Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Chantal – Giving space

Chantal discusses how it is good and honouring to the one you’ve lost to give space and feel everything

Madelyn – Expressing your feelings

Madelyn talks about being a 2nd generation Canadian chinese and keeping grief in. She explains the importnace of expressing your feelings and not feel guilty about it

Chantal – What is art therapy?

Chantal explains how art therapy helps us express in ways that words can’t

Keith – “You need not be alone”

Keith discusses getting help, resources and that you don’t need to be alone.

Cara – Grief and intellectual disabilities is a topic that needs to “get out there”

Cara shares some information from a participant in her research on intellectual disabilities and the bereaved. A person with an intellectual disability said… “Grief: It’s a topic that needs to get out there” Grief is something that so many people are hesitant to talk about, to display, to show, because there’s so many social rules around how we grieve. This is particularily challenging for the intellectually disabled.

Cheryl – “What is grief”

Cheryl defines grief and talks about how we all grieve differently.

Jenn – Art can be grounding and meditative

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

Grief, Exhaustion, & Rest

Many people consider grief to be a response to the death of a loved one, but we grieve so much more than that. Grief is an emotional response to loss of any kind. Both real or perceived loss can trigger the response. The loss of a job, a miscarriage, a breakup, losing a sentimental item,…

Claudia – My story

Claudia tells her story about art and grief

Christian – “Grief in the opioid crisis”

Christian talks about looking for answers in great sadness.

Michele – Expressive arts and healing grief

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

Keith – “Difference between grief and mourning”

Keith explains how grief is internal and mourning is external.