Learning to Live Again Trauma & Grief Counseling

11/16/2025

PTSD in Grief: When the Past Won’t Stay Quiet

People often think PTSD only comes from war, accidents, or violence.
But many grieving parents quietly live with a form of PTSD every single day.

It shows up in ways we don’t expect.

A sound.
A date.
A song.
A place we used to go with our child.
Something small happens, and suddenly our heart is racing… our chest tightens… our body feels like something terrible is happening right now even though the world around us hasn’t changed.

This is the part of grief people don’t talk about.

PTSD in grief isn’t “living in the past.”
It’s your nervous system remembering the moment everything shattered.

It’s the replaying of the phone call.
The hospital room.
The last hug.
The details you never asked to remember but can’t seem to forget.

And it is not a sign of weakness.
It is a sign of love so deep that your body still feels the impact of losing your child.

If this is you, hear me:
You are not broken.
Your mind is not failing.
You are reacting the way a heart reacts when it’s been traumatized.

You can heal.
Slowly. Gently. In your own time.

Take deep breaths.
Ground yourself in the present moment.
Reach out when the memories feel too heavy.
Let someone say your child’s name.
And allow yourself to feel what you feel without apology.

Grief can look like PTSD, and PTSD can live inside grief but neither defines who you are.

You are a warrior of the heart.
You are surviving the unimaginable.
And you, dear mama, are not alone.

www.mychildlefthomeforheaven.org

11/13/2025

One of my special clients in the grief community shared this with me. She said it says it perfectly. Does this resonate with you?

Long grief isn’t a season.
It’s permanent.
It stays with you. It settles in.

You learn how to keep living, but it’s never the same life.
There’s the one you had before and the one that came after.
You don’t go back. You just learn how to exist inside the after.

You stop expecting normal to return.
You start seeing that this is normal now.
You can have a good day and still feel the emptiness sitting right beside it.
You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone in a way you can’t explain.

You rebuild. You laugh. You find new pieces of life, but nothing feels untouched by loss.
It changes how you think, how you trust, how you hope.
Even joy feels different — smaller, quieter, earned.

Long grief is a slow acceptance that this is it.
There isn’t a finish line.
It’s the knowing that you’ll always love them, always miss them, and that both can exist inside the life you’re now living.

That’s what long grief is —
a lifetime of figuring out how to live with a wound that will never heal.

10/31/2025

Abandoned for Asking for Help: The Silent Crisis of Police Officers Terminated for Mental Health Issues - By Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma Founder Captain Adam Meyers, CPS

(Captain Meyers writes from his heart and from his professional experience.)

In recent years, the conversation around mental health in law enforcement has grown louder, but for many officers, speaking up still comes with devastating consequences. Behind the badge, countless men and women who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting others find themselves abandoned, stigmatized, and even terminated when they reveal their own struggles with mental health.

The Hidden Wound in Law Enforcement:

Police work is among the most mentally demanding professions in the world. Officers are exposed to trauma, violence, death, and human suffering on a near-daily basis. Over time, these experiences can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health challenges. Yet, despite widespread acknowledgment that these issues exist, the culture within many departments still discourages vulnerability.

Instead of being treated with compassion and support, officers who admit they need help often face suspicion and judgment. The same system that praises them for bravery in the field too often punishes them for bravery in admitting their pain.

The Reality of Retaliation and Termination:

When officers come forward about their mental health, they frequently encounter retaliation, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt. They might be pulled from duty, stripped of their badge and firearm, and placed on administrative leave. While some departments justify these steps as “precautionary,” the result often feels more like punishment than protection.

In too many cases, officers are ultimately terminated - not because they did something wrong, but because they asked for help. Instead of being supported through treatment, they are quietly dismissed or encouraged to resign, often under the guise of being “unfit for duty.” This not only destroys careers, but also reinforces the dangerous message that seeking help equals weakness.

