In this episode, Dr. Antionette Edmonds, LMHC and Dr. Terrilyn Battle, PH.D join Amber Dee on the couch to dive into Dealing With Grief and Loss.

Dr. Antionette Edmonds is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Marriage Family Therapist who hails from Richmond, Virginia. Edmonds is relatable, reliable, fearless, bold, and nontraditional in her therapy approach. She is the founder and CEO of Seeking Solutions of South Florida, LLC, a therapy practice for millennials.

Dr. Terrilyn Battle, PH.D (The Wright Branch) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She is also registered as a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist and holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation Counselor Education. She has experience working with both transition-aged youth and adults with disabilities to help them gain employment through federal-state vocational rehabilitation services. She also has experience in providing counseling support to individuals with substance use disorders, as well as individuals with mental health diagnoses.

In this episode: 

• What our guests are seeing in terms of the effects of COVID-19 on their patients and how it’s changed their interactions.
• The ways COVID-19 has caused a loss of identity for many people.
• The steps and layers of grief people go through:
  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance
• Why support is so important, especially during these times.
• How self-doubt is growing for some people during social distancing.
• Social media’s effect on our grieving process.
• Things you can put in your toolbox to deal with grief and loss and why you need to tailor it for yourself.
• The power of self-reflection.

Hot Tweetables: 

• Anger is a part of grief. It’s okay to feel angry.
• When our systems get rocked we get frustrated and that’s normal.
• Don’t deny your feelings. Feel your feelings.
• Show yourself grace.
• Grief is not linear. You may go through the stages in different orders.
• Unfollow people/accounts that trigger you. If it’s not good for your mental wellbeing, get rid of it.
• Sometimes you get to be proactive, other times you have to be reactive. How will you react?

Remember, your mental health is wealth.