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Dr. Jane A. Simington
continued the interview.
She shared, “This discovery touched me
deeply, for I was keenly aware that my deepest need was to heal my soul pain
and that I did not know how to do so, for while I knew something of religion, I
knew nothing at all about spirituality.
So one
more time I returned to the halls of learning, this time to explore spirituality
in detail and in depth. While formally this study was to focus on the
application of spirituality to care-giving practices, informally the quest was
to satisfy the numerous and imponderable soul questions that begged for
answers. My search led me to other cultures, worldviews and belief systems,
and to the discovery of the notion of soul loss. Immediately knowing the worth
in this discovery, I worked with traditional healers and a Shaman who helped me
reclaim those parts of my own soul/self that had fled so many years previous.
Following my own healing in this way I studied with these masters and not help
others who need to reclaim any parts of the soul/self that remain
frozen-in-time, at the scene of a tragedy.”
Her soul
purpose has evolved, “While in the beginning my quest was to find methods that
would heal my own heart and soul, my life’s purpose and therefore my Vision is to spread this
knowledge and its application to people around the world. My Vision is to apply what I have
learned, from my own experience of grief and trauma, and from the healing I
have done and witnessed in others, to help heal the physical, emotional, mental
and soul wounds of the millions in our world who have been deeply wounded. My Vision is to let the world know
that true healing is possible, that it can be each person’s reality. My Vision is to offer to all who
choose healing, regardless of where they live, what culture they are from, or
what religion they profess, the therapeutic tools to make this happen.”
Jane’s
career followed her soul work, “I have a background in both
Nursing and Psychology and had practiced for many years as a nurse, often
helping those who were dying and those who were grieving. When my son was
killed I quickly recognized that the knowledge of grief was very different than
the experience of grief. My need to return to the formal halls of learning to
obtain a master’s and doctorate degree was based on my need for the information
on how to heal myself. It was also based on my knowing that there had to be
better ways of helping people move through grief and tragedy than I had
previous studied.
When I completed my
doctoral studies I accepted a position as a university professor. Within a few
years the teaching I was doing was no longer meaningful to me. I knew I had so
much more to offer the world and that I had to be in charge of how that
important message was delivered. My business, Taking Flight International
Corporation became my venue to combine my extensive academic knowledge of
trauma with my own lived experience of grief and healing.
My
first contract was to work with federally
sentenced women who had been traumatized. Since information, in and of itself,
did not heal my trauma I suspected that neither would it heal their trauma. I
dared! Instead of cognitive programming, I used therapeutic art methods.
I taught them mediation and imagery. I helped them understand and apply the
messages from their dreams and I guided them to reclaim their personal power.
The effects of these methods while positive for them were very encouraging for
me. Their feedback gave me the courage to apply those same strategies with
other individuals and groups and to document the effectiveness.”
She continued, “To date I have used these methods locally, nationally and
internationally, with more than 4000 people of various ages and of both
genders. I have found the methods effective
during individual counseling, in small group
settings and with participants during training. I have introduced and applied
these methods during large group sessions such as at conference gatherings.
Evaluations in each setting are excellent. Participants note that the methods
make a significant difference in their grief and trauma. Participant comments
indicate that the methods promote healing regardless of the sources, be it from
the effects of significant grief and long-term trauma such as results from
early childhood abandonment, or abuse or domestic violence, or from the trauma
associated with a catastrophic onetime event such as witnessing a tragic death
or being shot at. By helping to heal the stored memories and their associated
flashbacks, these methods make a difference in the personal and professional
lives of participants.
I have
published numerous articles about my beliefs and methods in both professional
and lay journals. I have written chapters in textbooks and have published a
booklet, Responding
Soul to Soul: During Difficult Life Experiences. I have
written two books, Journey to the Sacred: Mending a Fractured Soul, and Setting the Captive Free. In the first,
I share my story of healing and transformation, in the second book I describe
the work I now do and offer directions and guidance for others to model. I have
produced two award winning videos, Listening to Soul Pain and Healing Soul Pain, as well as three CDS. All
focus on the application of methods for advancing along life’s journey.
