Category: Art Therapy

Announcing the Launch of Healing Rituals online course

19/11/2017

Rituals help you to connect to your heart and ease your pain.

Today, I am happy to announce the launch date of the Healing Rituals online course.

Learn to create rituals that help you cope with your unique grief
and the overwhelming feelings of pain.

The Healing Rituals course will launch on January 19, 2018.

Creating your own personal rituals to remember your loved one allows you to access and work through your grief in a safe and constructive way.

While working with several clients, I realized that I suggest rituals often and how they can help with the chaotic and overwhelming feelings of grief. I am in the process of finalizing an online course that will give you creative ideas how to create rituals that resonate with your heart, honour your loved one, and at the same time support your healing process.

Interested to get early access? Sign up here.
(You don't buy anything at this point.)

Let me know if I can be of help in any way.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

When words are missing. How to support each other through grief.

15/10/2017

Two weeks ago, a group of like-minded people met and we talked about all things life.

One of our group members shared her recent experience of grief and helplessness over the suicide of a loved one.

We all went silent. Most of us cried with her and for the family that was left behind with many unanswered questions.

There were no words to comfort. No words to make it easier for her.
There were only our open hearts to listen and be with her fully.

Just being there for each other and listening is healing.

We all know that it doesn’t take the pain of grieving away but the sharing helps to realize that we are not alone in this.

Are you in the midst of grieving or a painful anniversary date is coming your way soon? Reach out to people that are open to listen to you and/or just be with you.

May you all find loving support even when your own words are missing.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: Give me a call. I am here for you. ☎️

Lifting layers of grief through art therapy?

17/9/2017

Art making opens your soul and expresses what was waiting deep inside. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

When we are grieving if feels like our brain shuts down. Our focus shifts to the hurt in our heart and soul.

Our normal thought processes are interrupted by the experience of our feelings. More often than not we don’t have any words for what we feel. Our heart clenches. We have difficulties breathing. We long for a moment of peace and quiet inside our torn hearts.

In our younger years we have experienced loss of love and belonging before. We might have lost a pet, a friendship, a job, or had to move to a new city. Our younger self dealt with these loses. Most often it stored them and packed them away under layers of belief systems, we created, to survive the hurt.

At one point we encounter a new loss. This one can become the straw that brakes the camel’s back.

Talking about what is going on inside becomes difficult. We are missing the words that might bring us help.

This is where art therapy can help because we all think in images.

Experiment:

Don’t think of a tree right now.

No really, don’t think of a tree.

Did you see a tree with your inner eye when you read it?

Art therapy uses our ability of visual imagery to help us find the expression of our feelings. We don’t have to be artists or have knowledge of art making to do so. Our soul will guide us to find the expression that is helping us the most in that very moment. It will help us to shed layers of sadness and believes that are not necessary anymore.

By expressing our grief, our sadness, our heart break in a hands-on art making process the soul feels recognized and heard. The healing process starts.

If you want to know more about art therapy and how it can help you, give me a call.

I am here for you.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: Want to receive these Healing Notes every second Sunday by email? Sign up now.

Are there any stages of grief?

28/2/2017

Follow the rope or skip it when you feel like it. It is you that decides. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

I get asked that question a lot. Here is what I say to those that aren't sure:

There are no clear defined stages of grief. Every person grieves in their individual unique way. Trying to put anyone into a defined stage of grief only leads to more hurt.

If anyone approaches us with their feelings of grief. We should just be quiet, open our heart and listen to that person without any judgement or advice. It is OK to say to them, that we have no words (for their grief).

Even if we have experienced loss ourselves in the past we still don’t know how our friends or family members feel when they experience the death of a loved one. We don’t know what they are feeling. Grief has no clear defined rules or timelines.

Please be there for each other, keep your heart open and your mouth shut (smile).

Listening from your heart is the biggest gift you can give in any grief situation.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

Does humour help you when you are grieving?

31/1/2017

I work with my art therapy clients in person or online by Skype if they live far away or don’t feel they can make it out of the house that day.

When I help a client navigate through their grieving process in person we meet at the art studio. The studio is a good size and the windows give the room a feel of lightness.

