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 [email protected] 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