Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Amanda – “Ministry of Presence”

Amanda discusses how being present with someone can be helpful.

Cara – Defining Intellectual disabilities and grief

Cara discusses how grief literacy needs to be improved across the board for people with intellectual disabilities to learn more about grief, death and dying. There is a great need to include them in this natural, normal part of life that we’ll all experience.

Claudia – You do not have to be an artist to do art therapy

Claudia explains why you do not have to be an artist to benefit

Chantal – Graphic novels and art therapy

Chantal defines what a graphic novel is and how words mix with imagery like a dance

Marija – Acknowledging feelings

Marija talks about our tools for coping

Caileigh – Grief and child behaviour

Caileigh explains when a child experiences grief or a traumatic grief experience, there’s often behaviour that comes from that. Grief impacts behaviour. And sometimes it can be outward behaviour and sometimes it can be internalized behaviour. The good news about grief and behaviour is that it can be managed and supported through effective communication, through therapy and through coping strategies.

Jean – Coping

Jean shares how coping can be complicated

Jean – Grief resources and self care

Jean talks about resources that help in processing grief and self care

Christian – “Stigma of opioid death”

Christian talks about the social acceptance of an opioid overdose.

Shannon – Losing is a life skill

Shannon shares about losing her husband to suicide, her parents and her father-in-law. She felt broken and to be able to take care of her kids and her self seemed overwhelming. It took someone telling her that you can heal from trauma to give her hope for healing.

Michele – Advice to younger grieving self

Michele tells what advice she would give to her younger grieving self

Maureen – “Pregnancy and infant loss”

Maureen explains how pregnancy and infant loss is often misunderstood or underestimated.