Diane is a licensed professional counselor with over 25 years of clinical experience in both community mental health and private practice. She began her work in grief and loss during the mid 90’s working with those affected by HIV. She continues her work at Healthy Minds Therapy, specializing in grief, loss, anxiety and panic issues with young adults and adults through the generations.

Diane’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/wavesofwellness21 Diane’s Website: https://9700bonilla.myportfolio.com/work

In this episode Diane Bonilla returns to the Carol n Cheryl Podcast to have a conversation about coping with pandemic loss. Diane delves into the impact of the pandemic on young adults, especially students.  During the pandemic students were experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, and greater symptoms were reported in the LBGTQ community. Surveyed students reported six to seven losses as defined by themselves. College students were hit harder than we thought and maybe more so than other age groups. Diane explains why this age group is more impacted by loss. As a parent it is important to process our own losses and support our young adults through their losses. She talks about what grief is and what it looks like. Diane addresses the question:  Why am I sad when I should be happy? This question arises often now the pandemic is ending.  Lastly Diane gives us tools to process our loss and find resiliency. 

Resources:

Websites:

https://grief.com 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us 

https://healthymindstherapy.blog 

Podcasts:

https://theanxietyguy.com 

APPS:

Calm

Headspace

Betterhelp

Instagram:

Kreft’s Couch

Books:

“The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma,” by  Dr Bessel van der Kolk

“Finding Meaning: the 6th Stage of Grief,” by David Kessler