Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Claudia – Art, art as therapy and art therapy

Claudia discusses the definition of therapy and how art therapists are formally trained.

Caileigh – A safe place to grow and heal

Caileigh talks about how accessing play therapy can support everybody. When children have that safe place to heal, everybody around them feels good and can heal, too.

Chantal – The benefits of the physical part of art making

Chantal talks about how art can release energy in a healthy cathartic way

Amanda – “The Little Things”

Amanda talks about how little things can be a huge gift during palliative care.

Jean – It’s all about love

Jean talks about losing her husband to a heart attack on valentines day

Keith – “Knowing what to say”

Keith gives practical advice about helping someone in grief.

Caileigh – Through play children learn so much about their grief

Caileigh discussed how children learn so much about their grief through play. There’s less confusion, there’s less anxiety, there’s more awareness. For the child and the parent, there is more acceptance of grief.

Keith – “We need one another”

Keith talks about the importance of story, understanding our journey and how we are connected.

Caileigh – Grief and child behaviour

Caileigh explains when a child experiences grief or a traumatic grief experience, there’s often behaviour that comes from that. Grief impacts behaviour. And sometimes it can be outward behaviour and sometimes it can be internalized behaviour. The good news about grief and behaviour is that it can be managed and supported through effective communication, through therapy and through coping strategies.

Carrie – Validation

Carrie talks about validation and feeling that someone is full responsive and fully present to you and what is going on in your grief… feeling “felt”

Claudia – You do not have to be an artist to do art therapy

Claudia explains why you do not have to be an artist to benefit

Jenn – Art can give voice

Jenn talks about the barriers that may prevent someone from including art as part of their grief or emotional process including judgment of your art skills and more.