On grief and keeping a soft-heart during the COVID crisis
Ruth is interviewed by Daniel Whitehead, of Sanctuary Ministries, helping equip the church during these intensely stressful days. Ruth addresses the issue of grief and the wider topic of being gentle with our tears of futility during these disruptive times.
(interview: 1 hour long)
In a recent email from the New Zealand Association for Counselling the topic of unresolved grief has been highlighted. “It is with sadness we hear of whanau/family groups who are unable to be present with their loved ones when passing away, to say goodbye and grieve at tangihanga/memorial services. The inability for people to participate in these special rituals, connecting to others and being comforted while grieving will have continued ramifications. The pain of unresolved grief will be far-reaching in these times of high levels of stress and anxiety. As counsellors, we may be called upon to hold grief for others as well as ourselves and our whanau/ family. Our ability to be present and compassionate will provide reassurance and a sense of calm in a turbulent time for many.”
Other free-resources include:
Frustration-Aggression handout
Pre-conditions for Trauma during COVID PANDEMIC.
Bessel Van der Kolk, a prominent trauma therapist and author of The Body Keeps the Score, explains that this Pandemic sets up some pre-conditions for trauma. Which is why we need to be especially intentional about self-care and other-care during this time.
