An American Experience of Death and Grief || By Lisa Martinez MA, ERYT 200-RYT 500

I have written posts in this series on various cultural approaches to death: Japanese rituals, Mexican/Meso-American rituals, Celtic rituals, Nigerian rituals, and Samoan/Pacific Islander rituals. I’m sure I could fill years with different posts covering rituals from thousands of other major cultures.  Across the 195 recognized countries in the world, ethnologists and anthropologists have estimated…

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The day you mourn and weep for another’s death … the Igbo community rituals of mourning || By Lisa Martinez, Affordable Counseling Intern for People House, ERYT 200-RYT 500

Continuing my exploration of various cultural mourning and grief rituals, for this post I’m featuring the story of my dear friend Maria who is from the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria. The Igbo people form one of the largest people groups in Nigeria originating from Igboland, an area located in an eastern and western section…

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The Ancient Beauty of the Ofrenda: a grief ritual of the Día de Los Muertos || By Lisa Martinez, Affordable Counseling Intern for People House, ERYT 200-RYT 500

Continuing with my series about cultural death rituals, this month we explore the ritual about building an ofrenda on Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, on November 1st and 2nd. Although it is not that time of year, this is a wonderful time for me to remember because it is near my…

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Everything is Possible II By Samantha Camerino, LCSW

In the Summer of 2021, my best friend died. To say ‘best friend’ doesn’t even do it justice – he was beyond that. I can’t even bother thinking of the words to better describe him, it would be futile. What I do know is that the pain I’ve experienced in moments of extreme grief only…

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Reflections on Grief ll By Faye Maguire, MA, LAC

My mother died this year.  What can prepare us for the loss of this most unique, and often, most fraught relationship? Her loss has caused me to ponder our relationship, and to think about her life, and the paths that shaped each of us. If I was skipping along, smelling the roses, and sometimes veering…

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