I Am A Professional

Christian – Supporting people who may die

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about going from zero overdoses to 50 in a matter of months and how to help people who may die

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

Christian – Grieving those who died of drug poisoning

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about grieving, stigma and dying from drug poisoning

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

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

Caleigh – Play Therapy

February 22, 2023

Caileigh explains how play therapy, a form of psychotherapy can help children in grief. It is specifically used when working with children and families and youth because it’s developmentally appropriate. They are never expected to sit down and to talk. And it is through the language of play that they’re able to learn about the confusing feelings of grief. They are able to learn new skills to cope with their grief, and they’re able to go at their own pace.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Poetry, Comedy, & Art for Grieving

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses using poetry and other forms of creative expression as a distraction from her grief and to disassociate in a safe and productive way. She discusses grief being love with nowhere to go, so she puts it into art.

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

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

The Reflection Room® project: How storytelling supports processing grief

March 17, 2023

The Reflection Room project is an evidence-based participatory art installation that was developed by researchers at the SE Research Centre and Memorial University in 2016. The project included a research component that evaluated the impact of Reflection Rooms as the project adapted over time to address changing needs.

Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Death During Service / Death of A Loved One / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional

Christian – Grieving the whole person

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about how we choose remember people when there has been a loss to drug poisoning

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

Nicole – Using Art and Creativity to Express Grief

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses the work she does to allow access to creative outlets such as art hives and gardening.

Art / Collective/Community Grief / 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 / Video