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February 2020


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Welcome to the February issue of our Helping Parents Heal Newsletter!  

Hello, Shining Light Parents!  We are only a few months away from our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference in Charleston, SC, from April 16-19!  We are thrilled that many of you will be joining us.

We are grateful that you have found us.  This newsletter is a space that allows us to share our amazing children. We are all in this together.  We understand and we walk the same path. Thank you for your compassion and for the constant support you provide.  Together, we will help each other heal!

For those of you in the Phoenix area, please be sure to join me for a special session of Yoga Nidra to connect with our children in spirit, for the February meeting of Helping Parents Heal Scottsdale/Phoenix on February 16th from 1-3 pm at Unity of Phoenix. Please click here for more information! 

With love and light, 
-Elizabeth Boisson, President and Co-Founder of Helping Parents Heal, Newsletter Editor and Phoenix/Scottsdale Affiliate Leader

Please visit our website, www.helpingparentsheal.org, to find out more, as well as to add your child's tribute, to sign up for our newsletter and to opt-in to support Helping Parents Heal through the Amazon Smiles program.

Movies that Heal

Craig McMahon releases another documentary in his series: Life to Afterlife

Craig McMahon, the producer of the Life to Afterlife Series, has just added the third installment to Amazon Prime, free to Amazon Prime users, entitled 'Life to Afterlife: Tragedy by Design'. The specialists from the afterlife that Craig interviews include Robert Schwartz, Isabella Johnson, and James Van Praagh.  

From Amazon: "Join Craig McMahon in this episode where he discusses the controversial idea of a pre-birth plan with spiritual experts. Is it possible that we intentionally choose to have hardship and pain for the sole purpose of learning the divine virtues?"

Here are links to watch "Life to Afterlife: Tragedy by Design':
For inside the US through Amazon Prime, click here. For outside the US via Vimeo, click here.   
For 'Life to Afterlife: Mom, Can You Hear Me?' click here. For 'Life to Afterlife: I Died, Now What?' click here. 

Susanne Wilson - Why Did My Loved One in Spirit Seem Younger?
Susanne Wilson and her book, Soul Smart

“I caught a glimpse of my daughter; she was standing in the kitchen close to me. She looked four years old. This was the first time I felt her presence since she passed. She tapped my hand exactly the way she did as a child, whenever she wanted me to swoop her up, into my arms, for a hug and a kiss.” –  Mary, a student in my class

This amazing after death communication (ADC) is made even more remarkable by the fact that the woman’s daughter was in her forties when she transitioned. Now my student was asking me why her adult daughter in Heaven would appear to her as a toddler.

I caught my breath and collected my thoughts for a few seconds. “First off, wow, what a wonderful experience! Based on 20 decades of afterlife research, it appears that spirit people can choose to modify how they appear to others. They have their reasons for doing so.” I continued as Mary nodded. “Your daughter knows that your fondest wish is to hug her again, and those were very special hugs during her childhood.” We both smiled.  Please click here to read more!

-Written by Susanne J. Wilson, MPA who is an intuition expert, author, and teaching medium based in Carefree, Arizona. She can be reached at carefreemedium.com.

Our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference, April 16-19, 2020, in Charleston, SC!
Our 2020 Conference Banner (thank you, Jason Durham!)

As you all know, our wonderful Conference Director, Irene Vouvalides, is still hard at work planning our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference in Charleston, SC, which will be from April 16-19, 2020!  We are now sold out, but Irene is keeping a waiting list.  Please contact her at Irene@helpingparentsheal.org to be added to the list!

Featured speakers include Suzanne Giesemann, Susanne Wilson, Dr. Eben Alexander, Jeffery Olsen, Dr. Jeffrey O’Driscoll, Raymond Moody, Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley, David Kessler, Dr. Mary Neal, Mark Anthony, Mitch Carmody, Dr. Mark Pitstick, Rick and Beth Olsen, Jake Samoyedny, Tina Powers, Maureen Hancock, Jamie Clark, Christine Salter, David Router, Sara Ruble, Beth D'Angelo, Nicole Reilly, Debra Martin, Melinda Kushner, Judith Hancox, Kim Griffin, Kat Baillie, Michelle Clare, and Fara Gibson and Sandy 'Soulsister' Thorpe, as well as Mark Ireland, Ernie Jackson, Brain Smith, LeAnn Hull, Colleen Smith and Elizabeth Boisson. You can learn more about the conference by clicking here! 

The Caring ListenersLinda McCarthy, Ernie Jackson, Glenda Pearson, Suzi Smith, Tracy Soussi, Lisa Laniewski, Tywana Smith, Brian Smith, David Alison, Jeff Hollahan, Lynn Hollahan and Suzanne Klokkenga of the Caring Listeners

Twelve wonderful Caring Listeners, created by Dr. Mark Pitstick and led by Linda McCarthy, are willing to talk in person, by phone, or on a video-conference call like Skype or Zoom.  They each are bereaved parents who are now shining brightly – most of the time – and want to help others.  Please click here to learn more!

Dr. Mark Pitstick and his book 'SoulProof'

Evolved Souls Don’t Need Long Earthly Lives
February 2019
by Mark Pitstick, MA, DC 

To all parents, I am very sorry about the death of your child’s human form.  However, I’m glad you are learning how to heal and transform.  Six key understandings to making that shift are:

     1. Over 99% of who and what your child is still alive in another phase of forever.

     2. Only his earthly body died.  Everything else continues – all the love, energy, humor,
         personality, memory, energetic / subtle body, and much more.  (See article #2
         When a Child Changes Worlds at SoulProof.com)  Really knowing this helps
         you journey from a bereaved to shining light parent / family member. 

