Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Amanda – “Ministry of Presence”

Amanda discusses how being present with someone can be helpful.

Maureen – “Our 20th Anniversary”

Maureen talks about she dealt with her miscarriages and how she felt after 20 years.

Jacqueline – You don’t have to be an artist

Jacqueline discusses how in art therapy we tap into that child in all of us that is not concerned about what is right or wrong

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

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.

Jen – “From funeral director to yoga for grief”

Jen talks about how being a funeral director and how yoga and grief became connected for her.

Caileigh – Recommendations as a therapist and a griever

Caileigh discussed two recommendations for parents on how to support their child’s grief. as a therapist and a griever. The first is to recognize that being with is far more important than fixing. There’s two pieces to connection. The first being that one of the most important healing aspects to grief is feeling connected to others.

Jessica M – Grief is unique for each person

Jessica discusses our uniquenesses during grief, giving yourself permission to grieve and that there are many ways of self care during grief.

Christian – “Jeff’s Story”

Christian tells Jeff”s story… the good and his struggles.

Donna – “Helping a grieving friend”

Donna shares some practical ways to help someone in grief.

Jean – My Story

Jean talks about isolation and grieving during a pandemic

Chantal – You don’t have to be an artist to take part in art therapy

Chantal explains that you don’t have to be an artist to participate in art therapy and acutally if you have less art experience you will enjoy it more.

Cara – The real issues for grieving people with intellectual disabilities

Cara provides some context for the real issue of grief in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and those supporting them, including that we consider that there’s not a lot of education or information out there about how best to support someone with an intellectual disability who is grieving.