Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

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.

Rev. Sky – “Feeling stuck”

Rev. Sky describes being stuck and shifting.

Amanda – “Reach out”

Amanda discusses the importance of connecting with others.

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

Claudia – Art therapy and costs

Claudia talks about how people may shy away from art therapy because of costs and how training schools can be an option

Rev. Sky – “It gets easier”

Rev. Sky talks about time and allowing emotion.

Marija – Latent grief

Marija explains latent grief

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.

Corrie – Pandemic of grief

Corrie discusses how much grief there is

Rev. Sky – “The grief tunnel”

Rev. Sky talks about going forward and growing in the grief process.

Cheryl – “My story”

Cheryl talks about her daughter’s organ donations.

Corrie – Getting comfortable with discomfort

Corrie talks about being comfortable and uncomfortable with grief