Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Maureen – “Peer vs professional support”

Maureen talks about getting help and what is right for you.

Amanda – “Hospice like home”

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

Reflections on Mother’s Day

Mother’s day is a holiday where we show appreciation and care for the maternal roles in our lives. However, this holiday can feel very overwhelming for those of us who are grieving the death of a mother figure, a mother grieving their child, or those of us grieving the loss of not being able to become mothers ourselves.

Maureen – “Trust yourself”

Maureen talks about finding your own way in your healing process.

Madelyn – Rituals and the Chinese grieving process

Madelyn talks about expressing your grief in Chinese cultures and how rituals are a war of grieving providing comfort

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

Christian – “Growth out of pain”

Christian tells about how grief changes and we grow.

Jean – Be good to yourself

Jean shares about support and not being hard on yourself

Alongside

That is also our best, and only role, when supporting a person with a developmental disability to grieve. We must be the one that comes alongside. There is no closer place we can get to. We must be present, be with, perhaps not understanding or comprehending what the person we support is experiencing, but alongside them nonetheless. We must be there, ready to provide whatever we can discover of their unique need in grief.

Chantal – You don’t have to be an artist to take part in art therapy

Chantal explains that you don’t have to be an artist to participate in art therapy and acutally if you have less art experience you will enjoy it more.

Chantal – Physical symptoms and grieving

Chantal talks about panic attacks and thinking she was having a heart attack

What Does Grief Support Look Like?

When we experience significant, on-going symptoms of grief that interfere with our adjustment to the reality of our loss, it can be time to seek professional help. It can be difficult to know where to find help and what grief support options are available.