“There are 700,000 new widows a year In America – and that’s a pre pandemic number!” The W Word. The club we never ever asked to join. The loss of the future we planned. Starting over. Finding our new (widowed) self. Being a widow is absolutely devastating. That doesn’t even begin to describe it, though. […]

As a psychologist, grief expert and widow, I get a lot of questions about grief and depression – both from individuals dealing with loss, as well as friends and family members with loved ones dealing with a loss. Common questions include: “Is this more of a reaction to grief, or is this crossing over into […]

When do I donate my husband’s clothes? Is it too soon?Am I crazy for not being ready? I get these questions regularly, and they’re questions I asked myself during my journey. And here’s the not so simple but simple answer: it’s different for each one of us. So whenever it’s right for you is when it’s […]

Four years. I don’t even know what it means… It doesn’t mean it hurts any less. Quite  the opposite. I miss you even more. It doesn’t mean I understand it any better. I still reach for you before I’m fully awake. Every Single Morning. Which means that I’m sleeping,  something I didn’t do much of […]

I’ve dealt with loss in my life – all 4 of my grandparents, my childhood home, friendships. And when I lost Jim the first time – true love. But through all of those losses, the rest of my world remained unchanged. I still had my family, friends, the career I love. My future as I envisioned […]

How to see your anxiety as a gift! It took me a long time to understand my anxiety, and now it’s important to me to help others on this journey. Because anxiety is many things, including misunderstood. And minimized. And a gift! According to the National Alliance Of Mental Illness “Over 40 million adults in the US […]

“When was the last time you had a different perspective than one of your friends? When was the last time you learned something about someone else’s culture?”  On November 16th, we celebrated International Day Of Tolerance. Just like World Kindness Day, this is a special day we celebrate yearly to raise awareness for something I […]

stress management We live in a world that glamorizes being stressed. It’s like a badge of honor, and it begins early in life. My 11 year old niece said to me recently, “Aunt Sam – can I call you back? I’m really stressed out right now.” 😂 While adorable and amusing, it’s also rather alarming. […]

When you’ve experienced significant loss, it can feel like your world has exploded into a million pieces. It may feel like your world is out of control, and putting the pieces back together is impossible. I am here to tell you from experience that it IS possible. You can take control of your healing journey, […]

Mental Health Awareness Week – October 3-9 2021 World Mental Health Day 2021 – October 10, 2021 Living with a mental illness can feel isolating, overwhelming, and exhausting, especially without helpful resources, a supportive tribe, and the proper guidance showing you how you can thrive with your illness.  In celebration of Mental Illness Awareness Week, […]

Adopt the anti-hustle Are you constantly hustling and pushing only to burn out and crash before getting back up and repeating the cycle?  We live in this fast-paced go, go, go world where we have normalized and even glamorized, pushing through exhaustion and overwhelm. . As a result, people are unaware that taking healthy, planned […]

Let’s talk about laughter! Laughter really is the best medicine, and here’s why you should find what makes you laugh and incorporate it into your daily routine … Research shows that if you sit and laugh for a long time, you will stimulate endorphins, which minimizes or ultimately gets rid of pain because the brain […]