Every person has their own timing when it comes to grieving. Claire Willis suggests that grief is a sign of deep love rather than a problem to be solved. She recommends that we allow ourselves to remain in the great brokenness of loss with our eyes and hearts open—thus grief is an invitation to grow and eventually can lead to finding meaning in the experience of loss. Claire B. Willis is a clinical social worker who works in the field of oncology and bereavement. She is a cofounder of the Boston nonprofit Facing Cancer Together and regularly leads bereavement, end of life, support, and therapeutic writing groups. As a lay Buddhist chaplain, she focuses on contemplative practices for end-of-life care. She maintains a private practice in Brookline, Massachusetts. She is coauthor with Marnie Crawford Samuelson of Opening to Grief: Finding Your Way from Loss to Peace (Dharma Spring 2020) 

Interview Date: 1/21/2021   Tags: Claire B. Willis, grief, mourning, bereavement, depression, disenfranchised sorrows, hidden griefs, untended sorrows, miscarriages, infertility, Hersch Wilson, Metta practice, loving kindness, gratitude journal, Rick Hanson, James Pennebaker, expressive writing, Death & Dying, Personal Transformation