In having a conversation with a dear friend on yesterday we were discussing what is missing when it comes to grief and loss in our communities.  I was sharing what my vision when it came to nurturing what I already know. I said the population that I thought  suffered the most and she stated something so profound that I almost missed it.  Women and children are who we think of when we consider the population of people who experiencing grief and loss,  but we do not think much about the male population and how they suffer.  Men experience the loss of their wives, fiance’, girlfriends, parents, children, classmates and the list can go on.  How do we get them to have an open dialogue and share what they are feeling?  This is often a difficult task and it sometimes takes the efforts of a female in their lives in order for them to process feelings and being to do the work in order to start changing.  How do we reach this population?  Are they open to traditional counseling, will they consider coaching, will support groups assist in their healing or will other unconventional means be what they rely on?

In order to get it right, we need to not forget this population who is considered the epitome of strength and the pillars in our communities.  We can assist them by finding the help,  foster the relationships and provide support so they can  be healed.  Trauma, grief and loss can manifest in many different ways and one way that rears its head is by anger.  Anger can have many facets and look very different from person to person however recognizing the signs can lead to the first steps.

What are your thoughts on this subject and how do we help the male population begin to heal?  Leave your comments and let’s talk.

In Healing,

Cherie