Waves in an Ocean of Grief When considering what to write this month I found myself continuing to encounter examples of the constant presence of loss and grief in our lives both in the small everyday ways and larger, tragic events. Whether I heard it in session with...
I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to say this month. Mother’s Day is like the elephant in the room that couldn’t or shouldn’t be ignored, but I wasn’t sure how to discuss it with the COPE community because I am not a mother who has lost a child, but I do have a...
Jennifer Webb is the newest member of the COPE board and is excited about her new role! Jennifer is a Long Island native and is a career special education teacher. She currently owns and operates her own education company that offers curriculum based...
Mental Health Awareness Month: Facilitator Spotlight We were halfway through April when I realized it was no longer March. As for much of the pandemic, time has simultaneously stood still and rushed forward in bursts. In realizing we were in April, I reflected that...
From COPE Clinical Director Amy Olshever, PhD, LCSW Have you had the experience of making it through your day only to find that you are triggered by something totally unexpected, like a song on the radio? Or something that is usually inconsequential, like forgetting...
The COPE Foundation was inspired by a dream. In 1992, Lilly’s 20-year-old daughter, Michelle, lost her life tragically in a car accident. In the midst of her grief, her daughter came to her in a dream and said, ” I’m okay, Mommy. You’re the ones who...
Prolonged Grief Disorder The newest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V TR) includes a new diagnosis known as Prolonged Grief Disorder. Along with many in the grief community, this new addition has been an important topic of...
“When I die Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give to them What you need to give to me. I want to leave...
My mini-me, Elizabeth Raisa Fenton, or Lizzie, as she was affectionately called throughout her childhood, was diagnosed with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer in June of 2015, 6 months after her wedding. She fought valiantly for almost 6 years undergoing several major...
The night of July 2, 2016, my brother and I were texting about the Mets (like every year, we had high hopes for them). Our conversation came to an end and he texted me “Good night! Love you!” Those were the last words my brother ever said to me. He died just a few...
