The people of Los Angeles are suffering. Many of them have lost their homes or know people who have and are currently experiencing vicarious trauma and survivor’s guilt, leaving everyone to feel helpless, anxious, and hopeless.
As someone who had to evacuate her home in Los Angeles, I can relate somewhat, but I don’t know how it feels to lose everything I have. Instead, I’m currently grappling with feeling like my life is on pause, and while I didn’t lose anything material-wise, I am left with the question, what’s next? and empathizing with those who have been greatly affected. But what I know for sure is that this time can be used for acknowledging, identifying, and resting in grief and working through trauma. But how do we get to that point?
But how do we get to that point? Talking about the weight of the loss and allowing space for our collective and individual grief. We have lost a lot, and it will take time to rebuild and address our grief, but it’s important to begin that process.
According to Dr. Angela Clack, who is a psychotherapist, As a community and a country witnessing the devastation and tragedy, we are not just mourning the tangible losses of homes and landscapes but also experiencing profound collective grief—a shared sorrow that comes from witnessing tragedy on such a large scale. She believes that collective grief emerges when groups of people, whether local communities or entire nations feel the emotional weight of significant loss.
However, in the case of the Los Angeles wildfires, this grief stems from the loss of lives, homes, and the sense of safety and stability many once took for granted. Recovering from this kind of trauma, unexpected and overwhelming, requires more than just rebuilding structures; it demands intentional emotional healing and communal support, she suggests. ESSENCE is here to help and support, so we put together XX practices to aid in grief relief and recovery with the help of Dr. Clack and Dr. Ebony Butler.
Prompts from Dr. Angela Clack:
Acknowledge the Grief: When going through major traumatic events, we often respond with survival instincts that prioritize getting through the immediate crisis. These responses may include emotional numbing, heightened anxiety, or even denial as we attempt to process the overwhelming reality. While these reactions are natural and often necessary at the moment, they can leave us feeling grief-stricken, disconnected from our emotions, and unsupported in the healing process once the crisis has passed.
Naming and Sharing the Loss: You don’t need to know all the stages of grief to participate in this process. It’s about coming together as a community to share and name our grief openly—whether it’s mourning the loss of homes, loved ones, neighborhoods, or the natural landscapes we hold dear. Creating spaces like community sharing circles or virtual storytelling sessions can allow survivors to connect, acknowledge their pain, and begin healing together. Collective sharing is healing. It’s powerful to name the pain we share—losing our possessions and the sense of safety and familiarity that wildfires take away.
Embodied Healing Practices: Healing from grief begins with reconnecting to your body; somatic techniques are a great way to do that. These practices help release any trauma your body may be holding onto and bring a sense of calm and balance. There may be memories of the events for years, and sleep, appetite, and decision-making are disrupted. Simple grounding techniques like yoga, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation are all ways to help you center yourself, process your emotions, and start healing from the inside out.
Group therapy and support networks: Participating in group therapy sessions or joining support networks can provide a platform for survivors to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another. Support groups and healing circles or facilitated groups offer safe spaces for sharing experiences and coping strategies, fostering collective healing. Express your feelings in how you feel comfortable. This can be through organized support groups or informal gatherings at local community centers, schools, churches, and other faith-based organizations.
Create Rituals for Mourning: Finding ways to honor what was lost can bring comfort and relief in times of grief. Symbolic acts of remembrance, like planting trees as a tribute, writing heartfelt letters to the past, or gathering for candlelight vigils, offer survivors meaningful ways to process their emotions and create space for healing. These rituals acknowledge the pain and provide a sense of connection and hope for the future. You may also find great emotional relief by reconnecting with your cultural practices and spirituality, and the wisdom passed down through generations can be a powerful source of strength and healing during tough times.
Self-Care and Rest in Grief Recovery: In the journey of grief recovery, prioritizing self-care is crucial for healing. It is essential to establish or reestablish structure and routines. Activities like journaling your thoughts, taking time to dream, and allowing yourself the rest you need are all vital for nurturing your emotional well-being. These practices help create space for reflection and restoration, supporting you as you navigate the complex emotions of grief and begin the process of recovery.
Prompts from Dr. Ebony Butler:
Grounding: When something traumatic happens, or we encounter crises, our worlds are turned upside down. Everything we knew has significantly shifted from the moment before. Therefore, it’s imperative in grief practices to find stability. Grounding techniques like breathing, meditating, praying, engaging your senses (e.g., finding things you can see, touch, hear, etc,) and tapping all allow us to return to the present and center ourselves amidst the chaos.
Create or Find a Safe Place: Removing yourself from any environment where your safety is threatened is imperative to processing and moving through grief. Creating a safe space allows you to safely and freely experience your emotions. Safe spaces help you to feel secure in a moment when things feel uncertain.
Tap into Your Network: Experiencing crises or trauma tends to make us want to retreat and isolate. Now is not the time for that! When managing something as traumatic as loss due to natural disasters, it is super important that you lean on the people around you. Allow others to rally together to help you through what you are experiencing. An integral part of the grief process is the collective effort to overcome the crisis rather than trying to go at it alone.
Engage Crisis Resources: Navigating a crisis and traumatic event is challenging to tackle alone. Engaging crisis resources can help you feel more grounded and a part of something bigger – like community! Community efforts and resources can help relieve the burden of the moment by allowing you to care for your basic needs. Access to food, water, warmth, and shelter provides the grounding foundation your nervous system needs in moments of crisis.
Honor Your Loss: When you can, sharing memories and/or acknowledging your loss symbolically can help process grief. Symbolic honoring practices like rituals, balloon releases, and memorializing memories are all processes that allow for emotional release and letting go. These practices also provide a sense of closure that is sometimes needed in the grief process.
Limit Stimulation and Exposure: Research shows that people who are repeatedly exposed to trauma or traumatic imagery have significantly more complicated grief and trauma symptoms than people who have not experienced repeated exposure. Therefore, limit the amount of imagery, media, information, and exposure to the crisis/trauma you consume.
Professional Support: You do not have to figure it out or have all the answers. Engaging professional support can provide you with the tools you need to move through grief effectively. Also, professional support outlets are equipped with specialized tools and coping skills to assist you in managing crises and trauma directly. Specifically, trauma-informed interventions like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) have proven beneficial in acute and chronic crisis/trauma relief.
Self-Compassion: This one is huge! Our brains like to immediately go to problem-solving in moments of grief. The only problem with this is that when we don’t have answers, we tend to fill the gaps with self-blame and accept responsibility for things beyond our control. However, doing so further complicates the grief process. Remember to extend grace and care to yourself. As often as you need to, remind yourself that it is OK to feel what you feel and not have the answers now.