Welcome to The Journey to Healing Blog
By Bren Bell (Coach & Counselor)
Expert Advice on Grief, Coping and Navigating LifeTransitions
On this blog, I share stories and insights on navigating loss, overcoming grief through transitional times, and moving through challenging seasons of life.
Looking for something specific? Search below!
Category
- 24 Hour Philosophy
- Aging & Mindset
- Anticipatory Grief
- Authentic Living
- Caregiver Grief
- Childhood Grief
- Children and Loss
- Communication skills
- Deservability
- Difficult Conversations
- Emotional Healing
- Emotional healing
- Fear of Unknown
- Grief & Emotional Wellness
- Grief & Fear
- Grief Support Tools
- Grief and the Body
- Grief before Loss
- Grief recovery
- Grief stages for Children
- Growth mindset
- Happiness starts here
- Healing through Grief
- Holiday stress
- Inner wisdom
- Intuition vs Intellect
- Isolation when grieving
- Living Authentically
- Living in the Present
- Living with Purpose
- Loss of Cat
- Loss of Dog
- Loss of Job
- Loss of Loved One
- Loss of Self
- Loss of identity
- Mental Health Awareness
- Mindfulness & Grief
- Mindset Shift
- Moving forward after Loss
- Myths and Beliefs
- Overcoming Fear
- Personal Growth
- Pet Bereavement
- Pet Loss Grief
- Re-Grief in children
- Rediscover Yourself after Loss
- Rediscovering yourself
- Relationships & Connection
- Release Negativity
“The Silent Weight of Caregiving – Grieving Before Goodbye”
Caregiving often begins with love, but over time, it can quietly usher in grief long before a final goodbye. This kind of loss—slow, invisible, and deeply personal—is rarely talked about. In this blog, we explore the silent sorrow caregivers carry as they witness their loved ones fade, and offer gentle ways to honor that grief along the way.
4 minute read
“The Physicality of Grief: How Loss Lives in the Body”
Discover how grief impacts your body as much as your heart. Learn the physical symptoms, why they happen, and how to care for yourself during this season of loss.
5 minute read
“Helping Children Navigate Grief: Understanding, Supporting, and Healing”
Learn how to support grieving children at different ages, understand re-grief, childhood traumatic grief, and get tips for explaining death compassionately.
4 minute read
“The Fine Line Between Solitude and Isolation in Grief: How to Navigate Both”
Solitude can be a place of healing—or a trap of isolation.💔
In grief, the line between the two can blur quickly. This blog explores how to recognize when being alone stops serving you—and how to gently reach for connection without guilt or pressure.
5 minute read
“🐾 Honoring Pet Loss: Normalizing Grief and Finding Hope Again”
Not sure if you're healing through grief? Here are subtle signs you may be healing—plus tips, stats, and encouragement for your journey.
5 minute read
“Healing Through Grief: How to Tell It’s Happening Even When It Doesn’t Feel Like It”
Not sure if you're healing through grief? Here are subtle signs you may be healing—plus tips, stats, and encouragement for your journey.
5 minute read
“Learning to Receive: Worthiness in the Wake of Grief“
Grief can make you question everything—including your own worth. This blog explores how to reconnect with your sense of worthiness while grieving, even when you feel broken, guilty, or not enough. Learn gentle mindset shifts and compassionate practices to help you remember: your worth was never lost.
5 minute read
“How to Move Forward When You’re Stuck in Grief or Life “
Grief can feel like being stuck in a fog with no clear path forward. Discover compassionate ways to shift focus, reconnect with your inner self, and begin healing.
3 minute read
“Intuition vs Intellect: Tapping Into the Wisdom Beyond Logic “ (Especially in Grief)
Feeling stuck in grief or transition? Learn how to tap into your intuition when logic falls short, and discover the quiet wisdom that leads the way forward.
5 minute read
“The Illusion of Failure: Redefining Loss and Response”
In this blog, we explore the illusion of failure through the lens of grief, a reminder that life’s losses—whether a job, relationship, or dream—don’t define our worth. Grief is not a sign of failure, but a natural response to change and disappointment. Drawing from inspiring stories of public figures who overcame adversity, we highlight the power of emotional resilience and the importance of separating identity from outcome. Whether you’re coping with loss, navigating uncertainty, or seeking grief support, this piece encourages you to shift your perspective: true success lies in how you respond to grief, not whether you avoid it.
5 minute read
“When Grief Doesn’t Let Go: Understanding Complicated Grief”
Complicated grief is a form of deep, persistent mourning that doesn't ease with time and may even intensify, affecting your daily life and emotional well-being. Unlike typical bereavement, prolonged grief can feel like you're stuck in an unending cycle of sadness, guilt, or emotional numbness. If you’re struggling to find relief after a significant loss, grief counseling can provide the tools and grief support you need to begin your grief recovery journey. Recognizing the signs of complicated grief is the first step toward healing—and you don’t have to go through it alone.
