Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Michele – My Story

MIchele talks about her multiple losses starting from when she was very young

Teresa – Understanding people with intellectual disabilities and grief

Teresa shares an example and discusses the importance of truly understanding people with intellectual disabilities when they are telling us their stories

Keith – “My story”

Keith tells his story and why he became a counsellor.

Janice – “Photographs”

Janice explains how photographs can be a doorway to help move forward.

Amanda – “Reach out”

Amanda discusses the importance of connecting with others.

Jean – Helping your children through grief

Jean discusses how helping her children through grief also helped her

Caleigh – Play Therapy

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.

Maureen – “Grief is a messy non-linear place”

Maureen explains how you wind your way through grief and that is normal.

Janice – “Crying”

Janice explains how crying helps physically and emotionally.

Cara – Intellectual disabilities and advance planning

Cara explains that people living with intellectual disabilities are growing to older ages, much like the rest of the population. And as folks are aging what we’re seeing is the need for families more so than ever, to do some advanced planning for who will take over any caregiving decision making or where that person may live, what sort of support they may need and what that’s going to look like after the parents or the guardians die so that this doesn’t become a crisis situation.

Maureen – Holiday Traditions

Maureen talks about anticipating a holiday and considering honouring a loved one

Rev. Sky – “Retraumatization”

Rev. Sky discusses trauma and re-experiencing the initial emotion had at the beginning of a loss.