Abandonment After Service:

The impact of such abandonment goes far beyond the loss of employment. For many officers, their identity, sense of purpose, and financial stability are tied to their career in law enforcement. Being terminated for mental health reasons can trigger deeper emotional pain, leading to isolation, shame, and hopelessness. Tragically, some officers who are cast aside end up becoming part of the rising statistic of law enforcement suicides.

What’s even more disheartening is how departments often distance themselves from these officers afterward. The same organizations that once called them “family” may stop checking in, offering no support or follow-up. The brotherhood and sisterhood that are supposed to define the profession can suddenly disappear the moment an officer’s mental health becomes visible.

The Stigma Still Lives:

Despite campaigns and slogans promoting “officer wellness,” the stigma around mental health remains deeply ingrained. Many officers still fear that disclosing their struggles will lead to career-ending consequences and too often, they’re right. This fear perpetuates silence, leaving officers to suffer alone until the damage becomes irreparable.

If departments truly want to change this culture, it will take more than words. It will require policies that protect officers who seek help, confidential and supportive mental health services, and leadership that leads by example - not through punishment, but through compassion.

A Call for Change:

No officer should have to choose between their career and their mental health. Departments must recognize that supporting their officers in times of psychological distress is not a liability, it’s a responsibility. Officers who have the courage to confront their mental health challenges deserve the same loyalty and protection they’ve given their communities.

It’s time for law enforcement agencies to stand by their own and to stop abandoning those who serve and start leading with empathy, understanding, and humanity. Because behind every badge is a human being who deserves help, not rejection.

www.stopthethreatstopthestigma.org

Daily News
Daily Dodge
Washington County Insider
WTKM 104.9 FM
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
RACINE JOURNAL TIMES

10/30/2025

10/14/2025

We have a match! Based on temperament testing, this little guy, who will be known as Goose is joining us to grow into a therapy dog! This is made possible by a partnership with Three Lakes Dog Training LLCing LLC! Thank you Alexie and Will Hartman for your commitment to caring for mental health, especially in our veterans and first responders.

10/04/2025

“An effective therapist is a warm, caring, empathic, and knowledgeable person who knows how to interact with a client in a way that is healing” (Elkins, 2015).

As a trauma and grief specialist, I do my very best to meet my clients with warmth, compassion, empathy, knowledge and wisdom. It is my honor to help light the path of their healing journey.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-dimension/201511/the-5-qualities-that-tell-you-a-therapist-is-effective andebey

So how do you find a good therapist? A professor of psychology weighs in.

10/02/2025

Every month, and especially in October, Learning to Live Again supports our clients who are fighting breast cancer. You are not alone.

09/27/2025

Today, we recognize National 911 Telecommunications Su***de Awareness Day.
We remember the dispatchers and telecommunicators we have lost, while raising awareness and reminding every warrior on the other end of the line that help is always available.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out:

📱 Crisis Text Line: Text BLUE to 741741 for free, 24/7 confidential support.

☎️ National Su***de Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org

🌐 1st Help: A searchable database of emotional, financial, and spiritual assistance for first responders:
https://1sthelp.org

🧡 Warriors Heart: A private, accredited treatment program serving exclusively warriors, military, veterans, and first responders, who are struggling with addiction, PTSD, and other invisible wounds.
Call 855-610-1003 or visit warriorsheart.com

Thank you to First Help for continuing to shine a light on the mental health of 911 professionals and first responders.

To all 911 telecommunicators: you are never alone. Your life matters. 💜

***deAwarenessDay

09/27/2025

Today is National 911 Telecommunications Su***de Awareness Day.
Behind every call answered, every life saved, 911 Dispatch Warriors carry a silent weight—witnessing trauma, managing crisis, and making split-second decisions that can change lives.
Today, we honor their service, raise awareness, and remind them: it’s okay to ask for help, and no Warrior should face their battles alone.
***dePrevention

09/27/2025

Learning to Live Again is committed to providing exceptional trauma and grief counseling care to our first responders. Our heroes experience the unthinkable every day. We are honored to help our heroes heal.