17. Dating after the loss of a spouse - Claudia Coenen Part 2

Not everyone is interested in dating again after the death of a
spouse, but for many of us, being alone is not something we want
either. For many people the possibility  and challenges of
finding love after loss, of connecting with someone special in a
physical and emotional level is a deep desire because as human
being we are wired for connection and intimacy. We thrive in
healthy relationships and we wither in the absence of it.


It is incredibly difficult exploring how to heal our own lives,
specially how to engage in loving again while navigating the
turmoil of grieving children and close family members. Everyone
wants us to be happy - in theory. In reality, dating after loss
activates other people's grief into high decibel waves.


Claudia Coenen - our guest from the previous episode - from The
Karuna Project (www.thekarunaproject.com) talks openly about her
personal experience of dating and developing a new relationship
with her current husband, whom she met several months after the
death of her first husband Alby. 


In 2008, Claudia entered a Masters Program in transpersonal
psychology with the goal of becoming a creative grief counsellor.
She majored in creativity and innovation. She joined the
Association for Death Education and Counselling, where she has
been certified in thanatology and is now a Fellow in Thanatology
- the study of death, dying and bereavement.  In 2011,
Claudia began working as a bereavement counsellor in a hospice
program, occasionally seeing private clients on the side. By the
end of 2015, she started her private practice in earnest and
began to write her first book. The Karuna Cards and Shattered by
Grief were then published in 2018.


Her new book, The Creative Toolkit for Working with Grief and
Bereavement: A Practitioners Guide, was released in print on July
2020. She is currently working on a book about Loving after Loss,
which will include the benefits, issues and dilemmas felt by
widowed people when they choose to date and possible re-partner
again. Claudia is also developing and presenting programs at
Inova Hospital in Virginia for adults with cystic fibrosis, on
creative wellness strategies. 


All three of Claudia Coenen's publications are available on
Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on this link:
https://www.jkp.com/usa/catalogsearch/result/?q=claudia+coenen


As a panelist and public speaker, Claudia often participates in
interesting workshops, conferences and events. A free event
Claudia, together with Robert Neimeyer will be sharing at is
happening on Thursday, October 29th at 1:00pm-2:00pm NZDT. It's
hosted by Grief Dialogues
https://letsreimagine.org/organizations/grief-dialogues. 


You can find out more about the free event here:
https://letsreimagine.org/58851/8-am-time-to-talk-about-traumatic-loss 





If you would like to get in touch, please email
tatiana@crazygrief.com or check out my website www.crazygrief.com


Thank you so much for listening. Please share, subscribe and rate
this show so we can continue to make more episodes. 


Much love,





Tatiana xo