     3. She is happy, peaceful, and enthusiastic – and wants you to be that way now.

     4. You will see her when you pass on and can enjoy relationships with her now.  (To learn
        more, see article #9 Visit With ‘Departed’ Loved Ones Now)
 
     5. You can choose to transmute your grief into a spiritually transformative experience that
          powerfully improves your life and blesses others.

     6. You can heal and increase the gifts from his life by lovingly serving others. 
   
Many parents have realized this great news and are living happy and fulfilling lives again.  You can do the same.  It’s not easy and doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible with small steps day by day.  Here are five action steps . . .
  1. Attend local and online Helping Parents Heal meetings
  2. Contact The Caring Listeners to talk with at no charge. 
  3. Read free Articles for Healing & Transforming at SoulProof.com and take action steps. 
  4. Listen to the free Radio Shows at SoulProof.com and our answers to life’s toughest questions, including “Why do children die?”  
  5. Lean on others as needed.  Later, when you are doing better, you can help others. 
Q: Five years since our son passed on.  Sometimes we feel like we’ve healed a lot and then it hits us like it just happened again.  What are your best tips about how to deal with this?  Thanks for all you do, Mark!  - Bill and Janice
 
A: I’ve heard many parents share similar reports so you two are not alone.  And kudos for asking such an important question.  Everyone is different but, all things considered, here are my top five suggestions . . .
  1. Breathe.  Whenever you start feeling more depressed, angry, hopeless, etc., check in with your body.  Are you breathing fully or shallowly?  Are you maintaining good posture so you can breathe rhythmically and use your diaphragm?  Take a few minutes three times a day to take ten slow deep breaths.  Breathe slowly and deeply while you pray, meditate, and/or do yoga.  My Holistic Breathing Technique profoundly releases lower energy emotions, heals old wounds, and reminds you about the big picture of life. 
     
  2. Be informed.  University-based scientific research has now shown that life continues after bodily death.  In addition, clinical evidence indicates that you will see each other again.  (see article #1 at SoulProof.com)  This means death isn’t a good bye but a see you later.  And that, needless to say, is a huge difference. 
     
  3. Ask Your Soul.  Your inner wisdom knows what to do for all aspects of your life: self-care, relationships, spiritual path, life work, and so on.  Have you talked with your real self lately?  It’s easy, fascinating, and very reassuring.  To learn more, see Ask Your Soul.   
     
  4. Remember – you always have a choice about what you focus upon.  I recently received an email from a man in South Africa.  To paraphrase: ‘My 12 year-old grandson passed on in 2016.  My 34 year-old son transitioned in 2019.  It’s been an amazing journey of enlightenment.’  Wow!

    Each moment, you can choose to find the silver linings of this tragedy – or not.  Consistently focusing on higher energy emotions – love, peace, joy, gratitude, enthusiasm, and service to others – isn’t easy.  But doing so is one of the most powerful ways to awaken, enjoy life more fully, and be a blessing to everyone you meet.
     
  5. Ask for help.  Take advantage of the caring and wisdom in A – E above.  By reaching out to others, you help them heal by providing service.  Later, you can do the same. 
     
Put these tips to work for the next 90 days.  I look forward to hearing about you two having more shining days and fewer dark ones. 
 
Hugs, love, and blessings,
Mark

Note: I mention my products so you know all the information/strategies needed for healing and transformation.  Let me know if you truly cannot afford them and we’ll send digital copies.
 
Disclaimer: This information is not designed to replace medical or psychological care.  Dr. Pitstick’s recommendations are based on forty-five years of training and experience in hospitals, pastoral counseling settings, mental health centers, and holistic health practice.  Some of his statements are supported by clinical and scientific data while others are based on empirical evidence and his best current understandings.  

Mark Pitstick, MA, DC is an author, counselor with a masters in clinical psychology, holistic chiropractic physician, frequent media guest, and workshop / webinar teacher.  He attended theology school, majoring in pastoral counseling, and trained in suicide prevention.  Mark directs The SoulPhone Foundation and founded Greater Reality Living groups.  His mission is to help you know and show that – no matter what is happening to you or around you – your earthly experience is a totally safe, meaningful, and magnificent adventure amidst forever.  To learn more, visit SoulProof.com.

Books that Heal:

Doctors, Faith and Courage by Debra Martin
Debra Martin

Debra Martin's new book, Doctors, Faith and Courage is now available on Amazon!

From Debra:

This book is about how myself as a Healer, my Faith and my Doctors Worked Together. My intention for this book was to share my lessons and the tools I learned from Spirit on my Journey through Cancer. When I started writing this book I didn’t know what my outcome would be. I share my fears that I faced, the courage I had to summon with my army of friends, family, doctors, nurses and those who have passed on, as well as God and Spirit, to help overcome a tumultuous battle of life and death.

This book is for you if you are going through any major illness, you are struggling with finding your faith during challenging times, you are seeking guidance to help you along your journey, you desire to be empowered in the midst of your illness.

You may purchase my book through Amazon by clicking here.  

My hope is that this book helps strengthen every reader's faith and that they use my tools, so they too can handle the crippling fear of the unknown.

-Written by Debra Martin, Healer, Evidential Medium, Near Death Experiencer and Presenter at our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference
 
Fellowship and Coincidences 
Ernie and Kristine Jackson

The Voice
 
After reading seemingly dozens of books on signs, reincarnation, and life between lives, I began to read the Gospels of the New Testament. With tears in his eyes, a dear friend and angel in my life told me to read it and to start with the Gospel of John.  And so I did.

