Grief Workshop Series
Dates:
October 8, 15, 22, 29 (Online)
November 5 (In-person at the University of Calgary)
This five session series will assist educators in understanding, adapting, and processing loss by exploring current grief research to support personal or student grief. Over the five sessions, participants will grow awareness around how loss affects us, examining the multidimensional grief reactions and responses that can arise.
The sessions will discuss the facets of grief, past and current theories and models, and personal mourning rituals. Using a therapeutic writing technique that targets bereavement, participants will be guided through an expressive storytelling exercise to reconcile and heal tragedy. The knowledge delivered in these sessions can support death and living losses.
Audience: K-12 educators, school counselors, school leaders, wellbeing champions
Modality: Mix of in-person and online workshops
Class size Maximum: 30 learners
Cost: $250 for the entire series (5 sessions)
The series will be presented by Dr. Linita Eapen Mathew and include the following sessions:
Session One: Understanding Grief
The first session will define and explore the facets of grief using a multidimensional perspective, as presented through physical, social, psychological, behavioural, and spiritual repercussions of loss. Participants will be encouraged to identify their grief reactions and responses to life-changing loss.
Date: October 8, 2024
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Place: Online
Session Two: Adapting to Loss
In session two, participants will overview past and contemporary grief theories and models. You will learn and become more aware of why certain societal expectations have been placed on you while grieving. After debunking the myths of grieving, more accurate and contemporary theories and models will be introduced based on current and up-to-date grief research.
Date: October 15, 2024
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Place: Online
Session Three: Processing Loss
In session three, participants will apply the knowledge from the first two sessions to work through 5 processing exercises that target the physical, social, psychological, behavioural, and spiritual facets of grieving.
Date: October 22, 2024
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Place: Online
Session Four: Rituals in Mourning
In session 4, participants will briefly explore historical worldviews of mourning practices to understand the healing potential of death rituals more deeply. Participants will be encouraged to create and engage with personal mourning rituals and continuing bonds.
Date: October 29, 2024
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Place: Online
Session Five: Storytelling through your Sorrow
To conclude the grief series workshop, Linita Eapen Mathew will guide the participants through her unique storytelling structure, targeting bereavement. In this interactive, in-person session, participants will learn about the presenter’s grief story and how this research-based, therapeutic writing technique emerged from her doctoral study. Those attending will then work through an unhealed part of their grief story using the expressive storytelling technique to heal and reconcile loss.
Date: November 5, 2024
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Place: University of Calgary (in-person workshop)