A Santa Clarita grief counseling expert is talking about the importance of understanding that it’s okay to not be okay when dealing with grief of any kind — even if there isn’t an obvious reason for that grief, like a death.

During a recent “The Grief Recovery Hour” on KHTS, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist Sharon Brubaker compared grief to a broken heart, and noted that it can be caused by a loss of any kind in life.

“Regardless of the cause of your broken heart, you know how you feel,” she said. “(We) are not going to tell you how you feel because you already know. At best, we can tell you what it felt like when our broken hearts occurred, and what we did to get through it.”

Related: Santa Clarita Grief Counseling Expert Sharon Brubaker To Give TEDx Talk

Sandi Atmore, also a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, stressed the importance that grievers realize whatever they’re feeling is okay, and it’s okay to not be okay.

“I think that gives that person the opportunity to then walk into a process where they can address what isn’t okay, but the first step is going, ‘I’m not okay right now,’” Atmore said. “In society we can feel … like, ‘I have to put this image on’ or, ‘I have to hurry up and feel better,’ but there are times in our lives, right, seasons where, for multitudes of things … that’s not possible.”

Brubaker noted that most people expect to not feel okay after the death of a loved one, but that it’s common for individuals to feel grief without even truly knowing why.

“You’re walking through life, you’re limping, but you’re not really enjoying, you’re not living,” she said. “It is literally like carrying — I tell clients all the time — like carrying a backpack full of potatoes. It’s so heavy… It’s like no matter where you go, there you are with all this stuff. I think it’s so cool for us to really get out the word that grief is not always about death.”

In this type of situation, Atmore noted that a person acknowledging and accepting that they aren’t okay allows them to discover what is at “the root” of their grief instead of trying to cover up their emotions, opening up a space for them to finally feel better.

Brubaker and Atmore lead Grief Recovery groups in Santa Clarita that help individuals grieving for a variety of reasons not only identify why they’re grieving, but actively take steps to address their grief and move toward healing.

Santa Clarita grief counseling expert Sharon Brubaker has over 11 years of experience as a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. The grief counseling expert specializes in the Grief Recovery Method in Santa Clarita, and offers an 8-week education program that she teaches in person, utilizing her free eBook titled “Grief Recovery.” As a grief counseling expert, Santa Clarita residents dealing with loss or other unfinished business who desire a lasting change can be guided on their journey of pain to find healing in their lives.

Sharon Brubaker

Certified Grief Recovery Specialist

27772 Avenue Scott

Valencia, CA 91355

661-212-0720

Sharon Brubaker, Valencia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrJYfNdw78U

Grief, Santa Clarita Grief Counseling, Grief Counseling, Grief Recovery, Recovery, Sharon Brubaker, Dealing with Loss, Unfinished Business