I’m not sure how far I was into my reading of the red print when on an early morning a voice woke me up around 3:00 a.m. in the morning.  This voice was like the voice that told me when I was single and twenty-seven years old, “You will be a good Dad”.  I don’t want to offend anyone or give anybody the impression that I may believe God was talking directly to me; however, I will just say that voice speaking to me on both these occasions wasn’t mine.  On both occasions, that voice came from someone else.

The voice spoke very briefly in its pointed clarity, and it spoke directly about one verse that I had known of for years, although I had not gone to church very much at all, and had never read the Gospels.  The verse is Matthew 5:39 “If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.” (NLT Study Bible)  This is the one verse I had heard of throughout my life and frankly, it made my blood boil.  What do you mean that if somebody strikes me on my cheek, I am supposed to turn the other?, I would ask in my mind.  Oh no, in my imaginary conversation, you strike me and I will strike you right back.  That voice, at about 3:00 in the morning, which was a mere two years or so after Quinton transitioned, explained it in a way that I could understand.

The voice explained, more in a feeling than in words, the turning of the other cheek is about being okay or at peace with yourself, and I understood.  The voice shared a feeling of being so very much at peace with myself and the world at large with all its pain and suffering, that when struck on the cheek, the only natural reaction would be love and the response, “Brother, what is wrong?”  And I understood it!  Turning the other check had nothing to do with being taken advantage of or subjugated in some way. 

On the one hand, I can say “How funny that this message came to me,” or simply “what a coincidence this message came to me,” as much of my life I have struggled to find that peace, a feeling of peace through and through.  I have box-checked with the best of them, in pursuit of peace and in pursuit of meaning.  I have thrashed and flailed about at the feeling of being less than and now after all these years, I am still quite capable of doing the same. And so, yet again, I remember the voice and its message.  To be so at Peace, to be so OK with myself, that I am Love always, no matter the circumstance. That is right, no matter the circumstance.  Ironically, when I see myself in the eyes of others, often this is just what I see.  This is especially true when I see myself in the gaze of my grandchildren.

Does this make sense?  I ask because our language is so limited to adequately express such experiences.  And as it goes, trying to do so is probably difficult.  I have come to realize that almost anything I say is just as much for me than the person I am speaking to, either in person or through my writing.  Naturally, how could it not, this all goes back to Quinton who showed us that in no uncertain terms, all of us are eternal and on the same path, but at different points on that very same path.

My wish is to be at peace and to be OK with myself more often.  My wish for you is the same.
 
God Bless and Namaste, Ernie-Quinton’s Dad 
 
-Ernie Jackson is a Board Member of Helping Parents Heal, a Caring Listener and the proud father of Quinton. His two books, 'Quinton's Messages' and 'Quinton's Legacy,' are available at www.quintonsmessages.com.   

Healing Events with Talented Presenters:

SoulPower Workshop with Susanne Wilson 
Susanne Wilson, The Carefree Medium, a Keynote Presenter at our First and Second Helping Parents Heal Conferences and a huge supporter of Helping Parents Heal, held her SoulPower Workshop from January 25-26, 2020.  Lisa Dzuik of our Phoenix/Scottsdale Affiliate group (making a backward peace sign in honor of her son Sam!) won a space through a raffle at our January meeting and was thrilled.  Thank you, Susanne!

Our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference in Charleston, SC 
Please join us in Charleston from April 16-19, 2020 at the Charleston Marriott for our Second Helping Parents Heal Conference!  We are currently sold out but Irene Vouvalides is diligently keeping a waiting list. Please email her at: irenevouvalides@gmail.com
 
Affiliate Updates -

New Group! Helping Parents Heal - Boca Raton
Sally Stacey, our HPH Boca Raton Affiliate Leader 

Please join me in welcoming our newest affiliate leader from Boca Raton, FL, Sally Stacey!

More about Sally:

I’m a mother of two wonderful children, a young adult daughter, and a son who passed in May 2019 at the age of 21. The pain of losing a child is beyond words and instantly my world shattered around me into millions of pieces. Nothing made sense anymore yet the world kept turning. But I was determined to pick up the pieces of my shattered life and build a new one..my son wouldn’t want it any other way. I received my first sign from my son on the morning he passed but didn’t recognize it as such until a few days later. Thereafter connections and signs became a delightful part of my life and, as I went from believing in the afterlife to knowing it existed, my grief was transformed.

I was so pleased to come across Helping Parents Heal online, up until that time I’d had no contact with others who had experienced signs and communications with their children. Furthermore, the support and healing that takes place plus the hope that is shared is simply amazing. Consequently, I’ve moved forward with creating a local chapter of Helping Parents Heal to benefit other parents living in Boca Raton and the surrounding areas.

Meetings will be held at my home on the last Wednesday of each month from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm. Please call me on 561 267 4624 for my address and to discuss any questions you may have.

-Written by our new Boca Raton Affiliate Leader, Sally Stacey

New Group! Helping Parents Heal - Buffalo
Deanna Galkiewitz

Please join me in welcoming our newest Affiliate Leader, Deanna Galkiewicz of Buffalo New York! 

Please learn more about Deanna:

I lost my first-born son Matthew at age 25 to the disease of addiction in 2011. Not religious, nor having really considered the afterlife, it surprised me to just “know” he was around and wanted to contact me (He did).

I spent the next several years vacillating between unimaginable pain and tremendous awe as he guided my journey. My son is not gone and wants me happy. I have to make the decision every day to live with joy rather than grief. Meditation, energy work, and gratitude help give me balance.

