Bereavement is a complex issue, and responses vary from individual to individual. Factors such as age, and gender all effect how we respond, and there is no right pattern to how we should be expected to handle grief.
With Love Cornwall takes an approach open to where you are in the grief process, and we set out below some guides on handling bereavement, and we are always happy to here from you, when you are ready. Please feel free to contact us on the link below.
NEURODIVERGENCE AND GRIEF
The emotional responses can be intense due to brain that functions differently.
Neurodivergence and grief can display itself differently than neurotypical brains, experiencing emotions deeply. The shock from a bereavement can become difficult, feelings of heaviness to move forward. This can present difficulties with thought patterns to navigate the process, interfering when finding ways to cope.
Greif can present confusion; emotions can be delayed unable to process information due to the shock of the loss. This can interfere with day to day living increasing heightened sensory processing issues, shutting down and dysregulated emotions.
Greif can display changes in behaviour, personal hygiene, appetite differences, sleep issues. Having someone to talk to is vital in these times.
Throughout the sessions I can offer a tailored understanding in a non-judgmental empathic approach. Interventions of choices supporting and delivering an abstract client lead approach.
Within sessions, I can support with a visual process to grief with art and objects to help clients express their own individual challenges. I can support each individual client with a tailored session through their journey of grief.
CHILDREN AND BEREAVEMENT
Children can show grief differently than adults, this depends on a child’s age and the understanding of grief. Displaying a range of different behaviours and sadness can be a way of expressing their grief. This can be met with reassurance over time. Honesty is the key, explaining to a child can be difficult when a loved one dies, with deep feelings just as an adult. As children can’t always familiarise in sad times, structure comfort can support their healing. Certain behaviour’s, sadness, meltdowns, anxious and shutting down are all sighs of shock and grief. One minute a child is upset and asking questions then acting like nothing happened. This is because it’s their way of coping from strong emotions and not sure how to navigate them.
Children can often see grief as gone forever. Through the journey of art and stories I can work with children at their own pace to gain an understanding of their world of grief. Continuing the bond with memory boxes, picture books and star bright ribbons in a setting provided with comfort in a safe place to be.
Parents, family/care givers can join in with the process supporting the child’s path to start to understand and heal.
TEENS AND BEREAVEMENT
Teens can struggle with a bereavement trying to gain an understanding. Presenting issues often expressing their own feelings in different ways. Open communication is helpful when a parent has died, to exploring their sadness. Teens are not adults and need to be treated as a young person. Due to developmental changes in teenager years certain challenges associated with loss can impact grief at a vulnerable stage in their life. Talking about the grief is an important part of the loss and understanding their responses is important. Daily patterns can change with the shock of a parent or sibling with eating, sleeping and socialising. This can be an isolating time. It can be useful within a session to have that open space to communicate their challenging emotion’s sharing and healing through photos and their own unique experience can support better long term mental health. I can provide sessions on text, phone calls, video and face to face.
PETS AND BEREAVMENT
The loss of a pet, from a mouse to a horse can be an emotional painful experience.
The deeper the bond, the deeper the grief. Pets provide safety, therapy and healing to our lives. Going through life, alongside our pets they become a part of our family. Sharing walks and time together for long periods of time is devastating when a pet is poorly or its time to part. The empty deep sadness arises when a pet has gone, wondering how to step forward alone, this can be as difficult as losing a family member. I support sessions with a core understanding to pre grief, to the bereavement of a pet. Feelings of loneliness and isolation when a pet has died, this can be adjusting a big adjustment. I can provide a quiet setting to listen and explore your pet bereavement. Through art I can help with the process to begin the healing. Painting a horseshoe to writing a memory book I can provide sessions through difficult times at your own pace.