Soothing the Torn Edges of Grief and Loss with Expressive Arts

‘So you mustn’t be frightened…If a sadness arises in front of you larger than any you have ever seen…You must realise that something is happening to you,that life has not forgotten you,that it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall.”~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~ Embodying the principles and practices of the […]

Sociopolitical Grief: Grieving the Loss of Our World

With the current political climate and the deepening divisions and polarization that accompany it, people often talk about grief that originates in social and political structures but is felt in a profoundly personal way.  Sociopolitical grief includes the direct losses that are experienced by individuals as a result of political policies, ideologies, and oppression enacted […]

Pre-Death Grief & Loss II

Foreseeing an impending loss of a significant person through a terminal illness often triggers emotional turmoil and challenging dynamics in relationships and families.  On top of the caregiving burden for the person with the terminal illness, family members and significant others also have to cope with their own intrapsychic distress in preparation for the eventual […]

Pre-Death Grief & Loss I

In the face of the bad news of being diagnosed with a terminal illness, patients often have to face both their own impending death and separation from their loved ones through different dying trajectories, which can be swift or protracted.  This complex emotional journey can trigger existential crisis, death anxiety and pre-death grief, in a […]

Non-Death Loss II

Grief is a natural and nearly universal response to the death of a loved one.  But what is less recognized is that it is also a response to circumstances that have far less social recognition and support—the loss of health to illness or injury, the demise of relationships through betrayal or separation, the erosion of […]

Non-Death Loss I

Grief certainly occurs after the death of someone we love, but it also manifests in the midst of losses that may not be as obvious or easily described.  These are living losses — the loss experiences and their accompanying ambiguity that we must learn to live with as we continue with our lives.  Some living […]

Materials & Methods

Materials and Methods are foundational elements of the expressive arts and a requirement for the Art-Assisted Grief Therapy Certification (AAGT).  This orientation module is designed to acquaint learners with the language of the arts as it pertains to the properties of art materials and their applied use in a variety of settings with specific clients.  […]

Heart to Heart

As someone with a desire to help people faced with significant loss, you’ve spent some time reading about grief and learning about the art and science of grief therapy. This base of essential knowledge is a foundation for the higher order skill set that you will develop through the experience of sitting with and providing […]

Grief after Suicide

Experiencing a death by suicide can have a profound impact on those left behind.  In addition to feelings of shock, guilt, anxiety, anger and rejection, they commonly struggle with daunting “why” questions that have no easy or consoling answers.  People bereaved by suicide also present increased risks of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behavior […]

Grief & Loss in Families II

When a death happens in a family, how the surviving family members respond to the loss and cope with the resulting disruptions can be diverse.  In this module, we will consider several variables that influence the post-loss adjustment of the individual members and the family as a whole, as well as identifying strength factors and […]