With a long history of use as symbols in spiritual and cultural traditions, totems are now being explored in therapy as a powerful tool for emotional healing. Totems can function as symbolic anchors that may help people negotiate complex feelings more clearly within compartmentalization, a procedure in which individuals separate all kinds of conflicting emotions into other 'compartments' of the mind. Certain totems will be associated with an emotional state, such as using a lion for anger or a bird for freedom, which helps the client to externalize his inner struggle and is more easily processed and comprehended. It can allow for a more structured way to confront and integrate emotions for overall mental well-being.

Grief is such an intensely personal journey: overwhelmingly so; it's unpredictable. Sometimes, it feels like a tidal wave, and at other times, like a gentle ache. Allow yourself to do it all; there is no right way to grieve. Do not be afraid to ask for help, to take care of yourself, and to find every small comfort possible. Healing takes time; it is all right to look for help when the burden feels too heavy to bear alone. Remember, your path through grief is as individual as your love for the one you have lost.