The room is separated from the other artist studios on the same floor. If one laughs out loud others outside the studio might hear it in the hallway.

One day after one of the Healing for Grieving Hearts sessions one of the artists, that knows about the work I do, said: “I was so surprised to hear laughter coming out of the studio. Don’t you work with grieving people?"

I was surprised that she would just assume, that when navigating through the process of grief, that humour and laughter would not be a part of it.

If you have met me in person, you know that humour is a big part of my personality. (smile)

If one of my clients tells a funny story about the loved one that has died then we laugh together. Why wouldn’t we? It isn’t that we are making fun of them. The opposite, we acknowledge all sides of their life by sharing these too.

Grieving doesn’t have to be all tears and gloom. Yes, there are times that humour won’t cut it, then a joke does not support a broken heart, and the soul winces thinking of being around cheerful people.

But then, who doesn’t have a funny story to tell about their loved one? No really, seriously, who doesn’t?

I wonder what would happen if we all would start to talk more about those stories and have a good laugh until the tears of humour and sadness tumble down our cheeks?

I wonder. …and you?

Sending you healing with a smile,
Jacqueline

Contact me now. I can help you.

Which word will transform your new year?

11/1/2017

Give yourself permission to take steps to fly. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

Happy New Year!
May it be a blessed one filled with good health, colourful days, and healing.

I hope you had a good start into the new year and that the holiday season treated you gently. It isn't always easy to get through those days of celebration when we don't feel like it.

When talking to people about their wishes for the new year they often mentioned that they chose a word for the new year.

I do that on a regular basis too. It helps me to take new steps and supports my wish for the new beginning. Plus the word can change during the year. 💜

Last year’s word was self-care. I managed quite well until the fall. Then work got busy and I forgot to keep myself accountable on my self-care promise. The result was a pinched nerve in my back mid December. Ouch! Still recuperating but I am much better.

This year’s word is Create.

I want to create:

helpful content for you
moments to relax and enjoy life
an online course that will help initiate healing
time to read, see friends more often, and go for long walks
meditations, paintings, and creative walks

If you would chose a word for 2017, what would it be? What will support you on your healing path?

Please share your word. 💜

Take good care,
Jacqueline

Let nature help you heal your grieving heart

16/11/2016

Heal your grief. Walk in Nature.

You have heard me saying this many times.

Walking in nature can have a healing impact.

My tendency when I feel stuck in my thoughts is to get busy and take on more work than I can handle. This goes on until my body tells me it is enough. I will get a sore throat or, like last week, my back will start to hurt.

These are my weak points. They are telling me to take a moment and reflect.

It also happens because by being busy I have forgotten to move. I am not doing my ten minute yoga practice and I don’t go for regular walks.

So after I had ‘suffered’ and taken pain killers all week. On Sunday, I decided it was enough and I started to do gentle yoga moves every time I felt the pain in my back.
Breathing a lot and yes, swearing was involved too, because it hurt.

Today I went on a half hour walk in a nearby park. The smells in the forest were uplifting and wonderful. It was a concoction of decaying leaves, needle and sap from the evergreens, and wet earth.

I feel so much better today. I know it has to do with movement and the experience in nature this afternoon. I can still feel where the pain was but it is so much better.

Do you think a walk in nature could help your grieving heart too?
I know it won’t take away all your hurt but it might just give you a bit of comfort.

Don’t wait for the right moment. Just get dressed and go for a half hour walk even if it is in your own backyard.

Be outside, take in the smell of the fall season, and let nature do its healing.

I am sending you healing love.

Take good care,

Jacqueline

When will my grief be over? When will I recover from all this sadness?

1/11/2016

Last week a former Canadian politician died in an airplane accident with three other people. My heart goes out for their families. I cannot imagine what they are going through.

This incident flooded me with memories and deep grief about my nephew’s death. He died eight years ago in a Cessna accident as well.

Often I am asked: When will my grief be over? When will I recover from all this sadness?

There is no right answer to it. Sadness and grief can flood our feelings all of a sudden when there is a trigger, like the one with the airplane crash.

Eight years ago, the feelings were overwhelming and the crying didn’t want to stop.

This week it was a reminder how much I miss and love him and how much I still grief his death. But there is a difference between then and today. The feelings of sorrow are more gentle and not overwhelming anymore.

