Theravive Home

Therapy News And Blogging

April 20, 2020
by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW

dying alone

That Last Breath

April 20, 2020 11:27 by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW  [About the Author]

dying alone
Across cultures it is accepted that it is a terrible thing to die alone. During the present covid-19 epidemic the televised vision of refrigerated trucks filled with the dead has been especially disturbing. Why is that? Of course it is tragic when large numbers of people die. It is also frightening. Part of what appears to be at play here is that the fear of being unknown and alone is projected on to what an individual,who is a witness, has conjured up in his/her mind as a picture of lives uncelebrated and discarded. [More]

February 11, 2020
by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW

grief

Heartache and Sustenance

February 11, 2020 09:08 by Ruth Gordon, MA, MSW, LCSW  [About the Author]

grief
Across cultural and religious norms, food has been symbolic for attempts to heal the hurt. Death leaves a hole. Some are far deeper and filled with more despair than others. The loss of a parent, a child, a spouse, a close friend, and/or the loss of a pet companion commonly leaves a feeling of emptiness. This emptiness may well engulf body and soul. Who to lean on? Who to pick up the role that has, literally, turned to dust? How to withstand the pain that cannot (and should not) be ignored? [More]

January 27, 2020
by Amy Rollo

celebrity grief

It is Normal to Grieve a Celebrity’s Death.

January 27, 2020 12:40 by Amy Rollo  [About the Author]

celebrity grief
I’m not a huge basketball fan, but when the alert that Kobe Bryant died suddenly in a helicopter crash came on my screen, I immediately felt shock. I felt this sense of sadness and tried to make sense of how someone so known and famous, could be taken so suddenly. I have felt similar emotions when other famous actors or athletes passed. It is completely normal to feel sadness or grief when someone famous dies. There are several reasons we might feel these intense emotions. [More]

August 14, 2018
by Suzanne Jessee

bigstock woman depressed series 27249164

The 3 Stages of Complex PTSD Recovery

August 14, 2018 21:18 by Suzanne Jessee  [About the Author]

bigstock woman depressed series 27249164
Most people are familiar with the term PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD refers to a traumatic event that the individual has witnessed or experienced that they have great difficulty overcoming emotionally. Complex PTSD or C-PTSD refers to ongoing trauma, such as childhood abuse, domestic violence, multiple combat deployments, being the victim of sex trafficking, or being kidnapped for a prolonged time—situations that were ongoing, harmful and abusive, and where the victim feels trapped. [More]

November 23, 2017
by Tracey Block

i stock 000015569337 small

Is there time for one more episode?

November 23, 2017 01:52 by Tracey Block  [About the Author]

i stock 000015569337 small
It is no secret that North Americans watch a lot of television. Researchers have long discussed the negative effects of too many sedentary hours hypnotised by the glow of the screen. And now along comes 'binge-watching'. With the advent of TV streaming services, we now spend evenings, days or weekends watching entire seasons of our favorite shows. Can our mental health and overall wellbeing survive this kind of (in)activity? [More]