Exploring Our Shared Experience of Grief and Loss

Many staff and managers experienced close personal deaths during the pandemic and were not able to “be there for their loved ones” as they were dying and at death in the way they would have liked because of the demands of their work and the restrictions of the pandemic. Some lost co-workers and people they supported and were not able to create ways for everyone involved to partake in grief and death rituals in ways they were accustomed to. This training supports people to understand and explore the way in which this grief and loss can be impacting their lives and work and develop meaningful strategies to move forward.

This series is made up of three sessions that will provide participants with the space and time to begin reflecting on their experience of loss and death. Each of the sessions builds on the others and offers participants a new imagination of working with grief and loss through a narrative and trauma-informed approach. It will create shared dialogue and learning so that people can develop meaningful strategies individually and collectively within their religious and cultural practices. 

Session 1: Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on our work and our personal and collective sense of grief and loss

Session 2: Befriending your grief and loss

Session 3: How to honour those we once served or worked alongside that we have lost collectively.

Participants will be invited to reflect personally by responding to one or more prompts and finding images/analogies to explore and safely speak about one’s experience. They will also be reflecting and sharing in the larger group about their collective experiences at work and in the broader society.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyze one’s imagination and understanding of grief and loss.
2. Discuss how to look at personal and collective impacts of grief and loss.
3. Reflect on one’s own grief response and how to loosen its hold.
4. Explore the concept of how to keep grief from remaining stuck and how to keep it in motion.
5. Develop personal self-care strategies for addressing one’s grief by increasing self-awareness
6. Learn key aspects of creating unique memorials to honour people who have died.

Who Should Attend 

Those that provide care for others would especially benefit from this collective sharing and dialogue. This includes those working in developmental and residential services, out-of-home and foster care and anyone that would like to explore the way in which grief and loss has impacted their lives. 

Course Dates & Format 

March 17, 24, & 31, 2025

1:00pm-3:30pm ET

This is a 7.5-hour training. This course consists of three 2.5-hour interactive virtual sessions using Zoom.

Instructor:  

Judith McGill, Honours BA., MES

Judith is a skilled educator and facilitator with a unique combination of expertise and experience related to the developmental disability sector in community building, grief counselling and Community Deathcare Practitioner.  She was the Co-Founder and Executive Director for over 20 years of Families for a Secure Future, an Independent Facilitation organization. She is a practicing Community Deathcare Practitioner and Educator in Toronto and the GTA. She is the founder of Dragonfly Collective for Community Deathcare, co-founder of Community Deathcare Ontario, founding Core Group Member of Community Deathcare Canada and facilitates their Community of Practice conversations. Judith has supported a number of people with disabilities and their support circles through the process of dying and grieving.

Training Fee

Member Fee: $220.00 + $28.60 (HST) = $248.60

Non-Member Fee:  $250.00 + $32.50 (HST) = $282.50

Group Registration: Save 20% off individual fee with group registration of 4 or more participants. Download the group registration form HERE.

Continuing Education Information 

Licensing boards and professional organizations will grant Continuing Education credits for attendance at their discretion when participants submit the course outline and certificate. 

In-Service 

This is available as an in-person or virtual in-service training and customized to suit your needs.

To Register 

Register for November 19, 26 & December 3, 2024 here https://www.safeguards-training.net/course/shared-experience-of-grief-and-loss/