Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Michele – My Story

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

Janice – “The importance of listening”

Janice explains the importance of not being judgemental and listening when helping someone is in grief.

Jen – “Breathing and grief”

Jen talks about how breathing and yoga can help cope.

Amanda – “Hospice like home”

Amanda discusses the value of feeling like being at home during palliative care.

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.

Craig – My Cumulative Grief

Craig shares his story of experiencing a series of significant losses over the course of two years. He talks about the shock, grief, and uncertainty he felt during this time, and how he coped with the accumulation of loss.Craig’s story is a reminder that grief is a normal and natural response to loss, but it can be overwhelming when it comes in waves. If you are experiencing grief, it is important to reach out for support from friends, family, or a therapist. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and everyone experiences it differently. The important thing is to be patient with yourself and to allow yourself to feel your emotions.

Janice – “Risks”

Janice talks about risks in behaviour and progress.

Cara – The real issues for grieving people with intellectual disabilities

Cara provides some context for the real issue of grief in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and those supporting them, including that we consider that there’s not a lot of education or information out there about how best to support someone with an intellectual disability who is grieving.

Chantal – The benefits of the physical part of art making

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

Janice – “Let the feelings come up”

Janice talks about how it can help to let the feelings come up.

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”

Sara – Lyrics

Sara talks about how lyrics can have an impact on how we experience music