Julie Lange

Julie Lange has traveled that dark road every mother dreads above all others, the death of a child. As part of her own healing journey, she has followed a shamanic path for almost 25 years, and is an experienced practitioner and teacher. She leads shamanic griefwork programs with groups and also works with individuals to bring comfort and healing after a deep loss. Julie has authored two books to help those who are grieving. Her first book, Life Between Falls: A Travelogue Through Grief and the Unexpected, chronicles her healing journey after the accidental death of her 16-year-old son in 1993 into a life of unexpected joy and richness. Her second book, Healing What Grieves You: 4 Steps to a Peaceful Heart, is a guidebook to healing blocked grief using easy, spiritual techniques to bring peace and healing in all areas of life.

Articles:

What Grief Teaches Us

In the depths of our grief, something new is being born in us. Grief is the dark mother delivering from her womb of sorrow an unfolding version of ourselves. This new version experiences dimensions of emotion that the old version could not. The new version has collapsed and stretched and suffered and learned in ways that leave us changed forever. We emerge from our grief—if we have grieved well—with expanded awareness of what it means to be human. If we have shown ourselves compassion for our own suffering, we will have developed more compassion for others. If we have seized […]

Five Signs You May Be Carrying Hidden Grief

When my son Justin died in 1993 at the age of 16, I was emotionally crippled for at least a year, unable to return to my former life in advertising or relate to people in familiar ways. Over time, I reassembled the tattered scraps of my life into a new tapestry, and I took all the time I needed to grieve well. After 10 years, I had created a rich new life, with wonderful friends, meaningful work and a robust spiritual practice. I had met the man who would become my husband and joyfully embraced my new role as […]

The Quest for Closure

I often hear people speak about finding closure after a major life trauma or loss. When a loved one dies or a relationship ends, we say we are seeking closure. We long for relief from the voices in our heads telling us that we should have done more or loved better. We may hope for absolution for our own bad behavior, or crave vindication for the lousy way we’ve been treated. We tell ourselves that when we find closure we will finally be done grieving and able to move on. The popular wisdom says that grief typically happens in […]

Moving Through Grief on Foot

Grieving is a step-by-step journey. Some stretches of the road are rougher than others. But every step is important. Every step has its gifts.

Poem: Remembering Dad

These are the things you gave me, Dad, And these are the things I’ll prize… To find God in a field of corn And hope in each sunrise, To learn the greatest truths of all Seeing nature through your eyes. These are the things you gave me, Dad, And these are the things I’ll keep: A sense of soulfulness within And a faith that’s broad and deep, The pride that comes from a hard day’s work And the peace of a good night’s sleep. These are the things you taught me, Dad, And these are things I’ll treasure: That money […]

Dreamwork as a Healing Path Through Grief

The only way to fully understand what your dreams are telling you is to observe them over time and slowly discover the landscape, the common themes and the inhabitants that populate your dream world.