I have been a family practice physician assistant in the same practice for twenty-five years. In that time, I have experienced much grief in my dealings with patients. I have had long-term medical relationships with most of my patients. Like us, they have experienced the types of losses which create grief. What many people may not realize, is that as medical providers, we also feel a loss when a patient presents experiencing grief. We also grieve when a patient receives a life changing diagnosis or dies.
I have served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years with four of those years spent operating the nuclear power plant on a submarine. As you can imagine, due to the small crew size and stress of living on a submarine; the crew experiences a level of camaraderie rarely experienced by others. When I left the navy, I felt very lost. Only with using the Grief Recovery Method did I realize that the conflicting emotions I experienced in leaving the navy were losses. I was grieving.
After physician assistant school I ended up joining the Army National Guard-Reserves. After several years I switched to the inactive reserves and achieved the rank of captain. Then 9/11 happened and like many veterans, I suddenly felt like I had a job to do again. I went back to the active reserves and did a combat tour with a small special operations unit in Afghanistan. I was fortunate to not loose any of my immediate unit members but did attend several funeral ceremonies for comrades and acquaintances. I may have not known these men well, but it was still a loss. Just like leaving the navy, when I came home and resigned my commission, I again felt unsettled. As happy as I was to be home, it was a big change and I grieved.
I have experienced the loss of two divorces and all the losses and grief which come attached to those. I have had several long-term relationships end and have been caught in an emotionally abusive relationship.
Extreme changes, on several levels, in the dynamics of my childhood family structure helped me to realize that I was grieving. Everything was changing and medicine did not help. I realized that I needed help. My skills were inadequate. I did not know how to help myself, much less those I come into contact with daily.
The Grief Recovery Method has changed all of that. I have worked on my own losses and continue to do so. This method is life changing.
I offer:
group, one-on-one, pet loss and helping children with loss grief recovery method.
I am driven to share this method with you and to help your journey back to balance.