I am excited to lead the Helping Parents Heal affiliate in the Buffalo area. It is so powerful when our children get us all in one room to celebrate their lives and communications! The love is palpable. I look forward to meeting you.

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal - Buffalo Affiliate Leader, Deanna Galkiewitz

New Group!  Helping Parents Heal - West Side/Peoria
Ernie and Kristine Jackson with the parents of their Peoria/West Side group.

On January 15th, we had a wonderful West Valley meeting. We enjoyed fellowship, laughter, tears along with some enlightening conversations. Our children brought us together and we are looking forward to many more gatherings to share and guide each other through this journey. Namaste👏🏼

Ernie and Kristine will be holding meetings on the third Wednesday of every month, from 6 - 8 pm, except for in February, when the meeting will be on the 12th.

-Written by our new HPH West Side/Peoria Affiliate Leaders, Kristine and Ernie Jackson

Helping Parents Heal - Online
Beth West, Tywana and Brian Smith and Tracy Soussi, our Wonderful Online Affiliate Leaders at our First Conference

Our wonderful lineup of upcoming Online Speakers:
Renee Buck, Geoff Jewett and Colleen Smith

-Renee Buck, Certified Medium, Akashic Records and Hypnotherapist, on February 17th
-Geoff Jewett, Intuitive Psychic Medium and Author, March 2nd
-Colleen Smith, Evidential Medium and Intuitive Psychic and Healer on March 18th

The Online Group welcomed Caroline Chang on January 15thCaroline Chang

Caroline Chang, Shining Light Parent, discusses her journey, her son Kyle, the KYLE Foundation, and Awaken To Oneness Radio.  Please click here to view.

-Brian Smith, our Helping Parents Heal Online Co-Affiliate Leader

On February 3rd, the Online Group welcomed Britta Grubin
Britta Grubin

Evidential Medium Britta Grubin - Watch this enlightening video & some great shared readings. Britta will be at the Helping Parents Heal Conference and is available for readings!  Please click here to view. 

-Tracy Soussi, our Helping Parents Heal - Online Co-Affiliate Leader

Please be sure to join our online group here to sign up for the upcoming Zoom conference meetings. They can be attended by anyone, anywhere in the world with Internet service! They hope to see you there.

Helping Parents Heal - Tampa
Marla Grant, Amy Diehl, Cathy Zimmerman and the parents of HPH - Tampa

On Wednesday, January 29th, Tampa’s HPH chapter gathered for our first meeting of 2020 held at The Children’s Center, a county-funded facility open for use by family-oriented non-profits. This first meeting of the year was focused on finding peace of mind and building community through sharing our stories and getting to know one another all over again. Our group of 23 folks included 5 new members, several of whom came to us because of hearing Mark Pitstick speak either in person or in podcast interviews. All expressed how they felt they had found a safe place to share both their grief as well as the signs they received.

Our group often has speakers but this first meeting of the year really showed the importance of having time to share, something we focus on multiple times throughout the year. It also helped us see how far the original members had come since our first gathering almost four years ago. The amazing experiences and profound growth of these members offered great hope to those newly grappling with their grief, giving hope that they too can make it through this trauma. Through our sharing, we were reminded that while we cannot physically connect, we can build a new kind of relationship with our beloved child or children on the other side. We noted the priceless role that we play in the lives of others when we allow the light and happiness of our children to shine through us on a world that needs so much healing.

-Written by our HPH Tampa Co-Affiliate Leader, Amy Diehl

Helping Parents Heal - Cave Creek
Carol Allen and the Parents of Helping Parents Heal - Cave Creek

Another wonderful meeting in Cave Creek in February! We had a great turnout with a few new parents. As always lots of validations from our kids. It's always so uplifting to see the excitement in parents as they talk about their signs! We also had more men last night, yay! Thank you, LeAnn Hull, for giving parents coping skills during our meeting! LeAnn has helped so many! It's all in her book "How to Live When You Want to Die" Love you all❤️

-Written by Carol Allen, our Helping Parents Heal - Cave Creek Affiliate Leader

Helping Parents Heal - Minneapolis/St Paul
Lynn Koll

Hello Dear Parents! We just wanted to share about our meeting from the Minneapolis/St.Paul group held at Lynn and Roger’s home on Saturday, January 22nd.

We had a speaker. Lynn Koll, a spiritual minister talk to us about the current decade we just entered as the “Decade of Vision and Clarity”. We then chose from a number of spiritual roles that Lynn Koll described to us. Healer, Seer, Messenger, Visualizer, Uplifter, Transformer, Coder, Dreamer, Way Shower, Connector, Guide. We picked one or more of these roles we thought resonated for us and reflected on what, how, or why we chose that role/ roles. She then guided us as to how we could take action towards living out this spiritual role/roles.

As always the room was packed with our children and love and light. Thank you for letting me share!! So much love to all!!!💗💗

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal - Minneapolis St Paul Co-Affiliate Leader, Pamela DeMars

Helping Parents Heal - Flagstaff
Janean Bentley Quigley and the Parents of HPH - Flagstaff

HPH Flagstaff met on February 2nd. We had 2 new parents who already feel like shining light parents. It was a joy to hear them share their beautiful son’s and their awesome signs. We did a guided meditation and then shared. We all left feeling lighter and encouraged.

-Written by Janean Quigley, Affiliate Leader of Helping Parents Heal - Flagstaff

Helping Parents Heal - Binghamton
Diane Morano, Jay Morano, Bobby Wright, Pam Wright, and Colleen Smith

I feel our third meeting in Binghamton, NY in January was a success! The energy was high at the end of the night and I feel that everyone left feeling a little better than when they came in. We had about 16 in attendance including a new couple. Our speaker was the Reverend from the Unity Church where our meetings are held. Rev Pat was great.

