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Art Therapy Bereavement Group WorkshopsHealing Grief through Art Therapy 
Through art making and sharing in a group setting, individuals begin to understand their own difficulties and their individual strengths as well as discover new possibilities to cope with their loss. Each person will react differently to loss, but in general, the work of bereavement entails the following tasks: 1. To accept the reality of the loss. At first, people may react to the death of their loved one with numbness, shock and denial. This takes time because it involves an intellectual acceptance as well as an emotional one. In art therapy I provide art exercises were we work with symbols - photos, letters, tapes, articles of clothing or significant objects from the deceased to work with acceptance. 2. To work through to the pain of grief. It is necessary to acknowledge and work through the pain associated with loss or it will manifest itself through others symptoms or behaviors. 3. To adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing. Adjusting to a new environment means different things to different people depending on what the relationship was with the deceased. Art making helps reflect one’s feeling and envision a new life for oneself by drawing or painting the hopes and fears of what this would ‘look’ like. 4. To emotionally relocate the deceased and move on with life. Individuals never lose memories of a significant relationship, yet eventually grieving individuals need to look forward and continue with their lives. Completing the necessary grief work enables them to focus less on the loss and connect with other people by investing new energy in ongoing relationships. Art therapy invites participation in a safe and supportive environment, where individuals' efforts at self-expression are reinforced in an effort to confirm that their feelings are valid, fears are understood, and their needs are legitimate. Visual images are capable of working on many level, and of expressing seemingly contradictory ideas and feelings simultaneously, art making allows an individual the comfort, support and energy to go on with life. |
I provide a variety of art experiences to help people express thoughts and feelings regarding any unfinished business. Keeping a journal and writing poetry can also facilitate the expression of feelings.
In my art therapy groups people creating photo collage journals, poems, drawings, etc. Art expression seems to be a natural modality for the expression of grief when words are not enough. By participating in creative expression and communication with a trained art therapist, grieving individuals can find support and guidance to acquire new coping skills. In a supportive environment, resolution through expression and containment in art frees creative energy necessary to deal with daily living.
Art making, as a healing process, has been shown to be effective in that it promotes a sense of joy, peace and relaxation. These important interactions between participants, art therapist and the art process help the participant move from isolation and loneliness to connection and empowerment; from denial to acceptance; from loss of control and anxiety to relief; and from despair to hope.