Throughout the past 14 years as a grief educator, I've witnessed, listened to, and identified common themes among individuals who have experienced loss. A prominent theme that emerged early on is the profound need for people to feel acknowledged in their suffering and their healing journey.

In group settings, I found, people were more consistent in responding to recommended exercises compared to those I worked with individually. Having a group of compassionate witnesses seemed to motivate them to engage more with the very same work. The noticeable influx of compassion from the group greatly amplifies the healing journey for each individual.

Feeling a sense of acknowledgement is crucial in the grief healing process. Centering community compassion in the classes gradually transformed the interactions. Initially, participants were hesitant to share their deepest wounds. However, when part of their homework was to share their most inner thoughts in writing in front........

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