She talked about the afterlife and the fact that we don’t die. She also spoke about what our kids are doing across the veil. Then she talked about spiritual healing and did a demo. She then took questions and the kids started chiming in so she passed a few messages to parents. She was mentioning how our kids like to mess with technology and suddenly turned to me and said, “You had something happen with technology today didn’t you?” I started laughing and said that I heard something that sounded like Morse code while talking to another parent whose child had passed. My dad in spirit was a communications person using Morse code in WW II s and I’ve been told that Lee is working with him so there you go. Can’t make this stuff up, right? As it was the second anniversary of Lee’s transition yesterday, that validation filled my heart. There was no place that I would have rather been last night. 💜

Hopefully one of these days I will remember to take a photo. Once again I am grateful and proud to be part of this amazing organization.

-Written by Rosanne Groover Norris, Affiliate Leader of Helping Parents Heal - Binghamton

Helping Parents Heal - The Villages
The Parents of HPH - The Villages, Heather's Cake

On January 20th, our group today made memorial bracelets or keyrings.  In February, Marcia McAllister was back for our group today and gave each of us a message after our crystal bowl meditation. My dear friend, Suzanne Smith, brought a cake for Heather's birthday today and we sang her Happy Birthday...I realized I'd never done that as she was only with me 8 months. It was a very special day indeed ❤️💜

-Written by Tami Clinard Brooks, Affiliate Leader of Helping Parents Heal - The Villages

Helping Parents Heal - Shining Light Moms' Boxing
Samantha Ford

Samantha held another wonderful, healing session of Shining Light Moms' Boxing on January 26th and we all had a blast.  I did a short FB Live recording at the beginning of our class; please click here to view!  We hope you can all join us next time.  No prior boxing experience is necessary, the class is free and Samantha provides a pair of loaner gloves!  

Helping Parents Heal - San Diego
The HPH - San Diego January Meeting

We started off the New Year by learning to create Maori Mandala Soul Portraits through the guidance of Suzan Tusson-McNeil. Suzan (PCEAF, CPCC, and CHWC), who offers well-being programs using art and writing, explained how ancient Maori Medicine Men created these drawings and how they and their tribes utilized them as sacred portraiture of their work for the coming year.

After instructing us on how to create the Soul Portraits, she led us on a guided meditation, and then we each began, staying completely silent as we worked. When our mandalas were completed, Suzan explained how to interpret each person’s work. The soul portraits are used as a tool to show us how to support our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being to help us maintain a balanced lifestyle. The end result is a bit like a road map on where to focus our energy for the year, and where we can rest. The ultimate goal is to do them yearly.

We finished with a closing meditation and then shared what we learned about ourselves. Some were surprised at the results, but after reflection were able to make sense of where they needed to focus their energy and healing. Others, though, found their goals and ideas to be substantiated. It was an enlightening exercise!

Click here for an instruction guide on how to do your own Soul Portraits  💗🌺🙏

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal San Diego Affiliate Leader, Dawn Richards

New Group! Helping Parents Heal - Torrance/Downey
The Parents of Helping Parents Heal, Torrance/Downey 

We had a very successful first meeting this afternoon with the new Los Angeles area (Torrance/Downey) affiliate group. We had 14 participants (not all are pictured). Our guest speaker was Linda Zelick, also a shining light parent, who spoke about her book, From Despair to Hope, and shared some of the many signs from her son. ❤️

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal - Torrance/Downey Co-Affiliate Leader, Dolores Cruz 

Helping Parents Heal - Portland
Mabel, the altar

HPH Portland met on the 3rd Saturday of January and already look forward to our February meeting on 2/15.  Our group is proving to be incredibly open, loving and insightful.  We open each meeting by lighting a candle for our children asking them to join us (which we know they already are!).  The magic began shortly after when our French Bulldog/Pug, Mabel, positioned herself underneath the “altar”.  Of all the places Mabel cozies up, she has NEVER been under the table!  Spirit certainly guided her to the power coming through.  Once we were settled, we listened to a Reconnection from Sandra Champlain.  Most everyone connected with their child in some way and several mentioned seeing the spirits of all of our children together in support of our work.  It was incredibly powerful and I invite you all to utilize this gift from Sandra and the many others that provide free guided visualizations on their websites.  We spent the last 30 minutes or so discussing recommended books about the afterlife and ended with hugs and well-wishes for all. 

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal - Portland Co-Affiliate Leader, Marc Adams

Helping Parents Heal - Parents of Children with Special Needs
Debra Martin

HPH Parents of Children with Special Needs met via zoom on February 3, with special guest speaker Debra Martin, Medium/Healer, www.goldenmiracles.com. When the meeting was initially scheduled, Debra did not know that this event would be on the eve of the release of her new book, Doctors, Faith and Courage. We all noted this was surely Divinely timed, as our children in spirit lived their lives ever involved with doctors. How appropriate for them to usher in Debra’s book, which will surely offer hope, help and healing to so many as they undergo life’s challenges, as well as those who work amongst the medical community. Thank you so very much, Debra, for your devotion to Helping Parents Heal.  Our next meeting will be March 2, via zoom. 

Please read about Craig Nelson's validation with his son Alex through Debra Nelson on the right-hand column!

