Juggling the Joy and Sorrow: Supporting Healthy Grief in Children, Families and Ourselves

Description

Overview:

The human experience of grief is always a difficult one yet additional
challenge comes with navigating grief in a society that struggles with both
emotional expression and mortality. In addition, living through a pandemic has
provided an abundance of losses, many of which are unacknowledged, which can
further complicate and compound a child’s experience of grief.

While grief is an often-misunderstood process, at its core it is
an extremely healthy one and one that can be integrated into a child’s life in
a way that allows for it to co-exist with growth and joy.  This day-long workshop will go a long way
towards enhancing the grief literacy of participants by weaving together
strategies for supporting grieving children and families and provide opportunities
to process our own experience of the past three years. Current literature
on the topic will be touched on and practical strategies that can be used in a variety
of settings for supporting young people who are grieving will be shared.
Important messages from children and their families that illustrate “best
practice” guidelines will be woven throughout.

 

Learning Objectives:

 

1)
Enhance grief literacy 

2)
Identify common barriers to supporting a healthy grief process in
children. 

3)
Identify practical
tips and resources to help children integrate their grief into their lives in
healthy ways including Grow-vid 19, an interactive presentation that can be
used to help kids process their experience of COVID-19

4)    Explore
strategies for caring for our own grief while caring for others

 

Biography:  Andrea Warnick RN, MA, RP

Andrea
is a Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Nurse whose passion lies in
helping individuals, families and communities support people of all ages
who are grieving an illness or death in their lives. With years of nursing
and counselling experience both in Canada and abroad and a Masters degree
in Thanatology (the study of dying and death) Andrea brings to her work a
rare mixture of medical and psychosocial expertise. Andrea developed and
teaches the 5 Day Certificate Program in Children’s Grief and Bereavement
at SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health. She was also the lead
content developer for KidsGrief.ca and KidsGrief for Educators.

Once
a month Andrea hosts a free monthly forum through Canadian Virtual
Hospice, KidsGrief Q& A, where she responds to questions from families
and professionals from across the country about supporting grieving
children and youth. Andrea lives in Guelph Ontario, from where she runs
Andrea Warnick Consulting, a group practice of over 25 therapists who
provide grief counselling across Ontario and grief education across
Canada.