Grief Wheel

The experience of grieving is a multidimensional process that can include a variety of intense emotions such as anger, sadness, protest, shock and numbness. The feelings can be so intense that it is common to find oneself bargaining or protesting the experience all together and wishing things could return to the way they were before. I find the ‘grief wheel’ as a helpful visual tool for anyone in the grieving process. It can help to comfort the person to know that his or her individual experience, albeit uncomfortable at best, is very normal. What I also like about this graphic is that it represents a pathway toward healing and hope for a new normal. The idea is that the process toward healing is to experience the grief and the myriad of stages it may bring in order to find healing once again. Although there are numerous versions of the grief wheel, to read more about the stages of grief take a peek at Elizabeth Kubler Ross’ book: On Grief and Grieving.