-Written by our HPH Parents of Children with Special Needs Affiliate Leader, Lisa Wilcoxson

Helping Parents Heal - Tucson 
The parents of Helping Parents Heal - Tucson

Helping Parents Heal- Unity Tucson had a great meeting on January 19th! Evidential Spiritual Medium Melinda Kushner joined us via Zoom, sharing her knowledge of spirit and answering questions from our parents. She also provided several wonderful evidential connections with our children. Very uplifting and healing for all. 

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal Tucson Co-Affiliate Leader, Terri Petz

Helping Parents Heal - Phoenix/ScottsdaleJeff Hollahan presents to 40 parents in Phoenix/Scottsdale at our January meeting

We had an uplifting, healing afternoon meeting at Unity of Phoenix with Shining Light Dad Jeff Hollahan as our guest speaker. He explained his road to healing and the miraculous events that followed his son Devon's transition.

This meeting was a bit different than most of our meetings because I recorded it with Facebook Live. This allowed members from all over the country and the world to tune in and watch Jeff speak. Doing so was very well-received and we will continue to offer FB Live meetings with our guest speakers.  You can view the recording by clicking here.

Thank you for all watching and commenting - it meant a lot to know that you were all with us as we listened to Jeff's wise words.

We also had a raffle for a free registration for Susanne Wilson's SoulPower Workshop, which will take place from January 25-26. Lisa Dziuk was the lucky winner! And we raffled off 3 books by Jeff Janssen, 'The Ten Things You Learn in Heaven.'

Love and light to all of you and to your beautiful children, and thanks, Jeff! 

-Love and light, Elizabeth Boisson, Affiliate Leader of Phoenix/Scottsdale

Helping Parents Heal - Madison
Mary Bertun and Chas, Tava Wilson and Christina

In January, we had the most awesome meeting ever. We were joined by members of the Akron/Cleveland affiliate and did an exercise where we connected with those in spirit, listened and wrote down what we received. Our children were with us and the energy was high. We heard some amazing messages! The video recording is posted on our HPH Madison WI affiliate site. If you would like a copy of the 20-minute exercise we used, please email Tava Wilson or Mary Bertun at: madisonhph@gmail.com 💕

-Written by our Helping Parents Heal - Madison Co-Affiliate Leader, Mary Bertun

Board Members and Officers of Helping Parents Heal: 
Elizabeth Boisson - President & Co-F0under/ elizabeth@helpingparentsheal.org
Irene Vouvalides - Vice President and Conference Chair/ ivouvalides@aol.com
Mark Ireland - Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board / irelandmarks@yahoo.com
Doryce Norwood / dnorwood@circlek.com
Ernie Jackson / stonejak4@hotmail.com
Jason Durham - Chief Information Officer / jason@helpingparentsheal.org
Brian Smith / onlyhuman141@gmail.com
Jeff Hollahan / jeff-hollahan@cox.net

Treasurer: Theresa Wettstein/ pathwaysacctg@gmail.com
Secretary: Laurie Savoie / laurie6385@gmail.com
Admin: Celia Edwards / cdedwards@cox.net
Affiliate Directors: Dawn Richards and Mary Bertun / HPHALDirector@gmail.com

You can read the bios and see photos of each of the affiliate leaders on the Groups page of our website: www.helpingparentsheal.org.
Mission Statement of Helping Parents Heal: Our mission is to help bereaved parents, giving them support and resources to aid in the healing process. We will go a step beyond other groups by allowing the open discussion of spiritual experiences and evidence for the Afterlife in a non-dogmatic way. In other words, we will welcome everyone regardless of their religious (or non-religious) background and allow for a very open type of dialog. We receive all and do not judge people or their children on the basis of life choices. -Mark Ireland, Cofounder, Helping Parents Heal

Note: Information in the Helping Parents Heal newsletter is provided for the sole purpose of assisting you in finding resources (information, meetings, books, etc.) to aid in the bereavement process. This newsletter is not intended to endorse, sponsor or encourage your use of any of the information or services listed, whether from members or other individuals. Rather, our intent is simply to inform you of the vast amount of resources available for your consideration. We urge you to independently research and consider the value of any particular resource for yourself. Further, while we take steps to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, especially relative to linked media, we accept no liability for the content. Helping Parents Heal is a non-profit Corporation



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Helpful, Healing Information

Stories of Validation-

Craig Nelson's Validation Story with his son, Alex
Alex, Craig's new planner

I wanted to share an amazing validation from my son Alex. This validation I received happen to have started from an online Zoom session that Lisa Wilcoxson, who is over the HPH Parents of children with special needs group set up with us and the Medium/Healer Debra Martin. We were fortunate to have her dedicate her time to speak to us and give us messages and advise that she was receiving from our children. In this session, Debra shared a very inspirational personal story and she brought in the messages that she was receiving from our kids. One of the first things she shared from them was a message that she said was coming from two boys. She said that they are telling us that it is very important for us to keep a daily planner and to write down the things that we can do to bring joy into our lives. Of course, I wondered if one of these little boys could be Alex, my rational mind wanted to dismiss what she was saying as being a true message from my son, however, I forced my mind to quiet down and to stay open to this really being a message from him.

So as Debra continued she shared a personal story that made me see synchronicity between her and our special kids who have passed over. She shared a heartfelt story of her personal life and a challenge that has involved facial nerves. This challenge forced her to experience the uncomfortable sympathetic looks that people would give or she had to deal with the ones that would turn away and treat her as if she was invisible. This was something that I was very familiar with. It always amazed me that people would let their kids just stand and stare at my son, or how parents would give us this sympathetic look as he would reflect his autism.

