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Nathalie Himmelrich

Inspiring Hope | Finding healthy ways of Grieving | Writer

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Nervous System Regulation – How?

September 22, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

Recovering from loss or trauma is a deeply personal and challenging journey, often accompanied by a whirlwind of emotions and physical sensations. Understanding how to regulate the nervous system during this process is crucial for healing and resilience. In recent years, the field of polyvagal theory, pioneered by Dr. Stephen Porges, has provided valuable insights into how our nervous system responds to stress and trauma. Today, we will explore the significance of regulating the nervous system after loss or trauma, drawing upon the principles of polyvagal theory, as much as it is important for your understanding in applying it to yourself.

➡️ If you want to know more, listen to the episode called Trauma and Its Impact on the Nervous System on the Podcast, where Nathalie explains it in more detail.

Understanding Polyvagal Theory

Personally, I find this visualization extremely helpful in understanding the different stages the nervous system can be in, given the circumstances of life. Use it as a reference for the following content.

Polyvagal theory offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the autonomic nervous system’s responses to stress, safety, and social engagement. Dr. Stephen Porges, a renowned neuroscientist, introduced this theory, which has since become a cornerstone in the fields of psychology and trauma therapy.

  1. The Three States: Polyvagal theory divides the autonomic nervous system into three states: the ventral vagal state (associated with safety and social connection), the sympathetic state (related to the fight-or-flight response), and the dorsal vagal state (linked to immobilization and shutdown responses).
  2. The Vagus Nerve: A key player in polyvagal theory is the vagus nerve, which has two branches: the ventral vagus and the dorsal vagus. These branches regulate our physiological and emotional responses to stress and safety.

Regulating the Nervous System After Loss or Trauma

  1. Self-Compassion and Safety: Loss or trauma can trigger a shift toward the sympathetic or dorsal vagal states, leading to feelings of anxiety, hyperarousal, or dissociation. The first step in regulating the nervous system is cultivating self-compassion and creating a sense of safety. Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading expert in self-compassion, emphasizes the importance of treating ourselves with kindness during difficult times. Recognize that your nervous system’s responses are natural reactions to adversity.
  2. Mindfulness and Grounding: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing, align with polyvagal theory by helping individuals engage in the ventral vagal state. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), suggests that mindfulness techniques can bring awareness to the present moment, fostering a sense of safety and promoting emotional regulation.
  3. Social Support: Dr. Deb Dana, a therapist specializing in polyvagal-informed therapy, highlights the significance of social engagement. Seek support from trusted friends, family members, or support groups. Connecting with others can activate the ventral vagal state, promoting feelings of safety and connection.
  4. Trauma-Informed Therapy: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed therapy approaches like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or somatic experiencing. These therapies focus on regulating the nervous system and releasing stored trauma from the body.
  5. Body Awareness: Dr. Peter Levine, a pioneer in somatic experiencing, highlights the importance of body awareness in healing trauma. Practicing somatic techniques can help individuals release physical tension and process traumatic memories stored in the body.
  6. Exercise and Movement: Physical activity, endorsed by experts like Dr. John Ratey, can positively influence the nervous system. Regular exercise releases endorphins, reduces stress hormones, and promotes emotional well-being.

➡️ Check out the episode with a Review of Trauma and Grief Modalities for further information and details.

How can this knowledge support you?

From what you read above described in the last paragraph, you might have already felt that certain modalities or approaches speak more to you than others. Start applying one of these methods suggested and if you need support, find a trusted therapist to guide and support you.

Regulating the nervous system after a loss or trauma is a fundamental aspect of healing and resilience. Polyvagal theory offers valuable insights into how our autonomic nervous system responds to stress and safety, guiding us toward effective strategies for regulation. By cultivating self-compassion, engaging in mindfulness practices, seeking social support, and exploring trauma-informed therapies, individuals can gradually find their way back to a state of equilibrium and resilience. Remember that healing is a unique journey, and seeking professional guidance from therapists who specialize in trauma and nervous system regulation can provide invaluable support along the way.

