Patti Broadfoot RSW - Counselling

05/12/2026

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Grief comes in many forms, including the loss of a beloved pet 💛

Join us for our Journey Through Grief event, a supportive space to honour and remember the animals who meant so much to us.

On Tuesday, May 26, from 10am-12pm, St. Joseph's Hospice of London will be hosting an event entitled: Journey Through Grief: Pet Loss. This event is designed to support individuals who have lost a beloved pet. This session will also support individuals who have lost a service animal.

This event will also be offered as a hybrid session using Microsoft Teams.

To register, please contact [email protected] or 519-931-3474.

We look forward to seeing you there!

You’re not alone in this.

05/12/2026

I love this idea....... https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G2dJsQjMM/

1. The ritual was called “Wičháŋpi Wóyute” — star feeding.

Lakota healers used it for those who lost loved ones or survived violence.

The person didn’t talk about the trauma.
They fed it.

They’d gather stones representing the pain, then carry them to a river and release them one by one while speaking the memory out loud to the water.

The final stone was kept as a reminder that grief was witnessed, not erased.

🪨🌊

2. The practice was banned by missionaries in the 1800s as “primitive superstition.”

But in 2019, Johns Hopkins trauma researchers recreated it with PTSD patients.

They found the physical act of releasing objects while verbalizing trauma engages both hemispheres of the brain — something talk therapy alone doesn’t achieve.

Results after 6 sessions:

• PTSD symptom reduction: 73%
• Intrusive thoughts decreased by 81%
• Emotional regulation improved 6x faster than traditional therapy

🧠

3. The protocol (modern adaptation):

• Gather small objects (stones, paper, anything tangible)
• Each object represents one painful memory or feeling
• Go to a natural setting (river, ocean, forest)
• Hold each object, speak the memory out loud
• Release it physically (throw it, bury it, burn it)
• Keep one object as a witness

The act of physical release signals to the brain that the memory has been processed.

🔥

4. Therapy organizations pushed back hard.

One psychologist association called it:
“Unscientific and potentially harmful.”

But the data showed otherwise.

The modern therapy model profits from long-term treatment.
A ritual that works in 6 sessions disrupts a multi-billion-dollar industry.

💰

5. Try it with one painful memory.

Lakota healers said:
“The wound that’s held grows.
The wound that’s released heals.”

Your brain doesn’t need endless analysis.
It needs a signal that the pain has been acknowledged and can be released.

Most people are still carrying stones from decades ago.
✨Step into a world of Native American artistry. Visit us today!🌵🙌; https://nativeschief.com/collections/best-selling

05/11/2026

A fabulous network for one of life's most horrible times. Know there is support, there are people who see you and understand... you don't have to do this alone.

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05/03/2026

I see you.... a pain that is deeper than words, an ache that can never be filled...

Today, on Bereaved Mother’s Day, we honor the women whose motherhood is carried in memory, in love, and in the babies they hold forever in their hearts.

💐To the mothers longing for the child who never came.
💐To the mothers who never got to bring their baby home.
💐To the mothers who never got the baby shower, the milestones, or the future they imagined.
💐To the mothers navigating pregnancy after loss.
💐To the mothers who had to say goodbye far too soon.
💐To the mothers carrying grief quietly while the world moves on.

Today, we see you. We remember your babies. And we honor the love that makes you a mother—today and always.

04/29/2026

People in caring roles carry a lot.
And most of it doesn’t get talked about.

Join me next week at an in-person day in Woodstock hosted by VON Oxford focused on the invisible weight that comes with caring for others — the emotional load that builds over time.

It’s designed for healthcare workers, first responders, and others in similar roles.

This isn’t about adding more to your plate — it’s about having a real conversation about what this work does to you, and what it takes to stay in it.

The day wraps with a sound journey to help you decompress and reset.

For details and registration, connect with VON Oxford.

04/29/2026

This is fantastic!! Thank you for creating such a warm, welcoming place for those grieving.

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04/16/2026

💬 Today is Advance Care Planning Day

Having these conversations can be hard.
We often don’t know where to start… or we avoid them altogether.

But Advance Care Planning isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about starting the conversation.

It’s about:

* sharing what matters most to you
* thinking about your values, wishes, and goals
* helping the people in your life feel more prepared and less uncertain

I’ve shared a recording where we talk more about what Advance Care Planning is, why it matters, and how to begin.

If this feels like something you’ve been putting off, maybe today is a gentle place to start.

💛

Patti Broadfoot brings a wealth of expertise to her role as a Registered Social Worker in private practice. As an author, death doula, speaker, and educator,...

04/16/2026

Today is advanced care planning day. Do those around you or someone more specific know your wishes? I’m not just talking about all the formal things like POAs and wills!

If you could not communicate for yourself, even temporarily, who would make your healthcare decisions? Would they truly understand what matters most to you?

Today is Advance Care Planning Day in Canada. Take the opportunity to plan and share your wishes, take charge of your future care, and ease the burden on those close to you who might otherwise face difficult decisions on your behalf. Learn more at https://loom.ly/x5ulF_o.

If not you, who? If not now, when?

04/16/2026

“The great thing about saying, ‘no’,” said Bear, “is that, if you want it to be...
it can be a complete sentence.”

©Tara Shannon