Thankfully my son did not seem to care as much as I did, however, this story Debra shared really resonated with me. So as Debra shared her story I began to see the connection she has to them and then as Debra shared this heartfelt story she began to tell us that our kids are all saying thank you. She became emotional as she expressed the gratitude that our kids were sending us; they were telling us 'thank you' for always seeing them as a beautiful person and never making them feel less than this. She said that they were saying that they are now just as beautiful as we always made them feel. Debra and all of us could feel the love that was flowing through from them and the gratitude they were sending out to us. So after several other messages, we closed the session with love flowing through our hearts and a strong connection to them and the ones in our group.

Anyway, my validation from Alex came 2 days later. I happened to open my mailbox to find a package from my retirement fund. I assumed it was typical junk that they send out about some mutual fund, however, I open it and I find a daily planner book. I was confused at first because I wondered why I got it and I think to myself that I have never received any gifts from them. It's not like I have much money with this management company. Then it hit me, I remembered what Debra was telling us a couple of days before. I instantly remembered the message from the 2 boys. I then thought of the procrastination I had in my head as she was telling us this. I then laughed to myself and said: “Wow Alex, you are something else”.

So as I stare at this planner flipping through the pages, glancing over and reading the inspirational messages that are scattered throughout the book, I was feeling as if they were direct messages from him. I also sent out a thank you to my son and told him that he knew me too well. He knew that I am the kind of person that would have probably never actually started writing in a daily planner, especially writing down the joyful things I want to do or did. Also, I have to say that I loved that he used my retirement fund as the path to get me this book. After thinking about this it made so much sense to me, especially when you think about this physical life we are living here on earth. I personally have always felt that our spiritual existence and the life here is for elevating our soul to a higher place, a place to which we long to go when we pass on, and the place some may call heaven. So in a way, all this knowledge that we received from Debra and our kids about ways to stay joyful and positive is to elevate our souls to a higher place. This work that we put into trying to stay positive, fighting away the negative and doing what it takes to rise above the lowest of times is for the elevation of our soul, or as I prefer to say nowadays, it's a shifting of our energy to a higher frequency of life.

As we work to do the things that are required for this elevation and hope that a day will come when we no longer have to carry around the heaviness of grief or whatever it may be that is bringing our soulful light down, it reminded me that this is similar to working hard and putting money away in a retirement fund. We do not question this when we do this because the outcome of not doing it has severe consequences. We know that it is important to work hard and to save our money for a time when we can retire. When you think about it, our retirements are a lot like what we would call heaven. It's a time where we are free and no longer have to be tied down to a job. A time that we can travel and see the world. A time that so many of us dream about doing all the things that we truly want to do.

We all know that before this time arrives it's important for us to be responsible and to work hard and save up, because the more money or energy we put into this retirement fund, the more comfortable and enjoyable this short time of our life will be. So this is a lot like putting in the work that it takes for our soul growth. The more effort we put into elevating our soul, the more energetic we become and the more radiant we will be. The more radiant we are the more light we can bring into this world. The brighter you shine the easier it will be for our kids to connect to us, and the higher we soar.

So, thank you Debra Martin for sharing yourself and some of the insight from your new book with us and for helping us to connect to our children. Also, I send out a big Thank You to my beautiful son Alex and all the other beautiful souls that has helped you in arranging such an amazing validation.

-Written by Alex's Dad, Craig Nelson

Would you like to share a story of validation or healing with other Parents? We are all able to heal when we share personal stories about our children with others.  Moreover, everyone benefits from validations that we receive from our children.  We love to hear about them!  If you have a story that you would like to share about your child, please let us know and we will include it in a future newsletter.  Please send it to Elizabeth Boisson at elizabeth@helpingparentsheal.org (Due to space limitations, please be sure it is no longer than 500-600 words.) 