5 minute read
“Self Acceptance - The key to Happiness”
Practicing self-acceptance is one of the most powerful ways to increase happiness and well-being. In a world obsessed with perfection and comparison, embracing who you truly are can help reduce anxiety, improve mental health, and create lasting emotional resilience. Let go of self-doubt, stop comparing, and reconnect with your self-worth—the key to personal growth and authentic happiness.
5 minute read
“Age Is an Illusion: Embracing Life Beyond Numbers”
Is age just a number? In this blog, we explore the illusion of aging and how mindset, lifestyle, and emotional well-being play a bigger role than the number of candles on your cake. Discover how shifting your perspective can help you stay vibrant, resilient, and engaged at any stage of life. Whether you're navigating midlife transitions, embracing personal growth, or redefining what it means to age, this article will inspire you to break free from societal limitations.
Age Is an Illusion: Embracing Life Beyond Numbers
5 minute read
“Walking Through Fear: Embracing the Unknown for Growth and Healing”
What are you afraid of… make a list. The Ego tells you to be afraid of the unknown. The problem is that moving through the unknown is how we grow and everything we have not yet experienced is the unknown.
Thus, the question, what are you afraid of? Your greatest gifts will flow through you as you move through fear and let love guide you. If your life/relationship/job/career/friendship falls apart, ask yourself, what is the gift? How can I take this moment as a gift and be open to change? Whether we’re navigating big life choices or processing grief after loss, learning to walk through fear is essential for healing and progress.
Walking Through Fear
3 minute read
“Communication Styles & The Art of Critical Conversations”
Navigating critical conversations can be challenging, especially when emotions run high or communication feels blocked. Whether it’s addressing workplace conflicts, setting boundaries in relationships, or tackling difficult discussions with loved ones, knowing how to communicate effectively is essential.
In this blog, we’ll explore different communication styles, how to approach difficult conversations with confidence, and strategies to ensure productive, meaningful dialogue—even when the other person is unresponsive. Learn how to improve active listening, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills to foster deeper connections and create the best possible outcomes in any conversation.
Communication Styles & The Art of Critical Conversations
5 minute read
“The Law of Detachment: Letting Go to Attract What’s Meant for you”
Struggling to attract the life you want? The Law of Detachment may be the missing piece. When we hold onto past pain, control outcomes, or resist change, we block the very things we desire. In this blog, we’ll explore how letting go can unlock abundance, why some people seem to attract good things effortlessly, and how The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz offers powerful lessons on releasing negativity. Learn how to follow your intuition, shift your mindset, and create space for what’s meant for you—because the secret to receiving is in the art of letting go.
The Law of Detachment: Letting go to Attract what is meant for you
5 minute read
“Mindfulness & Grief: The 24 hour Philosophy”
Grief, stress, and anxiety often make it feel like we’re drowning in the past or lost in the uncertainty of tomorrow. But what if you could start fresh—every single day? Inspired by Thích Nhất Hạnh’s 24-hour philosophy, this blog explores how mindfulness can help you release yesterday’s burdens and tomorrow’s worries, allowing you to fully embrace the present moment. If you’ve been searching for a way to find peace amid pain, this perspective might just change everything.
Read on to discover how each new day can be a powerful act of healing.
Mindfulness during Grief: The 24 Hour Philosophy s
5 minute read
“The Myths We Tell Ourselves: Unraveling the Stories That Shape Us”
Are the stories you tell yourself holding you back? Explore how myths shape our beliefs, the impact of confirmation bias, and how to rewrite limiting narratives. Drawing on insights from Carl Jung and Brené Brown, this blog helps you question personal myths, identify self-imposed barriers, and step into an empowered, authentic life. Learn how to recognize false beliefs and create a story that aligns with who you truly are.
So, what myths are you telling yourself? And more importantly—are they shaping you into the person you want to be?
The Myths We Tell Ourselves: Unraveling the Stories That Shape Us
5 minute read
“Social Media's Impact on Conversations: Hindering Human Connection & Rewiring Our Relationships”
How often do we find ourselves listening just to respond, rather than truly hearing the other person? Do we rely on rehearsed responses with acquaintances or fall into monologues with friends and family? Are we too absorbed in our own narratives to be genuinely curious about others’ stories? Even the mere presence of a smartphone can subtly disrupt face-to-face interactions. Could our online habits be rewiring our ability to connect?
Social Media's Impact on Conversations: Hindering Human Connection & Rewiring Our Relationships
5 minute read
“Rediscovering Yourself: How to Break Free from Others’ Expectations and Live Authentically”
Who were you before the world told you who to be? The key is to check in with ourselves regularly. To stay grounded in who we are and who we want to be. To remind ourselves that we owe it to ourselves to live authentically.
Rediscovering the Authentic YOU: Reflective prompts to uncover your authentic self
5 minute read