Luminary Counseling and Consulting - Jill Crunkleton, LCSW

Grief. Nothing prepares you for the roller-coaster of feelings that comes after the death of a loved one. Or maybe no one has died and yet, you are grieving. Maybe you or someone you love has been given a difficult diagnosis and and you dread the loss that is coming. Or perhaps your loved one is experiencing dementia, traumatic brain injury or chronic illness and you feel like you have lost them, even though they are still with you in a body that needs increasing care. Maybe this is not your first experience with grief, but this is different. Your friends and family are worried. They think you need to get “over it” and maybe you agree, but you don't know how and it takes SO MUCH energy to try and appear “fine". Energy you just don’t have. You feel crazy. The good news is you are NOT crazy, you’re grieving -- one of the most normal, human things in the world. If you are struggling to deal with the loss of someone you love, you are not alone. Two things make this extra difficult --1) no one taught us what to expect or how to “do grief” and 2) we were not designed to do this alone. Humans are social beings- we need support. Unfortunately, too often, the people who love us most don't know how to listen deeply to our painful stories without flinching or trying “fix” us. I CAN HELP YOU: Understand what grief truly is and why it affects your mind and body the way it does; Develop healthy coping strategies tailored to your personality and lifestyle; Learn practical mindfulness-based techniques to manage difficult emotions; Plan how to handle “difficult days” (holidays, anniversaries, etc.); Work though “unfinished business” that may be complicating your grieving process; Guide you through the “Tasks of Grieving” as you make your way toward a new normal. ADDITIONALLY I CAN: Educate you and your family about the disease and DIS-ease of dementia; Help you understand what is happening to your loved one from their point of view; Teach caregiving and communication strategies; Provide creative companioning services (music or art) to enrich the life of your loved one and help you find ways to create moments of connection and joy. ABOUT ME I am a licensed clinical social worker. I received my Master's of Social Work in 2008 from the University for Georgia. Since that time, I have companioned people of all ages through their journeys of loss and healing as a social worker and grief counselor at a local hospice. I am a graduate of the Memory Bridge: The Foundation for Alzheimer's and Cultural Memory and have trained in Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care.