Bereavement Professionals’ Insights

Jean – Grief resources and self care

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

Maureen – Grief and Holidays

Maureen talks about feelings duing holidays

Cheryl – “My story”

Cheryl talks about her daughter’s organ donations.

Janice – “It’s hard work”

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

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

Shannon – Power of Presence

Shannon discusses how just showing up, being present is a powerful way of supporting to someone who has lost. Listen more – talk less.

Amanda – “Ministry of Presence”

Amanda discusses how being present with someone can be helpful.

Janice – “Grief is a response to loss”

Janice discusses waves of grief and how important it is to go with it.

Jessica M – It’s OK not to cry

Jessica discusses how grief is individual and finding the way forward can be different for everyone.

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.

Maureen – “Grief is a messy non-linear place”

Maureen explains how you wind your way through grief and that is normal.

Michele – Talks about being a death doula

Michele explains what death doula’s do. Doula means servant. They support people on many different levels… for instance, emotionally, spiritually and physically