Feedback From Our Clients
A few positive words from those seeking guidance and advice in tough times
I found myself struggling with a grief that was so overwhelming that I was having trouble functioning. At some point in the day, every day, something would trigger the feeling of loss that hurt so bad it left me struggling to breathe and struggling to hide my pain and pretend I was ok. My loss was unexpected, severe and compounded by multiple losses close together. My rational self understands that my loss is surely no worse than the loss that many others have suffered and likely not as bad as some. As a strong independent woman that never asked for help I had no idea what to do. I literally lost the two people who knew how to help when I didn’t know how to ask for help. I was falling apart a little more every day. I saw a post from Heather on her Grief Recovery program and thought it seemed very interesting. I knew I needed help but having had a bad experience with a counselor, I wanted a plan to work through my grief not just someone to ask me how does that make me feel. We are almost halfway through the program and I feel like a different person. The pain isn’t gone. It has however become manageable and I look and feel more like myself again and less like the zombie I was becoming. I am learning how to process my grief in a more constructive way and I have hope that I will be able to find closure for a lifetime of losses that I have not previously handled. I have hope that I will learn to grieve respectfully and still be able to go on with my life in a way that honors those that I have loved and lost. I will be forever grateful to Heather for giving me my life back.
Happy Client
In her class “Death and Dying,” Professor Leigh helps students reflect on the last great mystery of life…death. In a friendly, enjoyable atmosphere, we are encouraged to confront our fears and discuss death as well as practical applications such as what to say to someone in mourning and funeral etiquette. Professor Leigh has a caring and considerate teaching style that makes the class engaging but challenging.
Karson
Prof Leigh I would like to thank you for being an awesome professor. My four whole years at Columbia College I can say you are truly one of a kind and my favorite professor at this college. You have made my time here worthwhile. I can always count on you, to be honest, and tell your opinion in a respectful manner. With your teaching, I am able to use what you have taught me to help me through this journey of life and I just want to say thank you again for being a wonderful professor.
M.T.
To My Professor Thank you, thank you, thank you for being the wonderful confidant and instructor that you have been this entire semester. I appreciate the feedback you provided throughout the semester as well as answers to pending questions that I used to have prior to beginning this class. It is because of you that I feel I am somewhat qualified to help others in the death and dying process and have also gained information to help people live more instead of living their lives with limitations. I wanted to thank you for your guidance as well and for your gentle and kind words when I was having a difficult time dealing with my emotions during an episode on Netflix that we had watched. I am forever grateful to have met you and learned from your wisdom. It is because of you that I was able to really sit down and deal with my personal feelings and biases towards the death and dying process and how some people choose to go about things. Up until the middle of the semester I was battling with grief and emotions I had yet to handle and had just pushed to the back of my mind, but I am truly grateful to you for showing me how to do so. I would ask that you stay in contact and even provide further classes to dig deeper into the information we have already learned in this class; I’m sure that everyone would appreciate it and even be eager to take another class instructed by you. No one told me that this journey throughout this class would be easy, but I underestimated it and even underestimated the strength I possessed in order to deal with myself so to better help others…you showed me that. Thank you for everything you have done for us, thank you for being understanding and even for thinking about us when we’ve experienced rough days and weren’t ready to take on the load. Thank you for being a shoulder to lean on and thank you once again for the well-taught lessons that without this class, I wouldn’t have been able to learn on my own or even have been able to handle and move through life on my own without your expertise and guidance!
B.A.
Oh man, the end. I feel like we were just getting started in this course. Oddly enough, I can honestly say that this has been my favorite class of them all. Looking at myself and comparing my initial thoughts on this idea of death to now, I have seen a lot of growth. Not to say that I can go to a lunch table and randomly bring up the topic of death, that would just be insane. Or would it? At the point that I am at right now with it, I feel like I actually could and feel comfortable with doing it. Back to a serious note, this class has truly taught me the importance of living, dying, and the end of life process. From the movies that made me cry for two days, to our casual group discussions, I learned a great deal from you and from other students that I hope to teach my friends and family. You have made an impact on my life not just as a professor, but as a friend as well. I hope you continue to teach this class on this campus because many students and professors can learn a lot from this course material. Well, Professor Leigh, it has been one hell of a road and I am extremely grateful for it all. You did one hell of a job with this course! I wish the best for you and I hope to see you again before graduation!
I. R.
In conclusion, I would like to say that even though I was very skeptical about this class and what we will learn in it, I am glad that I had the opportunity to take it. This class changed my view of death and taught me how to appreciate life more. Attending this class was an amazing experience. I not only learned so many new things but can also use what I learned later in life and help people at their hardest times. Last thing, Professor Leigh, I want to thank you for the great experience you gave us this semester. You didn’t concentrate on quizzes and exams, that would just stress us out, instead, you concentrate on discussions and talking about personal experiences. You shared so many stories with us so that we can have the real picture about life and death. You made this class more about life and than about death. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet you and I hope you continue to do what you do because you are doing a very generous job!!
Professor Leigh is always so motivational and willing to answer any questions I have, and she is such a good listener. I am especially grateful for the time when we spent an entire class period discussing an issue I was having with my roommate and gaining sound advice from not only my professor but from the other students as well. From this class, I learned more about myself and it made me think about my career from a whole different angle. I really appreciated the overall effort that the class contributed during class discussions because it allowed me to continue to think outside of the classroom. I would like to thank my classmates and my professor for creating an environment where I felt welcomed and where I learned the skills and information that I will carry with me for a lifetime. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Leigh and her unstoppable passion for connection and desire for personal growth in learning for each of her students.
V. S.