Introduction
A few years ago I attended a paradigm altering workshop on grief presented by Ligia Houben. Among her many credentials, Houben is a life transitions consultant and coach in Miami, Florida. Here is a link to her website: https://ligiahouben.com. She has revolutionized Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s seminal work, On Death and Dying. You know: The five stages of grief. In my opinion, Houben is as significant now as Kübler-Ross was then in understanding grief and loss.
You can find out more about Houben’s model of grief and loss and recovery from her book: Houben, L. M. (2017). Transforming Grief and Loss Workbook. PESI Publishing & Media: Eau Claire WI. I highly recommend the book; it is available on Amazon. Houben has broken down her model into 11 principles. With her permission I am quoting them exactly for you. Her books and her website will illuminate these principles for you.
The 11 Principles of Transformation®
- Accept Your Loss
- Live Your Grief
- Go Deeper into the Spiritual Dimension
- Express Your Feelings
- Share with Others
- Take Care of Yourself
- Use Rituals
- Live the Present
- Modify Your Thoughts
- Rebuild Your World
- Visualize the Life You Want
Two of Houben’s Significant Advances
- The principles are not stages. All are important to be worked on more or less simultaneously.
- Accepting is the first principle and part of the journey – not only a destination.
I hope you will look at Ligia Houben’s work to assist in managing loss and transition.
Thank you for following my blog!
Dr. Michael
(The photo is of a wild pyracantha bush in my neighborhood. The time was late February 2020, a winter day with spring sensible in the air. I like the contrast between the thorns and the cheerful red berries.)