Image Credit: see image footnote

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Nervous System and Why It Is Important

September 18, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

The human nervous system is a complex and intricate network that plays a pivotal role in how we respond to and cope with various life experiences, including grief and trauma. Understanding the nervous system’s function is essential for those seeking to navigate the challenging journey of grief and trauma recovery. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of the nervous system in these contexts and explore how it influences our emotional and physical responses.

➡️ Listen to the Podcast episode on Trauma and Its Impact on the Nervous System.

Table of Contents

  • The Nervous System: An Overview
  • Grief and the Nervous System
  • Trauma and the Nervous System
  • The Role of Regulation

The Nervous System: An Overview

The nervous system can be thought of as the body’s communication network. It consists of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which comprises nerves that extend throughout the body.

  1. Fight or Flight vs. Rest and Digest: The autonomic nervous system (part of the PNS) is particularly relevant when discussing grief and trauma. It has two main branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS triggers the “fight or flight” response, preparing the body for action in response to perceived threats. On the other hand, the PNS activates the “rest and digest” response, promoting relaxation and recovery.
  2. Emotions and Memory: The brain, a critical component of the CNS, is deeply involved in processing emotions and forming memories. Traumatic events can create lasting imprints on the brain, influencing how we recall and react to them.

Grief and the Nervous System

Grief is a natural response to loss, and it often manifests as a complex interplay of emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations. The nervous system plays a vital role in how we experience and cope with grief.

  1. Emotional Rollercoaster: The SNS can become overactive during grief, leading to increased stress levels, anxiety, and even physical symptoms such as a racing heart or shallow breathing. Understanding this physiological response can help individuals recognize and manage the intense emotions that grief can bring.
  2. Vulnerability to Mental Health Issues: An overwhelmed nervous system can make individuals more susceptible to mental health challenges such as depression or anxiety. It’s important to seek support and strategies to regulate the nervous system during the grieving process.

Find out how Mourning Accompaniment can support the regulation of your nervous system.

Trauma and the Nervous System

Trauma is a Greek word for wound. Literally that’s what it means. So when you understand that, then you realize…trauma is not what happens to you…it is what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.

Gabor Maté

Trauma occurs when an individual experiences an event or events that overwhelm their ability to cope. Trauma can have a profound impact on the nervous system, often leading to long-lasting consequences.

  1. Hyperarousal and Hypoarousal: Trauma can cause dysregulation in the nervous system, resulting in periods of hyperarousal (intense anxiety, hypervigilance) and hypoarousal (numbness, dissociation). Recognizing these states is crucial for trauma survivors.
  2. Body Memory: Traumatic memories can be stored in the body, leading to physical symptoms and sensations triggered by reminders of the trauma. Techniques like somatic experiencing can help release these stored traumas.

Find out how Nathalie’s work with clients could support you in dealing with trauma.

The Role of Regulation

Recovery from grief and trauma often involves the regulation of the nervous system to achieve a state of equilibrium within the “window of tolerance.” This term describes a range of emotional arousal within which individuals can effectively process their experiences.

  1. Mindfulness and Grounding: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, can help individuals stay within their window of tolerance by promoting relaxation and self-awareness. Grounding techniques, which focus on the present moment, can also be invaluable.
  2. Therapeutic Support: Professional therapy and counseling can provide guidance and tools for nervous system regulation. Therapists use various approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and body-centered therapies, to help individuals navigate their grief and trauma.

Listen to the How to Deal With Grief and Trauma Podcast to find out which therapies might be most beneficial for you.

Every traumatic event is stressful,
but not every stressful event is traumatic.

Gabor Maté

The nervous system is a central player in how we experience and recover from grief and trauma. Recognizing the physiological and emotional responses of the nervous system can empower individuals to manage their emotions, seek support, and embark on a journey of healing and recovery. Remember, seeking professional help when dealing with severe grief or trauma is essential, as trained therapists can provide the necessary guidance and techniques to regulate the nervous system and foster resilience.

