What Grief Massage Therapists Need to Know About: Loss Reminders

Did you know that grievers experiencing any type of loss, ranging from the death of a loved one to a job loss, often experience cascades of activating nervous system events (stressors) due to loss reminders? Loss reminders can range from smells that recall elements of the loss, visual cues such as seeing someone who resembles the one who died, sounds (hearing something that reminds them the loss occurred or music that brings up feelings about the loss), and even environmental cues such as going to the grocery store and seeing a loved one's favorite foods that no longer need to be purchased. Loss reminders are common after a recent loss but can also occur years down the road. Aimee shares some personal loss reminders that occurred recently for her, 15 years after the death of her mother, as she was going through some of her mother's personal belongings recently. She shares how it impacted her body and nervous system (and how she used gentle touch to cope and ground). This episode is the sixth in a unique series in which Aimee goes through her 40 hour "The Joy of Grief Massage" online course as a student and reflects on each section. This episode was recorded in response to section 6 of the 30 total sections in Class 1: Grief, the Body and the Nervous System. You will hear a short 1 minute snippet of Section 6 (listening to the snippets featured in these episodes is not a substitute for taking the class). Aimee also shares how a snowglobe can be a beautiful and helpful metaphor for the way that loss reminders "shake up" a griever's nervous system. Listen along and please join Aimee for all of the upcoming 30 episodes featuring her responses to the learning sections of Class 1. Once we have gone through all sections of Class 1, we will also be recording episodes based on Classes 2, 3, 4 and 5. Learn more about our fully recorded, self-paced 40 hour Grief Massage training course on our school website: https://the-institute-for-grief-massage-inc.thinkific.com/courses/class-1-grief-the-body-the-nervous-system-article-series Follow our Grief Massage work at our website: www.griefmassage.org Stay in touch on Instagram: @theinstituteforgriefmassage Find us on Facebook: @theinstituteforgriefmassage TW: AImee discusses a personal suicide loss in this episode. Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.