Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Weathering the Intense Emotions of Grief

Grief often comes with powerful, unpredictable emotional shifts that can be painful to experience. While it’s important to find ways to sit with these feelings, to acknowledge the pain of grief and accept loss, it’s also necessary to find ways to ease and manage the pain. There are several simple activities that you can explore to help.

Rev. Sky – “Wallowing”

Rev. Sky talks about how wallowing can help you release emotions and heal.

Cara – The real issues for grieving people with intellectual disabilities

Cara provides some context for the real issue of grief in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and those supporting them, including that we consider that there’s not a lot of education or information out there about how best to support someone with an intellectual disability who is grieving.

Sara – My Story

Sara talks about why she became a music therapist, espression and connecting to feelings

Shannon – Growing through Grief

Shannon discusses post traumatic growth and how it can be an expectation

Jean – Be good to yourself

Jean shares about support and not being hard on yourself

A Million Other Things: Grieving a Drug Poisoning Death

Sister, father, son, niece, best friend – some of these words might be how you would describe your loved one who has died of an overdose or drug poisoning. People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) are not defined by their substance use – they are a million other things to those who love and miss them dearly. Drug poisoning and overdose deaths are stigmatized in our society. The focus is on how the person died, not who they are. Society still holds onto old notions and beliefs about drugs which come with a value judgment about people who use drugs, which further contributes to stigma. Not everyone who uses drugs is an addict and not all drug use is inherently problematic. People who use drugs deserve dignity and respect when we are remembering and honouring those who have died by overdose or drug poisoning.

Janice – “Not feeling grief when someone dies”

Janice talks about why some people don’t feel grief and what it may mean.

Cara – My story with intellectual disabilities and grief

Cara talks about how she came to see how people with intellectual disabilities need to be supported in grief

Jen – “Grief yoga”

Jen talks about how yoga may be beneficial.

Madelyn – Holding space

Madelyn explains how holding space can help anyone in grief

Rev. Sky – “Why”

Rev. Sky talks about the question of why and how to look beyond it.