Art therapy for grief and loss: Collage making 2021

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Grief and loss are a part of life.

Grief is the human response to an actual or anticipated loss. Whether it's a person, pet, coping with a break-up, or the loss of our old life before Covid, we all experience loss.

Life is constantly changing and we are forced to adapt to new situations all the time. We are always evolving and going through some type of loss in varying degrees.

Our society tends to view loss as something we need to hurry up and heal from. But oftentimes, we need to process the emotions we experience.

What to expect:

We will be engaging in a mindful collage that pays tribute to the loss you have experienced. You will have a chance to share with a group of others who also have experienced loss.

Where

From the comfort of your own home, online via Zoom.

What do I need?

You will need:

• a candle

• paper

• glue

• scissors

• magazines (**if you don't have any magazines, you can also use some art supplies around the house like crayons, pastels, watercolor paint.)

Why does Art Help the Grieving Process?

Grief is a highly personal experience that activates several brain areas involved with emotional processing, memory, and cognition including the cerebellum, frontal cortex and amygdala.

Creative activities can improve mindful attention, which helps us to regulate our moods. It also helps by bringing feelings that are repressed or difficult to express out in the open and making them more accessible for processing.

Engaging in art helps us make meaning of our loss. Meaning-making is actually now considered a sixth stage of grief. Research shows that those who find meaning in loss have greater subjective well-being and even immune system functioning than those who don't find meaning.

Note

If you have experienced a very recent and/or traumatic death, this might not be for you. I encourage you to see a therapist one on one to discuss the grief you are experiencing. This workshop is ideal for someone who has had some time to process their loss with a therapist and is interested in processing grief through art in a supportive, community setting.

~

Kimberly Hetherington is a transpersonal art therapist, meditation facilitator and writer based in Sydney, Australia. She is a mental health advocate and passionate about supporting people in finding belonging. Through her own journey of grief and loss, Kimberly has discovered a unique refuge that can be found in the fusion of art therapy and meditation.

IG: @kimberly_hetherington