‘Grief work is soul work’

“Grief work is soul work.” — Francis Weller

Grief demands space.

Spaces and ceremonies abound for tangible loss. There are funerals, cemeteries, and memorials. And that matters because these spaces help us find meaning in our loss. In order to heal, we need to inhabit the uninhabitable.

This type of space can be hard to find for those experiencing disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss, such as infertility, divorce, chronic pain, religious trauma, and so much more. It can also be fleeting for those who have experienced death loss.

Juniper House is a physical and metaphorical space offering spiritual direction and space to heal. When I look back on my own journey through loss, this is what was missing.

Friends, church, therapy: Sure these places were there for me in different ways, but there were no spaces or people to simply be with me on my journey without answers, fixes, or opinions.

That’s exactly what spiritual direction provides, and it’s why I believe it has something to offer those experiencing grief and loss.