Bereavement Professionals’ Insights
Christian – “Stigma of opioid death”
Christian talks about the social acceptance of an opioid overdose.
Jacqueline – You don’t have to be an artist
Jacqueline discusses how in art therapy we tap into that child in all of us that is not concerned about what is right or wrong
Craig – How men process grief
Craig talks about his personal story of grief and how he learned to process his emotions in a healthy way. He discusses the challenges that men face when grieving, and offers advice on how to find healthy ways to cope with loss.Craig lost his wife, his mother, his job, and his home in a short period of time. He describes how he felt pressured to be stoic and strong for others, and how this made it difficult for him to grieve. He eventually realized that it was important to allow himself to feel his emotions, even the difficult ones.Craig shares some of the things that helped him to process his grief, such as talking to a therapist, writing in a journal, and spending time in nature. He also emphasizes the importance of finding support from friends and family. This video is a powerful and moving story of how one man found healing after experiencing a series of devastating losses. It is an important reminder that grief is a normal and healthy emotion, and that there are healthy ways to cope with it.
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”
Michele – Advice to younger grieving self
Michele tells what advice she would give to her younger grieving self
Rev. Sky – “Feeling numb”
Rev. Sky discusses how feeling numb is a normal emotion and what you need to move forward.
Jenn – What an art therapist can show us about processing grief
Jenn talks about how art can give a form to grief. It can give it shape and texture so it can be seen when it is often so invisible. It can also be messy which so like our grief experience
Craig – My Story
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.
Carrie – Creating a photo narrative
Carrie explains how photography can give insight and express things that there reallhy aren’t words for. Photography can be one addtitional way in which to express and capture those moments of our sorrow, grief and pain as well as transformation and healing
Cara – People with intellectual disabilities need to be recognized and honoured in their grief
Cara talks about grievers living with intellectual disabilities and that it’s not about those of us who are neuro-typical, giving them a voice or providing them or saying things for them. Rather, it’s that they already have a voice. They already have these experiences and they want them to be recognized, acknowledged and honoured.