Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

What Does Grief Support Look Like?

When we experience significant, on-going symptoms of grief that interfere with our adjustment to the reality of our loss, it can be time to seek professional help. It can be difficult to know where to find help and what grief support options are available.

Madelyn – Advice to younger self

Madelyn discusses how having feelings is a gift and you can work through tough ones. There is hope.

Cara – Intellectual disabilities, sharing and expressing about grief

Cara discusses how it’s very important that people living with intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to not only know about the information about the person being ill and dying and having the choice and opportunity to go to after death rituals. It’s also really important that they get the opportunity to share their story in whatever way they communicate. This can be verbally through sign language, through communication books, art, music, going for walks, being in nature

Janice – “It’s hard work”

Janice explains that hard work is necessary to reach the calm and peace.

Jenn – Art can give a break from grieving

Jenn talks about one of the most overlooked benefits of making art during bereavement. It can provide and escape from your grief.

Grief, Breastfeeding, and Care

In this essay, I share a bit about my story of grief and breastfeeding. I also share some thoughts about the cultural grief some people are carrying about the lack of support afforded to lactating families whose goal it is to feed their baby from their body. I use some gendered language throughout this essay…

Janice – “Risks”

Janice talks about risks in behaviour and progress.

Jean – What grief feels like physically

Jean discusses the physical effects she has experienced in grief

Cheryl – “Complicated Grief”

Cheryl discusses unresolved grief.

Claudia – My story

Claudia tells her story about art and grief

Cheryl – “What is grief”

Cheryl defines grief and talks about how we all grieve differently.

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.