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View our recent obituaries
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“What can help me feel better?”

MemorialAdmin • March 26, 2018

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

As a grief counselor the question I get asked most from grieving people is, “What can help me feel better?” My answer is, “You need to mourn.”  That answer might be confusing to some, so I will explain.

Grief is our internal experience.  Mourning is the shared response to loss.

We will always grieve for those we love, but many of us try to avoid mourning.  Dr. Alan Wolfelt, a grief expert, outlines the central needs of mourning:

Acknowledge the reality of the death

Embrace the pain of the loss

Remember the person who died

Develop a new self-identity

Search for meaning

Receive ongoing support now and always

Each of these tasks will require a great deal of time, effort, and emotions.  It often seems easier to not mourn, to hide away the pain we are feeling.  Mourning is hard work – don’t confuse what’s easier with what’s more effective.

But if you put in the work and allow yourself to feel the pain, you will eventually find more peace and comfort for your soul.  As John Donne once said, “He who has no time to mourn, has no time to heal.”

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 Utah, 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

John Allen Gilbert “Pop Pop”

By MemorialAdmin • April 5, 2023
John Allen Gilbert, “Pop Pop”, passed away April 1, 2023 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was born July 23, 1956 in Los Angeles, California to John Allen Gilbert and Patricia Sanderson. He married Delene Ann Gilbert on April 16, 1986. John was a mechanic, handyman, and a jack-of-all-trades. He loved music, playing … Continued The post John Allen Gilbert “Pop Pop” appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Austin David Westley

By MemorialAdmin • September 27, 2022
Austin David Westley, 32 passed away peacefully at home surrounded by those he loved after a brutal fight with appendix cancer. His beautiful soul touched so many lives and we will all forever be changed having known him. The world became a brighter place when Austin was born to loving parents David and Janis Westley … Continued The post Austin David Westley appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Grief Integration

By MemorialAdmin • September 21, 2022
  Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house Grief Counselor, Amanda Nelsen How can I get closure? This is a question I hear on a pretty regular basis. And I completely understand what is behind it – we want to be able to put the painful feelings of grief behind us. We want to be … Continued The post Grief Integration appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Regret

By MemorialAdmin • June 30, 2022
Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house Grief Counselor, Amanda Nelsen The topic of regret has been on my mind recently. I often hear clients talk about the regrets they had after a loved one died – some become quite reflective on things they could have done differently or “better” while their loved one was … Continued The post Regret appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Patrick Arthur Murphy

By MemorialAdmin • May 30, 2022
Our most beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend unexpectedly returned to his loving God on May 20, 2022.   Patrick Arthur Murphy was born on July 4, 1942 in Coronado, California. Pat was a twin to his brother, Pete, rounding out the four sons of John Tennyson Murphy and Mable Burnett Murphy. Pat spent … Continued The post Patrick Arthur Murphy appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Navigating Grief During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic

By MemorialAdmin • March 30, 2022
    As a grief therapist, I have seen a lot of people grieving loved ones who died from Covid-19 over the past couple of years. A recent study has shown that people who have experienced the death of a loved one due to Covid-19, have increased mental health issues than a pre-pandemic death (Breen, … Continued The post Navigating Grief During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

An Update regarding COVID-19 and its impacts on funeral, burial, and memorial services

By MemorialAdmin • April 23, 2020
We are grateful your family has chosen to entrust your loved one into our care. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has required us to enact some adjustments to how we conduct arrangement conferences, viewings, funeral or memorial services, and other aspects of our processes. Our goal is to allow you and your family to spend as … Continued The post An Update regarding COVID-19 and its impacts on funeral, burial, and memorial services appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Why is a funeral so important?

By MemorialAdmin • September 26, 2019
  Recently, an article came out highlighting the incredible relationship between a mother Orca and her baby calf, who passed away shortly after being born. The mother, Tahlequah, used her snout to keep her deceased calf afloat for 17 days and covered over 1,000 miles of ocean in the process, an unprecedented display of mourning … Continued The post Why is a funeral so important? appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Coping With A Terminal Illness

By MemorialAdmin • May 7, 2019
Many of us have seen a loved one struggle with a terminal diagnosis. It isn’t something we like to talk about, but many of us will also get our OWN terminal diagnosis.  Having a terminal diagnosis brings its own type of grief and decisions to be made. How do you grieve your own death before … Continued The post Coping With A Terminal Illness appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.

Grief Resources for Children

By MemorialAdmin • January 3, 2019
Written by Memorial Mortuary & Cemeteries in-house grief counselor, Amanda Nelsen: I am often asked for resources for young children who have lost someone close to them. Stories are often a good way to open up dialogue with children and illustrate death in a more concrete fashion. I compiled some of my favorites for easy … Continued The post Grief Resources for Children appeared first on Memorial Mortuaries.
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