Anja Kerstin KUENTZEL

Worldwide challenges like the current one have grief written all over them. Losses leave scars in all of us, young and old alike, if we do not pay close attention and make correct choices. Children are the most precious and vulnerable members of any society. As small children, we observe closely and imitate behavior of our immediate family and the surrounding society. My parents were no exception. “Be strong for others!”, “Bury your grief in work!” were strategies that helped my grandparents survive the worst of both WWI and WWII in war-battled Germany. Their behavior patterns were unconsciously passed on and believed by my parents who were barely teenagers when they witnessed first-hand the atrocities of WWII and the turbulent time preceding and following the separation of Germany. This is how I experienced my parents deal with many losses during my early years of life. I copied their coping behavior without question until it didn’t work for me anymore. As a parent, I am not proud to admit that I hadn’t adjusted my coping patterns prior to the birth of our only daughter. When the accumulation of unresolved grief became overwhelming and manifested itself physically as well as emotionally, I finally surrendered to the journey of self-discovery. My personal losses include -but are not limited to- • multiple deaths of loved ones, incl. an abortion • two uprooting international moves, • my husband’s traumatic career-ending health condition, • my health challenges with Lyme Disease, • Mom’s terminal cancer, • Dad’s descent into dementia preceding his death, and finally • our empty nest. Each loss needed to be looked at, embraced and uncommunicated feelings expressed. After 15 years of intense personal work, curiosity and synchronicity led me to the Grief Recovery Method. Its undeniable truth and clarity struck me right away. I underwent the training to become a certified specialist as much for myself as for anyone else who is struggling to regain focus, joy and purpose after loss. Just recently I lost the longest and most challenging relationship of my life, my Dad. Thanks to my on-going personal work with the Grief Recovery Method, I have been able to arrive at a place of forgiveness and insight well before my father's death. After decades of believed victimhood, I am convinced that peace in the world around us HAS to start with peace deep within each one of us. Let's work on it -together! I reside near Madison, WI, and am happy to offer guidance through the Grief Recovery Method in person as well as online. The following interview is a testimony to how childhood belief systems can later mislead as well as how a parent's dementia turned out to be a blessing in disguise: https://youtu.be/oA2OljsQ79Y Excerpt of a "Thank you" note from a client: “GRM really helped me get rid of a lot of anger. …. I really think it was a valuable process to go through. It's rather quite amazing how the anger seems to have dissipated, and it really hasn't returned. … So . . . I decided I really wanted to go through the method again …with you. I think of you often, and thank you for working with me the first time, and being an inspiration that people really do heal and recover utilizing these approaches.” –7-week One-on-One client, March 2022 Following a a link for a free ebook from GRM: https://offers.griefrecoverymethod.com/guide-for-loss-ebook1642023353451