DiscoverThe Grief Journey By MayrimYaffa Dyckman, LCSW: Recognizing Life’s Optical Illusion
Yaffa Dyckman, LCSW: Recognizing Life’s Optical Illusion

Yaffa Dyckman, LCSW: Recognizing Life’s Optical Illusion

Update: 2025-09-25
Share

Description

Your feedback is what keeps us going. Whether it’s positive, constructive, or somewhere in between — we appreciate it all. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or recommendations for our podcast, please share them with us!

The morning after her baby passed away, Yaffa looked out the window and saw the sun shining. She couldn’t understand how the sun can shine when there was an empty crib in her home and baby clothes that would never be worn again.

With time and a lot of inner work, she and her husband came to a new perspective. Yaffa describes life as an optical illusion: when you focus on only one part of the picture, it can hurt unbearably. But when you pull back and the picture shifts you can see something greater at play. Instead of feeling that they “lost” their son, they came to realize that they had gained 14 precious months with him. As Yaffa says, it is better to have had him for that time than for him never to have been born.

Today, Yaffa is an LCSW who works extensively with clients on their trauma. She shares with us how trauma affects the body and mind—and how recognizing when you’re “stuck” can be the first step toward healing. With the right communication skills and openness to accept help or support from organizations, people can move forward in ways they never imagined.

Yaffa misses her baby, who would be around 22 years old today. She feels the pain at times, but she doesn’t allow herself to stay stuck there. Instead, she chooses to look for faith and continue forward, finding the light in life even through loss.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsK24OSmIYG_XWzeplhfmb8LJcWKphITh&si=untn3fmHLLaEEFNm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relief-from-grief-by-mayrim/id1788349916

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3AvWNp0DrHqE5AVYJHooiK?si=ufpIObuGRumS5uFXmvrpgA

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Yaffa Dyckman, LCSW: Recognizing Life’s Optical Illusion

Yaffa Dyckman, LCSW: Recognizing Life’s Optical Illusion

Miriam Ribiat