Grief & Loss

Topic Reflection: Diane Lewis

Topic Reflection: Diane Lewis

I am always amazed by the strength these women encompass as they discuss the tragic events that led to the death of their loved one. Although I do realize that Diane is in a place in her bereavement where she could recall her story without emotional breaking down, I still feel like a person has to overcome so many obstacles before they get there which takes a substantial amount of strength and resilience. Further, Diane was able to provide great tips not just as a survivor of a great loss but also as a hospice provider, which I felt, was very valuable to a future clinician such as myself.
Diane discussed having her clients sit in the guilt and their current emotions, as she says this could be helpful in certain situations. This was so powerful because many times I find myself wanting to move my clients from this guilt space into a more forgiving and peaceful state of mind. I never thought that sitting in this guilt space with them as they navigate towards the next stage in their grief could be helpful because at times it can be very uncomfortable. Further, she discussed how she found peace, which was also a pivotal point in her discussion speech for me. When Diane stated that her current self, had to give her prior self, grace for the things that had happened, something clicked inside of me. Many times, especially in situations such as hers, we tend to really tear ourselves down about things that we can’t change or have no control over. I thought that it was so huge for her to give herself grace as the Lord had done so already. To continue, Diane also spoke to how the relationships within her family had also altered due to the death of Dane. I could relate to how Diane and her family had functioned because it seemed very similar to mine. Within my own family we rarely express