Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Maureen – “Trust yourself”

Maureen talks about finding your own way in your healing process.

Jacqueline – How to help a grieving friend

Jacqueline discusses the power of just being there with someone in grief

Sara – Listening to music

Sara discusses how listening to music can help navigate loss

Sara – Music at the end of life

Sara talks about the values of music at the end of life

Jen – “Breathing and grief”

Jen talks about how breathing and yoga can help cope.

Madelyn – Holding space

Madelyn explains how holding space can help anyone in grief

Jacqueline – Humour

Jacqueline talks about how huour has a place in grieving

A Million Other Things: Grieving a Drug Poisoning Death

Sister, father, son, niece, best friend – some of these words might be how you would describe your loved one who has died of an overdose or drug poisoning. People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) are not defined by their substance use – they are a million other things to those who love and miss them dearly. Drug poisoning and overdose deaths are stigmatized in our society. The focus is on how the person died, not who they are. Society still holds onto old notions and beliefs about drugs which come with a value judgment about people who use drugs, which further contributes to stigma. Not everyone who uses drugs is an addict and not all drug use is inherently problematic. People who use drugs deserve dignity and respect when we are remembering and honouring those who have died by overdose or drug poisoning.

Katie “Ongoing Grief”

Katie talks about the loss of her mother.

Jenn – Art can be grounding and meditative

Jenn explains how the textures , qualities and colours of art can be grounding and meditative

Rev. Sky – “Helping a friend”

Rev. Sky discusses the grief motto 80% listening, 20% talking and how to help someone in grief.

Ripples of Grief: Supporting Ourselves, Others, and our Communities After a Death

By Jessica Milette, MSW, RSW When death knocks on the door of a community, each of us are impacted. Sometimes a death will touch many lives across a community, whether people knew the deceased personally or not. We may grieve the death of a family member, friend, or acquaintance, a well-known community member, or someone…