As parents and caregivers, we care deeply about our children and youth. Yet sometimes we are uncertain about how to help them, particularly when they experience grief and loss. Some adults understand that this uncertainty reflects their own unaddressed grief. Others so badly want their children to ‘just be children’ and not have to deal with trauma and loss. There is a sense that, by remaining silent, somehow we can create an invisible barrier around our children’s pain. Yet when given the opportunity, adults tell the stories of their own experiences of loss, and discover that these stories can contain the wisdom we need to support and guide our children through life’s dark passages.

 

In this workshop participants examine how the developmental stages of childhood determine how children and youth experience and express grief and how parents and caregivers can adjust their responses accordingly.

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COURSE CONTENT INCLUDES

• Children’s grief reactions:  The many faces of grief

• Our Emotion-phobic world: Our intolerance of the dark emotions

• Mourning rituals: Cultural maps for the beginning of the grieving journey

• The needs of the caregiver

 

This workshop introduces participants to child development theory and relevant therapy practices. The emphasis is on learning through storytelling, art-based exercises and group reflection.