Managing Grief and Loss
Printable Tools
Feeling Thermometer
The Feeling Thermometer is an emotion regulation tool, designed to support a shared language to communicate levels of comfortability. The Feeling Thermometer uses colors and numbers ranging from comfortable feelings to uncomfortable feelings. Use this Feeling Thermometer as a quick and easy way to check in with one another.
Navigating the Holidays
Many people find that holidays and special occasions magnify their feelings of grief. