(HS Fisher 150660 2026) A Somatic Approach to Grief

Course overview

Bereaved individuals find their grief overwhelmingly painful and difficult to modulate, risking either avoidance or preoccupation with the loss. The ability to befriend the emotional and physical impact of grief allows grieving to achieve its purpose of moving through the body until acceptance is achieved. Talking about a loss can be daunting. As clients talk about their loved one, it often results in increased emotional pain or re-living the loss over and over again. They can get stuck in bargaining or in depression rather than moving through the process of grieving. A somatic approach combines mindfulness with attention to grief's physical effects. Mindful attention to the waves of grief that suddenly come up helps to slow down the emotions so that clients can be in relationship to them. Following the somatic sensations connected to these waves allows clients to experience the grief coming up and then setting each time, bringing hope that there will be healing.