Image Credit: Unsplash

Filed Under: nervous system, grief/loss, trauma Tagged With: central nervous system, fight or flight, grief and nervous system, nervous system regulation, rest and digest, trauma and nervous system

51 James Fish Gill Bringing Loving Awareness To Your Pain Part 1

September 18, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

James Fish Gill

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! 

For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.

Table of Contents

  • About this week’s episode
  • About this week’s guest
    • Fish’s links:
  • Resources mentioned in this episode:
  • Thank you for listening!

About this week’s episode

This amazing conversation with James Fish Gill from Australia comes to you in the form of a double episode. Fish, as he refers to himself, has so much wisdom to share, I already knew before we started recording that it would not fit into the usual 45 minutes of this podcast. I knew Fish from Instagram, where I became intrigued with his approach to conscious communication. Listening to some of the podcasts where he had been a guest, I’ve been so drawn to what he shared in his capacity as a coach and through his unique approach.

In episodes 51 and 52, he takes us through how he dealt with his own grief, using the approach of conscious communication with himself: first, he honestly acknowledged and validated all his thoughts, then felt into the actual emotional experience. From there, he entered the field of his yearning and the longing in his heart which he recognized and honored, even when it – in the case of his loss – could not be met. Bringing loving awareness to the whole experience, without wanting to change it, makes every component of the experience matter.

Fish says we are not usually bringing loving awareness, but we are trained to respond to pain by usually dismissing, minimizing, comparing, assigning fault, understanding, or fixing when what it actually needs is validating it.
Ok, I won’t say more but I can promise you with certainty that if you listened to one episode, you would want to listen to the other too.

About this week’s guest

James Gill (aka ‘Fish’) is a heart coach, yoga teacher, and transformational facilitator based in Australia and working internationally. He is committed to the global spread of conscious communication practices that enable all beings to experience love in every moment which appears to have gone missing.

Fish’s links:

  • Website: leadbyheart.com
  • Instagram: @james_fish_gill

Resources mentioned in this episode:

  • The Guest House, poem by Jelaluddin Rumi

Thank you for listening!

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.

Support the show

Support the show:

  • Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
  • Join Facebook Group – Grief and Trauma Support Network
  • Download the FREE grief resource eBook
  • Book a complimentary Discovery Call
  • Leave a review

Follow on socials:

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Website

Filed Under: podcast, love/relationship/marriage, separation/divorce Tagged With: conscious communication, covid, dealing with loss, grieving a relationship, loss, loss of partner, relationship breakup

50 Rachel Tenpenny Cultivating Healing Versus Coping Mechanism

September 11, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! 

For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.

Rachel Tenpenny

About this week’s episode 

Rachel was my first guest on the podcast so I’m excited to have her back for episode number 50 – halfway to 100. She shares how she supports the bereaved with her tried and true methods which she found to be helpful in her own personal loss (check out Rachel’s personal story in Episode 1, Season 1). 

Also, today we are starting something new: some of my guests will have a gift for you which you’ll receive by going to my website (nathaliehimmelrich.com) and finding ‘Podcast gift’ in the navigation bar. Simply enter the password, which in Rachel’s case is the word fifty, (as in the episode number) and you’ll receive her ebook about grief myths. 

But for now, make sure to make notes of what Rachel is going to share with us. 

About this week’s guest 

Helping people through grief is Rachel’s passion. After her baby daughters died in 2008, she made a promise to them that she’d learn how to heal after loss and share what she learned with everyone who wants to heal too. Rachel has spent more than a decade making good on her promise and has helped hundreds of clients build a meaningful and purposeful life after loss.

Rachel’s links:

  • Website: thegriefgal.com 
  • Instagram: @the_grief_gal
  • Facebook: @rachelthegriefgal

Thank you for listening!

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support the show

Support the show:

  • Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
  • Join Facebook Group – Grief and Trauma Support Network
  • Download the FREE grief resource eBook
  • Book a complimentary Discovery Call
  • Leave a review

Follow on socials:

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Website

Filed Under: podcast, child loss, coaching, counselling, grief support, grief/loss Tagged With: coping mechanism, healing from grief, healing is possible, podcast gifts, the grief gal

49 Meghan R Jarvis Review of Trauma and Grief Modalities

September 4, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

OW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! 