View our Events Page on Facebook
Upcoming Meetings of Helping Parents Heal
Helping Parents Heal - Scottsdale Book Club, hosted by Lynn and Jeff Hollahan with special guest LeAnn Hull, author of 'How to Live When You Want to Die', February 9th.  Please click here to RSVP and learn more!
NEW GROUP! Helping Parents Heal - Fredericksburg with Kathy and Andy MacMannis on February 27th.  Please RSVP and learn more here.  
NEW GROUP! Helping Parents Heal - Peoria/West Side on February 12th with Ernie and Kristine Jackson.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
NEW GROUP! Helping Parents Heal - Maui led by Susan Ward.  The next meeting will be on March 3rd.  Please RSVP or learn more by clicking here.
NEW GROUP! Helping Parents Heal Vancouver on February 18th with Rebecca Lavin.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Binghamton, NY led by Rosanne Groover Norris on February 13th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
NEW GROUP!  Helping Parents Heal - Rhode Island led by Elizabeth Alvarez and Laurie Ranaldi on February 12th.  Please RSVP or learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Coldwater, MI on February 17th with Louise Crist.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
NEW GROUP!  Helping Parents Heal - Bay Area, led by Marilene Madsen and Beverly Wilson, meets on February 23rd.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
NEW GROUP! Helping Parents Heal - Portland with Marc and Annie Adams, on February 20th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Shining Light Moms' Boxing with Samantha Cordi Ford, please email Samantha for next date and time: jabzn.phoenix@gmail.com
Helping Parents Heal - Phoenix/Scottsdale on February 16th hosted by Elizabeth Boisson.  I will be leading parents through a guided meditation called Yoga Nidra to connect with our children.  Please here to learn more and join us! 
Helping Parents Heal - Twin Cities, hosted by Lynn Argetsinger, Pamela Demars, and Sue Burns on February 22nd.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
ONLINE: Helping Parents Heal - Parents of Children who have Passed from an Addiction, February 24th from 2-4 pm AZ time, 5-7 EST.  Please click here to learn more and RSVP! 
Helping Parents Heal - Meditation Group ONLINE hosted by David and Allison Alison on February 19th.  Please click here to RSVP or learn more.
Helping Parents Heal - San Luis Obispo with Michele and Bill Tillery, on February 15th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Coachella Valley with Vickie Ruff on February 12th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Fathers Heal ONLINE, hosted by Mike Edwards, meets every week by Zoom.  Please contact Mike for future dates and times: mikeedwards.hph@gmail.com
Helping Parents Heal - Philadelphia hosted by Keri Bernstein and Mandy Dorfman on March 4th. Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Parents Heal - The Villages, FL, hosted by Tami Brooks, the first and third Mondays of every month.  The next meeting will be on February 10th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. Helping Parents Heal - Washington DC hosted by Julia LaJoie and Rita Kozushin on March 2nd.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
NEW GROUP!  Helping Parents Heal - Danvers, VA with Renee Jacavacno on February 24th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
ONLINE: Helping Parents Heal - Parents of Children with Special Needs, hosted by Lisa Wilcoxson, on March 2nd. Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  Helping Parents Heal - Cave Creek, AZ hosted by Carol Allen on March 5th. Please RSVP here.
Helping Parents Heal - Atlanta South Side with Jean Felts and Pat Kane Rudd, on March 2nd.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Mat-Su Valley, Alaska, hosted by Jean Pretorius and Dawn Harris, on February 28th - Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Sedona with Jean-Marc and Leslie Zuczek.  Their next meeting will be February 17th.  Please RSVP and learn more here.
Helping Parents Heal - Rockville, MD with Christiane Robbins and Debbie O'Connor with special guest Dr. Mark Pitstick on February 20th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Long Island with Patricia and Michael McHenry on February 12th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Fort Myers/Cape Coral with Laura Baltodano on February 12th. Please RSVP here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Central CT with Sharon Cavanaugh and Denise Del Favero on February 25th. Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Ventura County hosted by Gloria Burciaga on February 12th.  Please RSVP and learn more here.
Gentle Yoga for Healing Grief with Elizabeth Boisson - Desert Broom Library, Phoenix, every Tuesday from 11:15-12:15 pm.  This class is free.  Please click here to learn more.  
Helping Parents Heal - Austin.  Our wonderful Affiliate Leaders Daisy Dongieux and Becky Yatsu will be stepping down. Please contact Tava Wilson for more information at tavawilson@yahoo.comHelping Parents Heal - Southern New Hampshire hosted by Marta Ferreira and Anne Silanskas.  Please contact Marta for more information at Marta.ferreira4919@gmail.comHelping Parents Heal - Ottowa hosted by Patti May, on May 16th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - London, UK, hosted by Kathleen Baillie on February 25th, please click here to RSVP and learn more.  
Helping Parents Heal - Tampa, FL hosted by Marla Grant. Amy Diehl, and Cathy Zimmerman, with special guest Dr. Mark Pitstick on February 19th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Flagstaff hosted by Janean Quigley and Dana Middlebrook on March 1st. Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Indianapolis hosted by Brooke and Jordan Scherer on March 2nd  Please RSVP and learn more here.
Helping Parents Heal - Pittsburg with Tracee Slagel and Marilyn Vincenti on March 7th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Leesburg with Colleen Smith on February 16th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Toronto hosted by Teresa Cernigliaro and Karen Wilson, February 27th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Madison hosted by Mary Bertun and Tava Wilson on February 11th. Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Bergen County, NJ with Marla Kallin and Irene Stuart, February 25th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - San Diego with Dawn Richards, Catalina Flores and Laurie Clements on February 9th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Akron/Cleveland with Christine Moncheck and Sylvia Christian February 11th.  Please RSVP and learn more here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Hilton Head, hosted by Irene Vouvalides on February 9th.  Please RSVP and learn more here. 
Helping Parents Heal - Tucson hosted by Terri Petz, on February 9th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Please join Donna Tasker for Helping Parents Heal - Mississippi Gulf Coast February 18th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Atlanta hosted by Tammy Thomas Wardemann.  Please contact Tammy for future dates and times: twardemann@live.com
Helping Parents Heal - Chicago, hosted by Alicia Moag-Stahlberg. Please contact Alicia for more information: aliciastahlberg@comcast.net
Helping Parents Heal - Raleigh, hosted by Shannon McDonald and Kimberly Whitehead. Please contact Shannon for future dates and times: samcd71@msn.com
Helping Parents Heal - Brentwood/Nashville hosted by Maggie Spaulding on February 12th!  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Orlando with Chris Lowe on February 13th.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.
Helping Parents Heal - Houston, hosted by Pamela Hidinger on February 15th.  Please learn more and RSVP by clicking here.  
Helping Parents Heal - Phoenix/Scottsdale with the members of Helping Parents Heal who participated in the documentary by Craig McMahon, 'Life to Afterlife, Mom, Can You Hear Me?' as well as Craig, a Shining Light Sibling, on March 15th.  Please come with questions!  This meeting will be available to all members on FB Live.  Please RSVP and learn more by clicking here.  

The Amazon Smile Program - Help us help more Parents!
Please designate Helping Parents Heal Inc as your preferred charity on the Amazon Smile program. This will allow 0.5% of eligible purchases on Amazon to help fund our 2020 conference.

Just log in, type in 'Amazon Smile' into the search bar at the top of the page, and then choose 'Helping Parents Heal Inc' as your preferred charity. Then, when you log on to Amazon, remember to do so at: smile.amazon.com. And THANK YOU!   
















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