When the World Breaks Open | Grief Support for All Who Carry Loss

💌 Dear Friends of the California Grief Center,

In a world that tells us to go numb, pull away, or push ahead—we choose another way.

We gather to feel.
To give sorrow a voice.
To remind each other we matter.

This week, we spotlight voices of strength and compassion. We mark what’s shifting—and carve out room to find our ground in the tide.

🔦 In This Issue:
🕊️ Dr. Cathrine Thorleifsson: Combating Hate and Protecting the Future
❓ Grief 101: Growing Around Grief & The Broken Egg Theory
🔧 Upcoming Virtual Grief Sessions for Helping Professionals
🚦 A Life Lost in an Instant | Honoring a Young Life, and a Call to Care
🕯️ June HOPE Group: Mindfulness Tools for Silent Pain and Deep Sorrow
🌊 What We Offer at the California Grief Center

🕊️ Dr. Cathrine Thorleifsson: Combating Hate and Protecting the Future

This week, we honor the courageous work of Dr. Cathrine Thorleifsson—social anthropologist and expert on nationalism, extremism, and political violence.

She reminds us: “We must see how fear and division are seeded, so we can name them—and resist them.”

Through her scholarship, she offers us tools for dignity, resilience, and resistance.
To all who illuminate the roots of hate—we say: We remember. We continue the work.

📺 [Watch: Nationalist Responses to the Crises in Europe →]

❓ Grief 101: Growing Around Grief & The Broken Egg Theory

At CGC, we meet grief with wisdom, compassion, and modern understanding.

👉 Grief does not disappear—it becomes part of us.
👉 Life can grow around it (like a broken egg), expanding into new peace, meaning, and connection.
👉 Healing is not about "fixing" grief, but about moving forward tenderly and consciously.

At CGC, we draw from:
Tonkin’s Model • Dual Process Model • Continuing Bonds • Worden’s Tasks of Mourning • Somatic & Creative Methods

🔧 Upcoming Virtual Grief Sessions for Helping Professionals
In Partnership with NASW — Free for NASW Members!

Social workers are society’s conscience. We’re honored to partner with NASW to offer grief sessions for helping professionals of all kinds:

✨ Social Workers, Therapists, Psychologists, Nurses, Physicians
✨ First & Last Responders, Crisis Line Responders
✨ Teachers, Clergy, Nonprofit Staff, Caregivers, Peer Specialists, Advocates

🌿 Upcoming Events (12–1:30 PT | 3–4:30 ET)

• June 13: Losing Your Way and Finding It Again

• July 11: When the Healers Hurt

• August 8: The Grief No One Sees

✅ Psychoeducation • Modern Grief Theory • Interactive Practices • Contemplative Tools

👉 [Register Here]

🚦 A Life Lost in an Instant | Honoring a Young Life

Studio City, CA — June 4
A 15-year-old boy tragically died after a distracted driving accident in the pickup line at Campbell Hall School. His father witnessed the unimaginable.

The Los Angeles Mayor’s Crisis Response Team arrived swiftly, offering compassionate presence to the family and school community. For nearly 30 years, CRT has quietly served our city in moments like this.

👉 Please—choose presence, not distraction, when driving. Even one glance can change a life forever.

👉 [Volunteer with CRT →]

To the family, classmates, and Campbell Hall community—our hearts are with you.

💡 Caring for Those Who Care: Our Provider Wellness Survey

Therapist suicide may be a warning sign for our society. We must act.

👉 If you’re a mental health professional, please take 2 minutes to complete this anonymous survey:
[Take the Survey Now →]

Your voice helps us create tools to support those who care for others.

🕯️ June HOPE Group: Mindfulness Tools for Silent Pain and Deep Sorrow
Healing Ourselves through the Present Experience (Virtual)

🗓 Saturday, June 28
🕐 10–11:30 AM PT | 1–2:30 PM ET
💻 Zoom | Donation-Based | All Are Welcome
👥 Facilitated by Brian Stefan & Mariela Bravo

👉 Register Here

🌊 What We Offer at the California Grief Center

Grief is not a problem to fix. It’s a presence to honor.

💬 Individual Therapy & Support
👥 Healing Groups
🎭 Catharsis Theater — our signature experiential workshop

📞 Schedule a free consult or refer someone today
🌐 [Learn more → www.caligrief.com]

With heart,
Brian Stefan, LCSW
Founder, California Grief Center

🕊️ Facing the hurt—together.

P.S. Know someone who could use this? Forward it along. Invite them to visit www.caligrief.com—*everyone belongs here.*