Video

Jackie – Expressive arts and grief

Jackie talks about expressive arts as systems of support

John Martin – Coping with grief part 1

John talks gives some pointers to help cope with loss

Jenn – Barriers to art

Jenn talks about the barriers that may prevent someone from including art as part of their grief or emotional process including judgment of your art skills and more.

Maureen – “Grief doesn’t stop, even when the outside world is in crisis”

Maureen gives suggestions about how you can help people in grief

Jim – Significant incidents

Jim discusses being involved in a significant incident and how it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and ruminate over it. You may even start to drink or use drugs to cope. But it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Many police officers have been through similar experiences. And there are resources available to help you get through this.One of the best things you can do is talk to a trusted friend or colleague. They can offer support and understanding. You can also seek professional help from a therapist or counselor. They can help you to process your experience and develop healthy coping mechanisms. It’s also important to remember that you can’t change the past. But you can learn from it. And you can move on. Don’t let one incident define you. You are a strong and capable person. And you will get through this.

Marija – Permission to mourn

Marija discusses the value of being allowing yourself to mourn

Kristal – Drug Poisoning During Pandemic Stigma

Kristal discusses how the pandemic has created additional stigma surrounding those who use drugs. She dissuses how it seems like some losses are treated as more deserving of being mourned than others. Many people have had to grieve privately instead of publically within a community. She touches on the state of the public health system during the pandemic.

Jackie – What expressive arts are about

Jackie talks about being self conscious about her art skills and how coming back to what feels good works

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.

Jackie – Expressive arts can help when grief is confusing

Jackie talks about how working with an artist therapist helped her after her sister and mother died

Doug – “My Story”

Doug talks about the accident that killed his daughter and his process of grief.

Caitlin – “My Story”

Caitlin shares about the loss of her sister and how she copes with missing her. Caitlin continues to grieve the death of her sister in a car accident