Grief Is Personal and No One Should Tell You How To Grieve - with Katherine Barner

Katherine Barner is a Grief & Trauma Expert, Award-Winning Author, and Licensed Psychotherapist. Katherine specializes in equipping Black women survivors of childhood sexual abuse as well as individuals recovering from significant loss with the skills to pursue and achieve, mental, emotional, and spiritual health leading to more productive and peaceful lives. Her ultimate goal is for survivors to know they do not have to live in the shadows of abuse.

 

In today’s episode, Susan and Katherine talk about how every grieving person transits a unique path, how self-compassion and grace need to be practiced every day, granting space, understanding that it will take time to heal and that it is ok to just feel.

 

Key Takeaways:

Katherine shares her grief story. People grieve in different ways. Grief is about loss, not only about death. Everyone grieves differently, it is not a linear process and depends directly on who died, how that person died, when it happened, and what the relationship with that person looked like. Give yourself grace while you are grieving, don’t compare yourself with other people’s grieving process. The fact that I am smiling doesn’t mean that I am ok or happy. Grieving is also finding how the new normal will look like, and letting yourself enjoy life even when you are still hurting. There are some days that you will miss the person you lost more than others. Susan and Katherine talk about bravery and courage to deal with grief, not really about being or getting stronger. Katherine shares the ministry of presence: sometimes someone grieving just needs you to be there, in silence. You are still living and have a life to live. You don’t have to feel bad about feeling bad! Not everyone can handle the weight of your grief and story, identify who can be there for you in this part of your journey.

 

Resources

Tendrilsofgrief.com

Email Susan: [email protected]

 

Meet Katherine Barner

Katherine is the founder of Sisters SpeakUp Society, a membership community for abuse survivors designed to provide inspiration, encouragement, support, and accountability for their journey toward healing and living the life they desire and deserve. Katherine earned her BA in Psychology from Spelman College, M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of North Texas. She is a certified ICISF crisis responder, Clinical Trauma Specialist, and trained EMDR practitioner. Katherine is the author of God Help Me, I’m Grieving: Finding Healing After Loss which won a 2018 Christian Literary Award, and is also a contributor to Today’s Purpose Woman magazine.

 

Katherine and her husband reside in Texas and are proud parents of 4 adult children.

 

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