Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Jean – What grief feels like physically

Jean discusses the physical effects she has experienced in grief

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.

Michele – Expressive arts and healing grief

Michele defines expressive arts and how they can help healing in grief

Sara – My Story

Sara talks about why she became a music therapist, espression and connecting to feelings

Claudia – Waterlillies

Claudia talks about how she painted on panels big enough to hug to help her with her grief

Chantal – Grief and art therapy group

Chantal talks about the honour of being witness to other peoples story and exploration of grief and art therapy

Madelyn – Advice to younger self

Madelyn discusses how having feelings is a gift and you can work through tough ones. There is hope.

Janice – “Risks”

Janice talks about risks in behaviour and progress.

Jen – “Breathing and grief”

Jen talks about how breathing and yoga can help cope.

Grief and Disability: Carrie’s Story

It has become clear to me over time that we have much work to do to ensure the delivery of disability-sensitive grief literacy and grief support. In March of 2022 my proposal for four 1-hour sessions was approved, we provided the program for 20 participants. My heart was full in each session.

My heart remains full of hope that conversations, education, and expertise about disability sensitive end of life care and grief support will gain momentum as more and more people join in on this vital conversation.

Cheryl – “My story” short version

Cheryl talks about her daughter’s organ donations.

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…