When will my grief be over? When will I recover from all this sadness?

Perhaps the most honest answer is: It will never be over.

Your feelings of overwhelming sadness will change towards a gentler form. You will change. You will be a new you having witnessed and felt the death of a loved one.

This loss will make you more empathetic, more loving, and more carrying if you chose to go that path.

It might be difficult right now but I trust in your resilience and inner healing power.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: While we are stepping into a darker season let me help you shine some light on your healing path. 💜 Click here and make an appointment for a free phone call.

You have been confronted with death. What now?

19/10/2016

HealingForGrievingHearts.com program helps women navigate their unique grieving process with art therapy, mindfulness and gentle healing steps.

I am always looking for ways that could help you with your unique grieving process. You might like to join a grief support group, want to be alone, like to step into a guided grieving process with a therapist, or travel the world to find healing.

There is no right or wrong way, only your unique grieving process.

I discovered a new possibility that might be of interest to you if you don’t already know it. It is the Death Cafe.

Death Cafes encourage people to meet in coffee shops to discuss anything and everything to do with the subject of death, which is still a taboo in our culture.

A month ago, I joined a Death Cafe group in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was curious to see what it was all about and how it might help the healing process.

I checked their website first: A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. The aim is to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.

About 16 people gathered at a local coffee shop* to talk about death over a cup of tea or coffee.

As a new member I felt immediately welcomed due to the shared interest, respect and the openness of all group members. I was not the only new person in the circle that day.

We shared:

feelings of grief
stories about near death experiences
exchanged information about caregiving for the dying
and relieve to be able to speak about death without any hesitation.

There was a lot of empathy, encouragement, and openness to everyones concerns and stories.

I will go back for sure.

If you feel inspired to see if there is a Death Cafe in your neighbourhood you can check the Death Cafe website at or your local Meetup listings.

Let me know what you think about the concept of the Death Cafe.

If you would like personal help please let me know. We can arrange a free call so that you can move forward on your unique healing path.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

* Halifax, NS: Just Us Coffee shop at Spring Garden Road, first Thursday of the month from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

PS: I am not affiliated in any way with Death Cafe.

What clients say about the program:

Jacqueline's Healing for Grieving Hearts program was an oasis in my life at a time when I was grieving two losses: the loss of a beloved pet, and the loss of a significant relationship (through conflict, not death).

Jacqueline's caring presence and guidance, together with the exercises she created for me, created a safe space to voice and explore my difficult feelings. I loved how the exercises helped me get out of my head, and into the truth in my heart. Through the program, I found peace and clarity, and a renewed sense of direction in my life.
~ K. Nova Scotia

Thanksgiving Ritual for your Grieving Heart

27/9/2016

Healing For Grieving Hearts - Rituals help to connect and heal.

Summer has moved on and Fall has started in earnest today or at least it was cold enough to remind me of what will come.

In two weeks we are celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada. It is a time of harvest, gratitude, and a time of family gatherings.

Stepping into the upcoming Holidays is not easy when you have lost a loved one. Their place at the table will be filled with memories, stories of their life, or a gentle minute of reflection.

I have talked many times about rituals. The coming Holidays might be easier on you, your family, and friends if you plan something special for these days. Rituals help to connect and heal.

Perhaps you all go for a walk together and take some colorful ribbons with you. Chose a tree and hang the ribbons on it.

One ribbon for your love to the person that died.
One ribbon including a wish for yourself or your family/friends.
A third one filled with gratitude for this day together or...

Hang as many ribbons as you wish. You could share your thoughts out loud or just hang your ribbons in silence on the tree.

This is also a ritual that you can do by yourself if you feel more comfortable this way.

I have done it by myself and with my family and both moments have their own unique calming feel to it, even when the tears are streaming.

Important is that you tell your friends and family how you want to spend the Holidays and be open to change your mind at the last second. (smile)

I am wishing you a gentle step into this new season.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: If you don’t have any ribbons at home you might be able to find some at a local thrift store. Make sure you use fabric ribbons and not plastic ones. Nature will thank you. (smile)
PSS: If there are children involved you could add glass beads to the ribbons to add more colour.

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