Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house grief counselor, Amanda Nelsen:

At this time of year there begins to be a focus on a new year. It means new beginnings. A chance to start fresh. A time to renew ourselves.

But facing a new year while grieving can make things seem a bit more complicated (grief seems to have that effect on just about everything). For many, it is one more reminder that they won’t be seeing their loved one this year. For those with more recent losses, this may be the first year they are starting without their loved one.

There is no doubt that we will grieve in this new year, but we might be able to influence how we grieve. As we continue to discover what living without our loved one means, we have a choice in exploring new ways to live with positive energy, or we can remain in the depths of despair.

Of course, we will always have those bad days (or weeks or months). But as time continues on, the raw wound of the death may begin to change a bit – or perhaps we just get better at knowing how to bandage that wound so it isn’t as susceptible to the bitter elements.

It is my hope that with the new year we can remember all the things that our grief has taught us – perhaps we are now more compassionate, or we cherish our loved ones more, or we have learned to survive even when we didn’t think we could. And we can take those new lessons into this new year and move forward, even while we might long for the past.

And, as always, it is my hope that you might move forward towards healing, while letting the good parts of your deceased loved one live on in you.

Amanda is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, specializing in individual and family therapy for people of varying backgrounds. She works for Memorial Estates, running their Grief & Loss Counseling program.

She has extensive experience working with adolescents and families in the community. Amanda received her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Utah. There she focused on Multicultural and Client Centered Counseling.

Amanda started her career working for Salt Lake County Youth Services, serving families from all backgrounds and with a wide variety of issues. She further developed her passion for helping people recover and heal from trauma and loss.

In counseling, Amanda values the trust and safety of the therapeutic relationship. She creates a counseling environment full of compassion, safety, empathy, and understanding. She constantly strives to help to cultivate strong relationships and assist families to cope with the loss of a loved one. Through her open attitude, and the warm environment that she facilitates, families can begin to feel peace as they work through their bereavement.

Memorial Estates, with the help of Amanda Nelsen, is committed to helping you through the loss of your loved one. You may contact Amanda at (801) 718-1520 or amanda.nelsen@securitynational.com

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