I Am A Professional

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Video

Jessica M – My Story

June 13, 2023

Jessica talks about losing her grandfather at 14 when her mother was terminal, her mother and aunt died when she was 15. She felt alone until she found a peer support group

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of a Grandparent / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / My Story Video / Video

Nicole – Advice for Other Professionals Managing Grief

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses dealing with repeated loss while working in community outreach, not being afraid to be human.

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others / Video

Craig – Grieving as a Single Parent

August 2, 2023

In this video, Craig talks about the challenges of grieving as a single parent. He shares his own experiences and offers advice on how to cope with grief, talk to your kids about what’s happening, and ask for help from others.This video is for any single parent who is grieving the loss of a loved one. It is also for anyone who knows a single parent who is grieving and wants to offer support.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Jessica M – A Parking Lot Memorial

June 13, 2023

Jessica shares how her family gathered after her uncle died during COVID and how her family came up with a creative way of getting together in a parking lot.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – The Value of all Those Lost

April 23, 2023

Kristal emphasizes that the lives of those lost to drug poisoning had value, they were an opportunity that was lost, and that the community is missing so much in their absence.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Nicole – Power of Speaking About Lost Ones

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses the importance of sharing memories of those lost to drug poisoning and speaking their names.

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death of A Loved One / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others / Video

There One Day and Gone the Next : Art Therapy and Grief

December 2, 2022

This blog post contains information about using art therapy to process grief, including specific examples.

Art / Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others

Christian – COVID amplified the inequities in society

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about those that have very little and how COVID amplified their difficulties

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Caileigh – Working with children in grief

February 23, 2023

Caileigh shares why she likes working with and supporting children in grief. “Over the course of their lives, children and youth and families experience a lot of losses, and it’s an empowering job to empower others. I’m not only empowering them, but I’m also building parent capacity in recognizing that it does take a village and it takes a community to support a child.”

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others / Video

Jessica M – The value of talking about grief

June 13, 2023

Jessica talks about living in North America and the fear many people have about talking about grief but that it is very important to talk. It makes us feel less alone and helps us move through our grief. It’s also how you can keep your lost one alive.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others / Video

Caileigh – Sharing grief experience to spread hope and kindness

February 23, 2023

Caileigh talks about taking the opportunity to share her personal and professional grief experiences as a way to spread hope and to spread kindness.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video