For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.

Meghan Riordan Jarvis

Table of Contents

  • About this week’s episode 
  • About this week’s guest 
  • Resources mentioned in this episode:
  • Thank you for listening!

About this week’s episode 

This is the second episode with Meghan and this time; we speak about all kinds of support modalities that are on offer to treat grief and trauma. This is by far the best episode if you want to get clarity on how grief and trauma work and to find out what kind of treatment is out there and might be the right way to support yourself personally and professionally. Just listen and sense into what feels or sounds good for you and try it. 
 Also, check out episode 41 to listen to Meghan’s personal story.      

About this week’s guest 

Meghan Riordan Jarvis, MA, LCSW, is an author, podcast host, TEDx Speaker, and psychotherapist specializing in trauma, grief, and loss. After experiencing PTSD following the deaths of both of her parents within two years of each other, Meghan began speaking on a larger scale about the importance of understanding grief and supporting grievers. Founder of Tacking Point Partners, Meghan, and her team consult regularly with companies addressing grief in the workplace. Meghan’s “Grief is My Side Hustle” platform includes her popular podcast of the same name, her blog, and her free grief writing workshop “Grief Mates.” Meghan’s memoir. “The End of The Hour,” will be published in December 2023.

Meghan’s links: Website | Instagram

Resources mentioned in this episode:

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
  • Brain Spotting
  • Sensory Motor Psychotherapy
  • Somatic Experience
  • IFS (Internal Family Systems)

Thank you for listening!

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. 
Support the show

Support the show:

  • Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
  • Join Facebook Group – Grief and Trauma Support Network
  • Download the FREE grief resource eBook
  • Book a complimentary Discovery Call
  • Leave a review

Follow on socials:

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Website

Filed Under: podcast, grief support, grief/loss, health, trauma Tagged With: dealing with grief, grief informed, grief literate, grief therapies, trauma informed, trauma modality, trauma therapies

48 Gina Moffa on Mother Loss, Divorce, and Acknowledging Loss Upon Loss

August 28, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

Gina Moffa

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self, funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich.
Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! 

For more information, please visit Nathalie’s website, join the podcast’s Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.

Table of Contents

  • About this week’s episode
  • About this week’s guest 
  • Resources mentioned in this episode
  • Thank you for listening!

About this week’s episode

When I spoke with Gina, I was surprised at how moved I was by the depth of our conversation even though we just met for the first time. Gina has not only experienced multiple losses herself, but she is also working as a therapist with clients dealing with loss. Just last week she published her first book, a practical guide giving tools and resources helping people while they are grieving.       

About this week’s guest 

Gina Moffa is a licensed psychotherapist, mental health educator, and media consultant in New York City. In practice for nearly two decades, she has helped thousands of people seeking treatment for trauma, and grief, as well as challenging life experiences and transitions. She received her master’s degree in social work with a specialty in trauma from New York University. August 22nd, 2023, her book, Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, will be on bookshelves around the world.

Gina’s links:

  • Website: www.ginamoffa.com 
  • Instagram: @ginamoffalcsw

Resources mentioned in this episode

Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss

Thank you for listening!

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is produced and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Support the show

Support the show:

  • Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month
  • Join Facebook Group – Grief and Trauma Support Network
  • Download the FREE grief resource eBook
  • Book a complimentary Discovery Call
  • Leave a review

Follow on socials:

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Website

Filed Under: podcast, counselling, emotions/feelings, grief support, grief/loss, loss of parent, parent loss, separation/divorce, trauma Tagged With: grief, grief and loss, mother loss, shame, trauma

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    Nathalie Himmelrich

    I accompany people therapeutically as a holistic counsellor and coach.

    I walk alongside people dealing with the challenges presented by life and death.

    I’m also a writer and published author of multiple grief resource books and the founder of the Grieving Parents Support Network.

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