Moving Forward, Not Moving On: A New Conversation About Grief

Grief expert Melissa Hull shares a healthier approach to healing after the loss of a child during Mental Health Awareness Month

CHARLOTTE, N.C. and YUMA, Ariz., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, making it a great time to put grief in the spotlight. Millions of people experience grief around the country each year after losing a loved one, and those who lose a child are hit especially hard. The mental anguish that parents feel is often met with a message that they need to "move on," which isn't helpful or healthy. Grief expert Melissa Hull has set out to change the conversation to instead focus on "moving forward," despite the grief.

"We cannot simply tell grieving parents to move on, as if nothing has happened and they just need to pull up their boot straps and get back to business," said Melissa Hull, Certified Heart-Centered Grief & Bereavement Specialist, speaker, and author of "DearDrew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief". "There's so much more to it than that. We must resolve to make the conversation about moving forward, so that people can still enjoy life even though they have such a profound loss."

Hull knows firsthand what the loss of a child feels like and the grief and guilt that ensues. She lost her son to a drowning incident and has since turned her pain into purpose, helping others navigate through such a difficult time. Her book gently guides people into knowing the difference between moving on and moving forward, and offers practical advice on how to rebuild life after such a trauma.

According to the National Institutes of Health, when someone dies, your world changes, and it may leave the person feeling numb, shocked, and fearful. People may experience a range of emotions, including anger, guilt, and sorrow. There is no right or wrong way to mourn or feelings that one should not have, but holding onto those things for too long will keep the person stuck and may lead to unhealthy behaviors or life disruptions that keep people from being able to work or engage.

There are five stages of grief that people tend to go through following loss, according to Harvard Health. There is no set timeline on how long they take, with it lasting from months to years. Understanding the stages can help people gain better insight into the emotions they are experiencing. The five stages include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Here are tips those grieving can keep in mind to help gently move forward:

• Learn everything you can. Grieving is a process and one that you don't have to be held back by forever. The more you know about how to grieve in a healthy way and the tools you can use to help you do it, the better off you will be.
• Get help whenever needed. Some people may not be able to make it through the process on their own, and there's nothing wrong with that. Get assistance from a counselor or grief expert, who can help with the process and provide guidance where needed.
• Know that you are not alone. Many others are going through the same and similar emotions. Consider joining an online or in-person grief support group, which can be beneficial.
• Reframe the discussion. As mentioned, forget the idea of moving on, and instead focus on moving forward. It's important to learn that you can still live a full life despite having the loss.
• Be gentle on yourself. Following a loss there is going to be a range of emotions that come and go and it is okay to allow yourself to feel them. Also, let yourself grieve at your own pace.

Hull's book has been mindfully written to help grieving parents, especially those following the first year after losing a child, to navigate through their emotions. Through her own experience, she has learned the way forward and shares it with others who are also grieving. She has spent over 20 years learning what works to help people move forward. The tools she offers people help them rebuild their life and find hope after profound loss. She focuses on ensuring that people don't simply move on, but that they move forward with the grief they carry.

"I know moving forward after loss is the most difficult thing someone will ever do, but they can do it and need to," said Hull. "My purpose is to give them the blueprint to do it. I do so with the utmost compassion and understanding of where they are and where I know they can be."

Hull is not only a grief expert, but she is also a guide for fully living after loss. Her work integrates meditation and spiritual connection, energy work and Reiki, somatic and grounding practices, emotional processing and mindset work, and Dr. David R. Hawkins' Map of Consciousness. She focuses on helping people who have experienced loss to build a life that is bigger than grief by incorporating what actually helps people move forward with it. She is also a speaker who shares her story and what she's learned about living a full life with grief. To get more information and access her free tools, visit her site at: https://www.melissahull.com/. Her book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and other major retailers.

About Melissa Hull

Melissa Hull is an author, international speaker, award-winning humanitarian, and global voice in grief, healing, and personal transformation. She helps individuals navigate loss and rebuild lives rooted in purpose, meaning, and resilience, guiding them to live fully after loss. With over 20 years of experience, Hull combines lived insight with tools such as meditation and energy healing to support emotional restoration and growth. She is the author of Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief and offers a range of resources through her platform, including a comprehensive online library, the Greater Than Grief self-study program, and a free gratitude journal. Her book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and other major retailers.To get more information, visit the website at: https://www.melissahull.com/

Sources:

National Institutes of Health. Coping with Grief and Loss. July 2024. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/grief-and-mourning/coping-grief-and-loss

Harvard Health. 5 Stages of grief: Coping with the loss of a loved one. December 2023. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/5-stages-of-grief-coping-with-the-loss-of-a-loved-one

SOURCE Melissa Hull