I Am A Professional

Kristal – Attending Memorials as a Support Worker

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses the importance of finding ways to honour people that have been lost and how they have impacted you. She speaks to how she often chooses not to attend public memorials for those she has lost as a support worker as they are often very overwhelming. Instead, she has her own personal rituals or ways of honouring those she has lost personally including opening a window. She discusses how this practice was used when she worked in palliative care.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Video

Christian – Grieving those who died of drug poisoning

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about grieving, stigma and dying from drug poisoning

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Activism To Ease Anger and Grief

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses using activism to help ease or channel her anger from the loss of those in her community to drug poisoning. She talks about her grief being very quiet and inward before, but that taking action helps her to move through it. She discusses how there may not be peace from these losses, but the goal should rather be feeling safe in the emotions.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Lack of Memorials During Pandemic

April 23, 2023

Kristal talks about how memorials can offer closure to people who are grieving, find a community, and share stories. With the absence of this during the pandemic, many people turned inward to grieve or isolated, which can create safety issues and have an impact on mental health. She speaks to how this leads to depression, physical pain, and it compounds upon itself.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Craig – My Story

August 2, 2023

Craig’s story is one of resilience and triumph. In the span of just 18 months, he lost his marriage, his mom, two dogs, a cat, his job, and his house. But rather than give up, he picked himself up and started over. He went back to school to become a therapist, and now he’s helping others who are struggling to overcome adversity. Craig’s story is a reminder that no matter how bad things seem, there is always hope. With hard work and determination, you can overcome any challenge.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / My Story Video / Video

Infant & Reproductive Loss Toolkit [Free Downloadable PDFs for Individuals and Professionals]

October 2, 2024

Navigating life, death, and loss can be overwhelming. Mental health professionals designed this toolkit for individuals, parents, caregivers, and families navigating perinatal and reproductive loss. Reactions to pregnancy and reproductive loss are as unique as fingerprints. Some can process the experience relatively quickly, while others experience unrelenting pain and grief. We hope that this toolkit…

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Collective/Community Grief / Death of a Child / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Perinatal / Supporting Others / Toolkits

Caileigh – Parent Capacity

February 23, 2023

Caileigh discusses parent capacity and and how to support their child through their grief is all about inspiring them and empowering them so that they can help their child.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others / Video

Alongside

February 8, 2023

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.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Supporting Others

Jessica M – Grief is unique for each person

June 13, 2023

Jessica discusses our uniquenesses during grief, giving yourself permission to grieve and that there are many ways of self care during grief.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Video

Nicole – Grieving as a community

March 25, 2023

Nicole discusses the power of grieving together as a community. Finding connection and trust.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others / Video

Kristal – Story of Lived Experience

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses experiencing homelessness at multiple stages of her life and how that informs her work as a peer support worker. It gives her an understanding of the nuance that surrounds the community. She uses this experience to support people who are experiencing grief related to death from drug poisoning.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / My Story Video / Video

Caileigh – Through play children learn so much about their grief

February 23, 2023

Caileigh discussed how children learn so much about their grief through play. There’s less confusion, there’s less anxiety, there’s more awareness. For the child and the parent, there is more acceptance of grief.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others / Video