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Nathalie Himmelrich

Inspiring Hope | Finding healthy ways of Grieving | Writer

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trauma

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.

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

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

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.

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

47 Tara Storch on Organ Donation After Losing Their Teenage Daughter

August 21, 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.

Tara Storch

Today I’m speaking with Tara, Taylor’s mum. Taylor died following a skiing accident when she was just a teenager. In the hospital when Taylor’s parents were met with the fact that she would not be able to survive, they were offered the option of organ donation, which surprisingly was one of the easier decisions the parents to make. Tara talks about how she and her husband both grieved the loss of their daughter in very different ways and how talking to another couple who experienced a similar loss helped them. After their loss, they made it their mission to focus on the good. Part of that was that Taylor had saved multiple lives through organ donation, so the parents started Taylor’s Gift Foundation to change the conversation around the topic and to support donor families. 

About this week’s guest 

Tara Storch is president and co-founder of Taylor’s Gift Foundation and is a marketing professional, award-winning author, and community leader. Tara and her husband Todd co-authored the award-winning book, Taylor’s Gift, which was recognized as the ‘Most Inspirational Book’ at the Books for A Better Life Awards in New York City. She and her husband were also recognized as “Heroes Among Us” by People Magazine. 

Opening up about her journey of finding hope and purpose after the loss of their daughter Taylor, she speaks publicly across the nation about her powerful “Outlive Yourself” message. Sharing her journey on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Ellen Show, People Magazine, and other national and international media, she brings a message of inspiration that touches lives worldwide. Tara is the proud mother to three children – Taylor, Ryan, and Peyton. She and her husband, Todd currently live in the Dallas, Texas area.

 Tara’s links:

  • IG @taylorsgiftfoundation
  • IG @tarastorch
  • Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/taylorsgift
  • FAQ’s about organ donation

Other episodes mentioned in this episode:

  • S1 E12 SPECIAL: Nathalie with Chris on Grief Eleven Years Later

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, grief support, grief/loss, grieving parents, trauma Tagged With: child loss, grief, grief and loss, grief support, grieving a child, grieving parents, organ donation, sudden loss, taylors gift, taylors gift foundation

46 Coco Buchmann on Motherloss After 23 Years of Anticipatory Grief

August 14, 2023 By Nathalie Himmelrich Leave a Comment

Coco Buchmann

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.

I’ve known Coco personally as we studied Somatic Experience, Peter Levine’s extensive professional trauma training, together. I accompanied her as she dealt with the intensive relationship with her mother and the grief over her mother’s subsequent death. From a young age – for half of her own life – Coco cared for her mother and had to be the one to make decisions regarding her mother’s care in her 23-year-long battle with cancer and mental health issues.  

About this week’s guest 

Coco Buchmann is a body psychotherapist and trauma therapist. She is also the mother of two boys, 11 and 8 years old. 
 She originally studied improvisation and contemporary dance and later added clinical psychology, integrative body psychotherapy, and Somatic Experiencing to her repertoire. Most recently she finished her yoga teacher’s training which she practices in her daily life, besides dance, and Tao Yoga (Chi Gong). 
As a therapist, Coco has been working with individuals, dealing with mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, and she also worked with couples. 
 Eighteen months ago, she started a sabbatical to delve into her own grieving process and to follow her destiny and passion to write a book about the expression of the true self and aliveness, a process which she has coined Yogawave.
 Coco experienced many kinds of losses and traumas in her life, on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. 
 Over the last 20 years, she has been obsessed with finding the connection between trauma, loss, and the nervous system and has been investigating the deeper layers of the soul and the energies in the body.

Coco’s website: www.chill-dini-basis.com

Other episodes mentioned in this episode:

  • The Ambiguous Loss of Her Mother and the Early Loss of Her Sister

Thank you for listening!

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

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, emotions/feelings, grief support, grief/loss, health, parent loss, self development/motivation, sexual trauma, trauma Tagged With: anticipatory grief, grieving, loss, mother loss, trauma

45 Laney Rosenzweig: How Trauma Can Be Resolved in Just One Session With ART

August 7, 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.

Laney Rosenzweig

How Trauma Can Be Resolved in Just One Session? With ART…

The episode with Laney Rosenzweig, founder of Accelerated Resolution Therapy ART has been one of those conversations that caught me by surprise. After hearing about Accelerated Resolution Therapy from one of my previous podcast guests, I was interested but after speaking with Laney I was completely intrigued by her experimental spirit which led to the potential of ART to help people heal from many challenges. 

ART has been proven useful to treat:

  • Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) 
  • Grief
  • Depression
  • Phobias
  • Anxiety 
  • Addictions, substance abuse
  • Eating disorder
  • OCD
  • ADHD

About this week’s guest 

Laney Rosenzweig is the Developer of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Developed in 2008, ART is an evidence-based, eye movement therapy that can resolve the symptoms of PTSD and other mental health issues. The research showed that one to five sessions with an average of three resolved the issues studied. Most past trauma can be resolved in only one session. Ongoing problems may take longer due to secondary gains. Her training company, Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery (RCRR), has trained over 8,000 clinicians both in private practice and in numerous clinics. Her book, “Too Good to Be True” is an autobiographical account of her life, how she developed ART, and examples of ART’s healing power.

Laney’s Website: https://erasetraumanow.com
Laney’s TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP7dx03arxI

ART links: ART Website: http://www.acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/ | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acceleratedresolutiontherapy

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, depression, emotions/feelings, grief support, grief/loss, stress, trauma Tagged With: accelerated resolution therapy, adhd, art, depression, grief, Laney Rosenzweig, ocd, PTSD, substance abuse, 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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