Awakening Your Inner Strength: Edgebrook’s “Moving Through


Grief, Trauma and Loss” Workshops By Paul Matteson


t's inevitable that there will come a time in our lives when we will stand face to face with grief, whether it be from the loss of a loved one or from the residual effects of past traumas mak- ing their way back to the surface. Whatever the cause, the most challenging task is learning how to work through it while trying to maintain some form of normalcy in day-to-day life. For anyone ask- ing themselves, "Can I move through this?", Paul Matteson’s answer is a resounding, Yes!


I After training to become a workshop facilitator at the renowned


Elisabeth KublerRoss Center in Virginia, Paul was compelled to bring a model of Kubler-Ross,' “Life, Death and Transition“ workshops to Maine by co-creating Edgebrook, a non-profit organization that offers “Moving Through Grief, Trauma and Loss” Workshops. In 2020, work- shops will be held April 2-5 in Alfred, Maine and this fall in Durham, North Carolina (dates to be announced).


“Issues from my past, which involved major loss and childhood


trauma, led me to the Kubler-Ross workshops and a way of work- ing that was profoundly healing for me," Paul explains. A practicing psychotherapist, Paul has helped those suffering from trauma and grief for more than 25 years. In 1992, when encouraged to attend the Kubler-Ross workshop, Paul had an eye-opening experience that later inspired the foundations of Edgebrook. "I witnessed how people really feel, people who had lost family, friends, relationships, and people who had suffered from all forms of abuse. The workshop that


20 ELM® Maine - March/April 2020


Elisabeth designed really worked to resolve so many personal issues. It was an organic, natural process, and it made sense.”


Built on that foundation, and with the help of its five facilitators,


Edgebrook provides participants with an opportunity to do the work of expressing deep feelings. Although grief is a natural part of our existence, society pressures us to tamp down our emotions, pushing us forward without looking back. Unexpressed emotions often lead to adverse effects such as anxiety, depression, addiction and shame.


Underpinned by the practice of unconditional love and accep-


tance, the workshops encourage creative, physical and emotional participation more so than typical conventional talk therapy. In a non-judgmental setting, the staff respectfully provides the time, space, and encouragement to work through painful life issues. "The external- ization workshop is soulful work and relies heavily on in-the-moment presence and intuition," Paul explains. "It draws strength from com- munity and relationships, it recognizes that grief is emotional and needs expression and time. For people who are stuck, the workshop helps them to get unstuck."


Paul further explains, "The participants often find that this work


helps them move forward in their lives and assists them with any on- going therapy. For many, it is the first big step in recovering from old, deep-seated wounds, as well as from current traumas and loss.” The next workshop will be held on April 2-5, 2020 at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center in Alfred, Maine.


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