54 - Friend Grief with our guest Brittany Squillace
Mar 26, 2024
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Guest Brittany Squillace, Owner of Best Self Therapy, discusses friendship grief and disenfranchised grief. Topics include ambiguous losses, navigating difficult conversations with gratitude, and becoming a better friend.
Recognize friendship loss as significant in the grieving process and validate associated emotions.
Acknowledge the significance of a business merger in terms of identity and navigating the grieving process.
Initiate challenging conversations by expressing gratitude, seeking clarification, and practicing active listening for productive dialogues.
Deep dives
Recognizing and Validating Grief in Friendship Loss
Recognizing friendship loss as a significant loss is crucial in the grieving process. Acknowledging the absence of the connection and identifying the emotions and thoughts surrounding the loss are important steps. Understanding how the grief manifests in emotions and physical sensations can help in processing the loss. Seeking support from trusted individuals or a therapist can aid in exploring and navigating the grief.
Navigating Business Loss as Ambiguous Grief
Transitioning from owning a business to merging with a larger company can elicit feelings of ambiguous loss, even for intangible creations like a business. Acknowledging the significance of the brainchild and identity tied to the business is essential in the grieving process. Exploring the narrative of the loss and its impact on personal identity can facilitate understanding and healing.
Approaching Difficult Conversations with Grace
Initiating challenging conversations involves expressing gratitude for the opportunity to address issues, asking for clarification, and avoiding defensiveness. Providing a heads up to the other person about the topic of discussion and seeking undivided attention are key aspects of navigating tough conversations. Active listening, acknowledging emotions, and setting boundaries while communicating can foster productive dialogues.
Strategies for Starting the Grieving Process
Starting the grieving process for friendship loss involves labeling the loss as significant and validating the associated emotions. Identifying the emotional and physical manifestations of grief, including thoughts and narratives surrounding the loss, can aid in processing the experience. Encouraging expression of grief, seeking clarity, and receiving support from others or therapy are valuable strategies in grieving a friendship loss.
Practicing Essential Friendship Skills
Essential skills for being a better friend include expressing appreciation and gratitude, scheduling quality time for conversations, prioritizing friends by making them feel valued, and maintaining good communication. Learning to listen actively, apologize, forgive, and address concerns promptly can strengthen and nurture friendships. Small gestures to show care and consideration can enhance the quality of relationships.
Inspiration and Action for Meaningful Connections
Embracing the deep understanding of humanity and the capacity for love, peace, and justice within each individual empowers meaningful connections. Channeling the inner essence that upholds positive values and virtues is vital for fostering harmony and building strong relationships. Finding purpose and joy after loss involves embodying the values that uplift humankind and drive positive change.
Brittany Squillace, owner of Best Self Therapy join us to discuss when friends drift apart and the grief and pain that gets overlooked. Disenfranchised grief is any grief that is unrecognized.
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