The concept of "healing" has been shaped by colonial and Western frameworks, often reducing its rich, cultural meanings to a narrow, medicalized view. In many Indigenous and non-Western cultures, healing is a holistic process involving the body, mind, spirit, and community. It is not just an individual journey but a collective process deeply connected to cultural practices, spirituality, and nature. However, colonialism has marginalized these diverse understandings, imposing a Western-centric view of healing that often dismisses traditional practices as "primitive" or "superstitious.”

In the context of grief, the word "healing" can be particularly harmful. It often implies that grief is a condition that can be "cured" or resolved in a linear, predictable way. This perspective can pressure individuals to feel they need to "move on" or reach a point of closure, which doesn't align with the reality of many people's experiences. Grief is often non-linear, complex, and cyclical, resurfacing unexpectedly and fluctuating in intensity over time. The concept of healing may inadvertently suggest that there is an endpoint to grief or that one can fully recover from it, which can invalidate the ongoing nature of the grieving process.

Framing grief in terms of "healing" can also pathologize normal, healthy responses to loss, treating them as something that needs to be fixed rather than honored and worked through in one’s own time and way. This can be especially harmful in cultures or contexts where grief is seen as a form of resistance or where mourning is connected to broader struggles for justice or recognition.

A term that might better capture a more cyclical and holistic approach to living with grief is "integration." Integration suggests incorporating the experience of grief into one's life in a way that acknowledges its ongoing presence and influence. It recognizes that grief becomes a part of who we are, shaping our experiences, perspectives, and emotional landscape over time. This approach honors the idea that grief is something we live with, adapt to, and find ways to carry forward in a meaningful way. Or perhaps other terms like "reconciliation," "adaptation," or "evolution" resonate with you to help emphasize the ongoing process of navigating grief rather than seeking a definitive endpoint.

By expanding our understanding of healing beyond the narrow confines of Western medicine, we can create space for more compassionate, culturally sensitive, and community-oriented approaches to well-being.