Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Madelyn -Healing and support group for Asian Canadian women

Madelyn discusses the value in having your voice heard

Janice – “Grieving alone”

Janice discusses grieving alone and when its important to have people around you that can listen and understand what you are feeling.

Sara – Music and grief

Sara discusses how music can connect and help by acknowledging grief and bringing comfort

Maureen – “Our 20th Anniversary”

Maureen talks about she dealt with her miscarriages and how she felt after 20 years.

Tending to My Garden of Grief

So long as I remember the lives of those I have lost, honour their presence and impact on me and celebrate their spirit, they will continue to live with me and the pain will feel bearable. It will no longer stop me in my tracks. Instead, it will encourage me and propel me forward through the transmutation of that grief into something different, something more nuanced and fluid. I’d like to share a practice for processing grief which I have found to be especially helpful.

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

Claudia – Materials in art therapy

Claudia discusses all of the wonderful options of materials to use in art therapy. Art, markers, clay, pencils, water collours, cutting, tearing. They physical engagment with the materials is like alchemy.

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.

Christian – “Jeff’s Story”

Christian tells Jeff”s story… the good and his struggles.

Maureen – “Unresolved conflicts”

Maureen shares about her Dad, anger, love and some tools to manage unresolved conflicts.

Rev. Sky – “What is a trigger”

Rev. Sky explains triggers, identifying them and what you need.

Jean – My own grief and being a professional counsellor

Jean shares about being a counselor and going through her own grief