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by Allyson England Drake, M.Ed., CT When someone is in pain or hurting, we often feel it's our responsibility or job to take away their pain. We say things like "look on the bright side" or "you are so strong, you can handle this."  When someone is grieving, the reactions are often similar.  Friends or family … Continue reading What To Say / What Not To Say

by Audrey Walls, M.Ed, MFA It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since I started working at Full Circle. Since then, I’ve gone through two laptops, two offices, three desk chairs, seven events, thirteen staff meetings, 296 social media posts and innumerable cans of seltzer. But when I first started my position as … Continue reading You Work Where?: Reflecting on a Year of Full Circle

by Allyson England Drake, M.Ed, CT Ambiguous loss is a painful type of grief that is often misunderstood or ignored by society. But the reality is, ambiguous grief causes many feelings and emotions similar to grief due to the death of a loved one. So, let’s take a moment to understand the definition and ramifications … Continue reading An Introduction to Ambiguous Grief

by Whitney Asher When that first wave of grief hit me, I remember feeling numb. In hindsight, I think it was a mix of shock, total disbelief & devastation over the news I didn’t want to hear: my Mom had cancer.  As someone who wasn’t familiar with grief at first, I wasn’t sure what was … Continue reading The Light of Music

by Britt Cowart, LCSW An Introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy, or EMDR, is a therapy tool commonly used in a variety of settings. A brief background of EMDR includes the following: An evidence based structured therapy developed over 25 years ago by Francine Shapiro, PhD, that is … Continue reading What is EMDR Therapy?

By Rachel Machacek, LCSW Dear beloved friend, spouse, wife, husband, partner, sister, brother, mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, confidant, family: I’m so sorry you are having to go through this—this loss, this hurt, this trauma, this life-altering thing you didn’t ask for or want and don’t know what to do with. If you’re wondering if … Continue reading Taking a Moment, Together

By Patty Kruszewski A broken vase and seven stitches brought George Throop into my life. But it was the death of my daughter a year earlier that set it all in motion -- and that led me to create the cherished circle of individuals I call "Favorite People I Wish I'd Never Met."   As I was … Continue reading Favorite People I Wish I Never Met