Category: Humour

How To Better Grief - A CBC Tapestry Episode

19/8/2018

The other day I listened to CBC's program Tapestry with guest host Christa Couture.

The title of the show was Better ways to live with grief.

The heartfelt discussions were uplifting and at the same time touched me deeply.

I was glad to hear psychologist David Feldman debunking the 5 stages of grief.

If you have followed the Healing Notes for a while then you know that there are no stages and that everyone grieves in their own unique way. It can get messy.

Next up was actor and comedian Cariad Lloyd. Cariad hosts the podcast Griefcast. I have been listening to some of her episodes and they are worth listening to for sure.

Last but not least Christa Couture talked to artist and designer Emily McDowel. Emily creates empathy cards that are to the point and sometimes full of humour.

Emily gave advice on what to say and what not to say when you have a friend that is grieving. I was glad to find her cards in one of our local greeting card shops.

You can listen to this episode of Tapestry at
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/better-ways-to-live-with-grief-1.4723337

Let me know if this or a part of it resonates with you as well.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday,
Jacqueline

PS: Take a step forward and sign up for the Healing Notes that will arrive in your inbox every second Sunday.

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.

How To Better Grief - A CBC Tapestry Episode

Does humour help you when you are grieving?

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