Stories as Soul Medicine: Externalizing Your Grief

The simplest and most accessible ingredient for healing is our stories. Storytelling is rooted in ancient traditions and teachings, it is the way that we pass down wisdom, knowledge, teachings and history. It is present and essential to the processing, sharing and connecting of our human experiences, including our grief.

Stories hold so much power. When we can freely express ourselves, tell our story, be seen, heard, witnessed and held in the presence of another, we have tapped into a powerful space and remedy that can help us heal.

As the spaces inside of us begin to heal and repair, we begin to reconnect to the innate wisdom within. Stories guide us through life and help us understand the depths, complexities and intricacies of our experiences. Stories strengthen individuals and communities.

Our stories are Medicine.

Our stories are Soul Vitamins.

We tell our stories so that we can be seen, heard, held and witnessed. We tell our stories to express, to be, to process, to release, to connect, to be felt, and to be known.

Why Externalizing Grief Matters

Grief, when held only inside, can feel isolating. The thoughts and emotions swirl without direction, often amplifying pain, shame, or confusion. But when we speak, write, or express our grief through story, we begin to externalize it—give it form, shape, and breath.

Externalizing grief is not about “getting over it.” It’s about giving grief a place to exist outside our bodies so it doesn’t have to be carried alone. When we name our losses, express our memories, and share the tender truths of our pain, we create space for movement, transformation, and healing.

Grief needs a container. Spaces where we can share our stories of loss become the container that helps us hold our grief.

Read more on this topic: We Were Never Meant to Grieve Alone: The Impact of Loneliness and Isolation of Modern in Grief

Story Telling As An Ancient Grief Practice

Across cultures and history, grief has always been a communal experience. In Indigenous, Celtic, and ancestral traditions around the world, people gathered in circle, around fire, or in ritual, not only to mourn together but to tell stories.

They told stories about the one who died.They told stories of dreams, of signs, of heartbreak.They told stories of what the loss meant, of who they were becoming through it.

In this way, storytelling became ceremony. It made space for grief to be held with reverence and ritual. It also ensured the wisdom of the experience lived on, woven into the collective memory of the community.

Today, we are being called to remember this way.

When Grief is Silenced

In modern Western society, grief is often treated as a private problem to be fixed or hidden. People are expected to "move on" quickly, to return to productivity, to not burden others with their emotions.

This cultural conditioning leads to what many experience as disenfranchised grief—grief that is unrecognized, unsupported, or minimized by others. In such a landscape, many carry their grief silently, afraid or unsure how to express it.

But unspoken grief doesn't disappear. It lodges in the body, it surfaces in anxiety, exhaustion, illness, and emotional numbness.

Externalizing grief—through story, art, movement, or ritual—offers a powerful way to reclaim our right to feel, to be witnessed, and to heal.

Read more about grief and the body: The Body Remembers: Somatic Signs You May Be Grieving (Even If You Haven’t Named It That Yet)

Being Witnessed - Our Soul Work

To share your story is to let yourself be seen—not just by others, but by yourself. Often, it’s not until we speak our grief aloud or write it down that we even realize what we’ve been holding. There’s something alchemical about the act of expression—it transforms our inner experience into something tangible and relatable.

When another person listens with presence and care, healing becomes relational. This is what Francis Weller calls “the village” of grief. In being witnessed, our grief becomes valid, bearable, even beautiful in its truth.

This soul work is not about performance or perfect storytelling. It’s about being real—honoring your grief as sacred, and allowing it to take up space in your life and relationships.

Telling Your Grief Story, Invitations to Begin:

You don’t need to be a writer or artist to tell your story. You only need the willingness to speak from your heart. Here are a few gentle entry points:

01. Write Letters

Write to the one who died. Write to the version of yourself that changed. Write to the dreams you let go of. These letters don’t have to be shared—they’re a private way to give voice to your grief.

02. Journal

Here are a few questions you can explore in your journal or with a supportive companion:

• What loss has shaped me the most?

• What do I remember most vividly about that time?

• What do I wish others understood about my grief?

• If my grief had a voice, what would it say?

• What have I learned or discovered through this experience?

• What beauty or wisdom has emerged, even in the ache?

03. Record Voice Notes

Sometimes, it’s easier to speak than write. Use your phone to record yourself talking through a memory or an emotion you’re feeling. This can be incredibly cathartic and revealing. Things often sound different when spoken outloud (versus how they sound in our heads).

04. Share in the Presence of a Community or Compassionate Witness

A supportive therapeutic space is a beautiful way to begin to externalize your grief in a way that will allow it to be seen, heard, witnessed and held by a compassionate other. We need spaces for our grief that allow it to move through us, in a free, raw, and unfiltered way. We do not need to be contained, offered platitudes or silver linings, or made to feel better. Grief is a journey that we take, in our own time and in our own ways.

Whether it’s a grief circle, a trusted friend, or a grief therapist, we invite you to find spaces where your story is welcomed. Start small—sharing a moment, a feeling, or a metaphor that captures your experience.

05. Create a Ritual

Shortly after loss it is common to hold funerals or celebrations of life, thes is a ritual that is commonly participated in by many. From there, rituals are often rare or nonexistent. We have lost our ability to engage in ritualistic practices, but the return to ritual is an essential ingredient for healing.

Light a candle and tell a story aloud. Place a photo and speak memories into the room. Create an alter. Ritual makes space for our emotions to be held symbolically and somatically, and for our grief to be held outside of our bodies.

06. Use Visual Storytelling

If words are hard, try collage, painting, or even arranging objects on an altar to represent your story. The body and soul often speak through symbols.

Your Grief is Sacred

Grief asks for presence, patience, and space. It also asks to be shared. As you begin to externalize your grief through storytelling, remember: this is not about “moving on.” It’s about moving with—and allowing the soul to find expression, meaning, and aliveness even in the midst of sorrow. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Tell your story. Let it be witnessed. And let it be medicine—for you, and for the world.

Grief is Meant to be Shared

There is nothing wrong with you for grieving deeply. There is nothing wrong with needing to speak your pain. You are not too much, and you are not alone. We were never meant to grieve in silence and there is a community here waitng to recieve you with open arms.

Whether your grief is raw or distant, complicated or confusing, it deserves to be named, honoured, and held. Your story matters. Your story carries healing—for you and for others.

When we share our grief stories, a few powerful things unfold:

• We integrate the experience. Instead of compartmentalizing pain, we allow it to become part of our whole self.

• We normalize grief. Others realize they are not alone. Our stories give permission for others to feel.

• We access meaning. Storytelling helps us understand what the loss meant and how it shaped us.

• We foster connection. Vulnerability breeds intimacy. Relationships deepen when stories are shared.

Ready to go Deeper?

If you’re longing to share your grief in a supportive space, we invite you to download our free guide, Being With Grief — a gentle companion filled with somatic practices, journaling prompts, and soulful reflections to support your healing.

Or join the waitlist for Weaving Grief, our four-month soul and somatic grief program—an invitation to reconnect with your aliveness through ritual, community, and story.

About Us:

Weaving Grief specializes in compassionate grief therapy for individuals navigating loss of any kind - death, breakups, relationship transitions, chronic illness, loss of self, and more. By addressing these profound experiences, Weaving Grief empowers clients to grieve freely and live fully. Through somatic practices and meaningful reflection, we’re here to help you navigate these tender moments and rediscover the fullness of life.

Specific areas of focus: death of a loved one (recent or past), life changing transitions, relationship transitions and break ups, pregnancy loss, grief around family planning, chronic illness, loss of Self, and supporting entrepreneurs through the grief that comes with growth.

To learn more about Our Team or to book a session, click here.