventorying or is it the shift from mom of dependent children to mom of young adults and how that looks compared to what I have known as a mom.
I find comfort in friends who are on the same journey and resonate with the slow burn of endings. As our children move further away from us, there is solace in Facebook groups who put words to what is in my heart, and lets me know that I am not alone.

It’s a bittersweet time because the space that you have longed for in the younger years becomes the spaces where the magic happened, where unexpected conversations took place and connection with your child. When they start driving, when they start forming a strong peer group; all the things that we wish for our children that then leave less space for us.
The reflections of the past years start playing over in our minds. Did I teach them enough? Will they be able to remember their center in a world that can be harsh and confusing at times? Did I spend enough time with them?
Being married to someone’s son, I encourage him to call his mom twice as much as he thinks is enough, to tell her the memories that he has from being a child and to share the gratitude for things that he now has an appreciation for in his older years. I do this because I know that one day my son will be someone’s wife, and I hope that she provides the same grace for me.

It has occurred to me as I’m writing this, I have always said that our children choose us from the start to help us grow and heal the places that we are not aware of until faced with a tiny human; a human who we want to do better for and be better for . It’s ironic to me that this seems to be a theme throughout parenting, the hope that when our children leave our home, they still choose us; they still choose to come home, and they still choose us.

Being a parent is probably one of the most vulnerable experiences we will have in our life if we are courageous enough to see our children’s journey and personalities as something separate from our own.
Just like with all grief, not everyone will experience this ending in the same way. For me, this grief is a dance between sadness and joy; seeing my children become adults who are good people, who are discovering paths with confidence and integrity, and who have become people I genuinely respect and enjoy being around. That is the gift of this ending …. It is raising people I really like and who, through their hearts and values, I see hope for the future.

08/27/2021

Additional musings about milestones that further represent the joy/loss dance 💃🏻 that accompanies the many types of grief that exist💕

Yesterday, I moved my oldest into her dorm… to her “first steps” toward her future.
While I feel pride and excitement for her journey and look forward to seeing who she grows into,
There is also a deep sense of shifting within my role as her mom.
I am seeing so many posts and articles about this dance of pride/ excitement and then the additional personal journey of shifting from a hands on parent to a parent of an adult (ish) child.
For me, becoming a mom was my first real experience with true love. My daughter has taught me about becoming the best version of myself, about loving fiercely and being able to hold that love even when parenting was messy and had hair pin turns.
It’s not a grief that comes suddenly and leaves just as quickly-its a shift that happens inside of you. Straddling this new reality of her being away living her independent life and then flashing back to the little girl - it’s many moments of replaying the highlight reels from birth to now and trying to digest how quickly we got to college!
It goes so fast and while we all likely think about the time our kids will move into their adult journey, your never quite fully prepared for the mix of emotions that accompany that.
Determining how close to lean in,
How much space to give without being to “far”
Wondering if they are comfortable
Happy
Certain-
Respecting their life away from you but also wanting to know everything ❤️
It’s an adjustment for sure.
I am so proud and so excited for what she does with this chapter and as I am sure many parents feel this- My intention is that others,in her new world ,see the beauty and heart 💜 that those of us appreciate about her here in her home 🏡 world.
To all parents transitioning your kids to college…. Let the waves of emotion and pride come and go as they need. Take time to digest and feel it all- we just sent our biggest loves to go grow and we will have feelings about that.
Share with others - just like with all grief- there is no shame in needing time to adjust to the new way parenting looks.
Also trust that new forms of parenting will grow in those spaces where messy hands, rides, and hugs around your waist used to be.
I don’t know about you but being a mom has been my most favorite role in this life and while my life is full of great things - it’s ok to take a moment to feel this transition💕

08/18/2021

My son started his “first “ day of high school today…. So many feelings about this milestone.
Technically, this is the first day of his sophomore year but with the many interruptions of Covid, it’s his first day in a new school with new kids and a new experience.
His last school experience was 8th grade, which, as for everyone, ended unexpectedly and abruptly by Covid.
So much about him and our world has changed since March 2020.
When I looked at my son this past week.. last night at bedtime when I gave my “methodical first day of school talk”(his words ☺️), I look at my little boy( the one I see when I look into his soul) who is now a young man- and think of all that has changed for him in the past 18 months.
His world has changed- spending his freshman year at home and navigating a historical educational year, going out into a new community and playing soccer with boys he had never met- playing baseball for the first time with new peers and constantly having to adapt because of Covid and all the ups and downs that have come with that reality.
While I grieve all the ways Covid has grown my kids up and taken rights of passages and milestone moments from them, I also see a young man whose once uncertainty about himself and his abilities turn into confidence and accomplishments that have allowed him to see for himself that he is as capable as I have always told him he is.
Of course, those affirmations coming from your mom don’t count because “your my mom and your supposed to say that!”
I feel so much for what all of our kids have had to sacrifice, adapt to and miss out on these past 18 months. I feel so much for what the landscape must look like today as they walk back into schools with masks, hand sanitizer stations, assigned seats for contact tracing and whatever other evidence there is that we are still living in a pandemic.
I feel for the uncertainty many may feel after mostly social media relationships and a year of no worries about the awkward in person moments of fitting in or wearing the right thing.
As I looked at my son on the way to school- him taking deep breaths and feeling vulnerable enough to say I am scared- I see the little boy in him alerting him to be on the look out but i also see the young man he has become since 2020 and the way he holds his younger scared self without judgement .
I know this has been an incredibly difficult season of parenting for many and as I look at him, I feel so much gratitude for the ways life has balanced his missed moments with confidence, a great group of friends and the extra time I got with him to support him as he prepared for this day.
Personally, I am entering a new season of parenting - watching him grow and spread his wings knowing that soon he will be on his path to his adult life and simultaneously his sister leaving for college.
There are so many ways that “empty nest” takes shape and I am learning this in real time.
So as my sweet children grow and spread their wings, I am taking inspiration from them and doing the same- growing from a mom of small kids who could be supported with a bed time story or time on my lap to a mom who meets them where they are at. And as they explore and challenge themselves to be courageous and vulnerable, I will continue to do the same as I integrate this identity of a mom with young adult children.
To all the parents out there feeling all of your own stuff, as well as witnessing your kids experience a time we could have never imagined- I hold you in my heart!
We’ve got our babies Momma’s and Daddy’s 💖

04/14/2021

When talking to children about death one should avoid confusing euphemisms like "she's in a better place" or "he's sleeping". Here's why.

03/01/2021

We can be really bad about reminding people about the free resources we have available beyond just our articles! If you're still feeling the weight of winter and social distancing, we have a free 10-day course with exercises for coping with grief from home (which can be done over 10 days or you can spread it out to works for you - instead of one lesson a day, you might opt for 1 per w. You can find it here: https://school.whatsyourgrief.com/p/10-day-coping-with-grief-from-home-challenge

01/18/2021

A good reminder that there is great value in sharing your grief with others ... to connect, to have your grief witnesses and validated... even to hear other grievers say “I can relate”.
Remember, though, your grief journey is unique to you and while there may be similarities with others, you may also have differences. All feelings and grief experiences are valid and “normal” and use your sharing to connect and validate with the abscence of shame or “I must be doing this wrong”

If you are one of the many people who find that grief is worse in the morning, you are not alone! We can't fix it, but we can explain six reasons why this happens and ten tips for coping.