All are positive, inspirational, empowering and motivating.
I now
focus much of my effort on teaching the application of these methods to
therapists and other therapeutic healers. I have designed and developed
two graduate level certification-training programs, The Trauma Recovery Certification Program, and the Grief Support Certification Program. Certification in both
programs can be transferred for credit toward a Master’s Degree in Counseling.
Both programs provide up- to- date and relevant information and effective
experiential healing strategies, thus engaging and reintegrating the brain’s
two hemispheres, an essential component of grief and trauma therapy.”
Jane
talked about her books, “My book that I highly recommend for those who are
grieving the death of a child, or grieving any tragic death is Journey to the Sacred: Mending a Fractured
Soul. While this is not my latest book it is the one I highly recommend for
them. It is available at www.amazon.com it is available on my
websites at www.takingflightbooks.com and www.takingflightinternational.com
My newest
and soon to be released book is THROUGH SOUL’S EYES: Reinventing a Life of Joy
and Promise:
Through Soul’s Eyes acknowledges
that, for many, the most intense suffering following grief and trauma is that
which surfaces from deep within. In
Through
Soul’s Eyes, Dr. Jane Simington, PhD., validates the experiences of soul
pain and teaches strategies she gained from her personal tragedy and healing
, and from her professional work with thousands of
people. In
Through Soul’s Eyes Dr.
Simington offers you both her assistance to move your life more gently into the
brightness of your new beginnings, and ways to help you live a life filled with
joy and promise.”
Her advice for a parent suffering the loss of a child, “Take
care of your relationship with your partner and pay attention to the needs of
the living children.”
Jane
offered this support for your living children:
1) “Listen
·
Face the one who is speaking
- Open posture – so you
can hug if you need to
- Eye contact is
essential
- Without interrupting
- Avoid advice – Use
language of encouragement – powerful for building esteem
-“What have you already tried?”
-“What
else could you try?”
-“How
do you think that will work?”
2) Encourage expression of feelings by sharing openly
- “This is how I am
feeling. I wonder if you are feeling this too.”
- “This is what I do
when I feel this way. What works for you?”
- Read or sing to a
young child, then reflect on their feelings about the topic
3) Help them rebuild their self-confidence and self-worth
- “That reminds me of
your brother, but I think you do it better.”
- Send notes in the
lunch bag, in their pocket
- Write a letter to the
grieving child
- Remind the child of
the power of their thoughts
- When I was unable to
talk I cut out poems, clippings of positive sayings and placed them on the
fridge so the children could see them
- Read to a younger
child, simple stories explaining grief
- Leave books, videos,
etc around the house – on grief and self-esteem
- Remind the child that
healing and forgetting are not the same thing
- Praise the child to
others –within the child’s range of hearing
4) Tell family and friends to also acknowledge the child’s
grief
5) Honor the living child
- Make a special scrap
book of his/her activities
- Set his/her picture in
just as beautiful and as large a frame as is the picture of the child who
has died
- Get involved in a
special and unique activity with each child
- Make a point to spend
quality time alone with each child
- Touch, hug, hold –
when you cannot speak, they will still feel your love
6) Use art, music, dance
and ritual to help express feeling and to heal.”
Jane’s contact detail, “Readers
can view my work on my website at
www.takingflightinternational.com,
email my office at
infor@takingflightinternational.com
or telephone my office at 780 473 6732.
If readers want to have me speak at a conference or offer a healing workshop
in their area or if the media want to connect with me they can contact Jodi at
jodi@takingflightboks.com
If readers want more information about the Greif Support Certification or
the Trauma Recovery Certification training I offer, they can visit my website
www.takingflightinternational.com.
For training information, professionals can also contact Marlane at
training@takingflightinternational.com.”
Jane’s work continues to be acknowledged, “For my visionary work in helping
other achieve healing following grief and trauma I have received the YWCA 2011
Woman of Distinction Award, the Global Television Woman of Vision Award, March
2011, The CARNA Nurse to Know , April 2011, and the 2012 Life time Achievement
AARN Award.”
