About Kristen Ernst MA, LPC

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So far Kristen Ernst MA, LPC has created 7 blog entries.

A bereaved mother in May.

Mother’s Day has all kinds of mixed emotions. If we have had good connections to our mothers or our mother figures, it can be a day of celebrating, honor, and gratitude. If our mothers or mother figures are deceased, or the relationship is estranged, the day can create grief and sadness. And if you have lost a child, Mother’s Day can be a day of depravity. Many people are in more than one of these situations, which creates a multitude of emotions. But in my experience, as a mother who has lost a child, and mental health professional, I have found some things to helpful in my grief journey that I’d like to share:

You are allowed to carry more than one emotion.

We are complicated human beings, and you can live in the duality of more than one emotion at once. You can be grateful for other children that are living with you and be sad that your other child didn’t get that privilege. You can hold both. Instead of judging your emotions, you can observe them with kindness and compassion and know that the emotion is not permanent.

Give your grief a voice.

Bereaved Mother’s Day is the Sunday before Mother’s Day every year. (May 7th this year) If you have experienced child loss, find a community where your voice can be heard. There are online forums and events to honor those that have lost a child. By honoring your grief and spending time with others that understand, you are memorializing your child and giving yourself space to feel what you need.

Try to eliminate the “shoulds.”

You get decide what you need around Mother’s Day. If you need to be alone and have tea on your patio, then so be it. If you want to have a picnic or attend a large gathering, allow yourself to celebrate with a bang. Create an environment that is nurturing and compassionate, however that looks. Many people will tell you what you “should” do but attempt to create space and intention so that you can decide what you need. There is no timeline. You should not be further than you are in your grief. Allow yourself to be exactly where you are.
This is a difficult month for many people, so I would like to remind you to take care of your physical bodies. Hydrate, attempt to rest, try to move your body, and intentionally build habits that lends itself to healing. Slow down when things are difficult and give yourself some radical compassion. May will come and go, and so will the emotions with it. Whatever you are feeling at this time, know that it won’t feel this way forever.

Written by Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC
Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC is owner of the Center for Hope & Healing in St Charles, Missouri. Kristen has years of experience counseling in hospice, end of life issues, traumatic loss, and other mental health matters. She also contributes as a specialist in grief and trauma as a group facilitator, writer, speaker and educator in her community and across the country.

By |2023-05-11T08:43:41-05:00May 3rd, 2023|Uncategorized|0 Comments

The Importance of Rest with Kristen Ernst

Listen in as Lisa Baue of Your Funeral Coach is joined by her Collaborative Network Partner, Kristen Ernst, MA LPC from the Center for Hope and Healing as they discuss the importance of rest. Kristen shares mindfulness tips and tricks and how you can implement them into your practice.

By |2023-02-20T09:33:40-06:00February 20th, 2023|Podcasts|0 Comments

Caring For Yourself with Kristen Ernst

Listen in as Lisa Baue of Your Funeral Coach is joined by her Collaborative Network Partner, Kristen Ernst, MA LPC from the Center for Hope and Healing as they discuss the importance of taking better care of yourself and your team by setting wellness goals.

Wellness is a popular topic today that funeral service and owners need to pay attention to as they care for themselves and their team members. They discuss setting wellness goals and how to use them to help relieve stress in the workplace and one’s personal life. By finding ways for employees to take breaks, exercise regularly, and focus on healthy eating, employers and managers who wish to be successful in the future will need to help their company’s culture by putting wellness and mindfulness programs into their workplace to support their staff as a top priority.

Visit us at www.yourfuneralcoach.com/podcasts/

By |2022-11-09T12:55:22-06:00November 9th, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

Caring for Your Staff with Kristen Ernst

Join Lisa Baue and Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC as they discuss the need for employers and managers to make staff their first priority in the Caring for Your Staff Series from Your Funeral Coach Talks.

Making staff’s needs your number one goal this year is imperative to improving retention, becoming the employer of choice, and growing your business. Listen in as Lisa and Kristen share ideas about how to create a better culture of appreciation and stress relief programs Their guidance and advice will teach you how to help your staff feel better cared for and fulfilled in their most meaningful work in funeral service.

By |2022-11-09T12:54:13-06:00November 9th, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

Grief Support Programs During The Holidays with Kristen Ernst

Join Lisa and her guest/Collaborative Partner Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC, of the Center for Hope and Healing www.hopeandhealingcounseling.com as they discuss what those who mourn need most and what funeral homes, cremation companies, and cemeteries can do to help them.

By |2022-11-09T12:53:08-06:00November 9th, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

Emotional Regulation

Navigating feelings of stress, anxiety and collective heaviness.

“I’ve been feeling a lot of collective heaviness…I feel it in private practice with students, teachers, parents, and also people returning to the office after working from home”. – Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC
We invite you to view this personal message from Kristen for more information.
If you are interested in attending our upcoming, Emotional Regulation Educational Webinar Series, please click the button below.
By |2021-10-15T07:38:02-05:00October 14th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments

PODCAST: Addressing Mental Health Issues and Access in a Post Pandemic World

Click one of the links below to listen or download this episode of the, running eyes podcast, featuring Kristen Ernst, LPC.

 

Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC

Owner and Operator of the Center for Hope and Healing in St. Charles, MO

By |2021-10-14T08:25:26-05:00June 11th, 2021|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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