Journeying Together: Hope & Healing

Grief, despite its painful nature, can reveal our resilience. It can deepen our relationships and enhance our spirituality. While it's a difficult journey, it's also an opportunity for growth and transformation.

I am a bereaved mother with experiences in traumatic loss, genetic loss due to a Edward’s Syndrome, and miscarriage loss. As well, I’m a psychologist, and for the past two and half decades, I have been privileged to journey with persons integrating grief.  My personal experiences, as well as those of my marriage and family, have motivated me to live in a way that celebrates life, deepens spirituality, and strengthens connections.

Grief often manifests as feelings of invisibility and isolation. These experiences, while common, can act as fertile ground for a range of challenges including anxiety, depression, unprocessed guilt, inhibiting shame, distorted personal narratives, marital disconnect, impacted sexuality, and infertility, among others. While I have grappled with feelings of invisibility and isolation, they occur less frequently now. Although I have benefited from psychological resources, I have found profound comfort in spiritual practices, and I am looking forward to share this with others.

Miscarriage and early infancy loss are unique forms of grief, with a myriad of potential facets. These can include medical trauma, survivor guilt, sometimes relief, confusion, spiritual questioning, depression, cultural differences, and spousal differences. Such experiences often receive minimal recognition and may not even be directly linked to the loss. Consequently, the intensity of the loss may be intensified by feelings of minimization, invisibility, and loneliness.

I extend an invitation to grieving parents to attend a workshop/retreat hosted by the Diocese of Calgary, titled "Journeying Together: Hope & Healing for Those Grieving a Miscarriage or Stillbirth." - October 13 & 14, 2023 (Friday evening & Saturday) at Ascension Catholic Parish. Registration is now open.

​I have the privilege of being one of the speakers at this event, where I will discuss this specific form of grief.

The workshop is designed to be personal rather than personalized. Our aim is to address the heart (grief), soul (spiritual comfort and resources), mind (understanding and memorializing), and strength (reassuring attendees that they're not alone and fostering resilience). We've also allocated space to discuss the distinct experiences between husbands and wives, the impact on the family system, and how to carry life forward using practical and spiritual resources.

Why should you attend?

Firstly, grief is often a topic that is avoided as discussing it can be a painful reminder of the loss experienced, and people are biologically wired to avoid pain. Secondly, in my practice, I frequently encounter concerns about potentially hurting others by bringing up the subject of loss. However, have no fear - the pain already exists and discussing the loss can help relieving it, rather than intensifying it. When we avoid it, we risk creating a deeper wound - a sense of invisibility.

The purpose of this workshop is to journey together, creating a safe space where we can share and navigate the complexities of grief and its integration into our lives. Finally, I’ve heard many say, "I don’t know what to say." In the workshop, you will learn through testimony of what has been helpful, including this statement.

This workshop is open to everyone. You might consider attending if you have personally experienced a miscarriage, if you know someone who has suffered a miscarriage and you're unsure how to provide support, or if you frequently interact with families and want to be equipped to handle this specific form of grief. The organizers and participants hope that through this workshop, attendees will feel affirmed, find a space to share their experiences, receive comfort, embrace the opportunity to learn, possibly adjust their narratives if needed, and cultivate a desire to support others.

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Written by Eunice Peterson, R. Psych. Eunice is a registered psychologist in her private practice. Her primary areas of focus include trauma integration from a neurobiological perspective, disorders on the anxiety spectrum, as well as grief and loss, and life transitions. She, alongside her husband and five children, have been residents of Calgary since 2010 and are members of St. Joseph's Parish community.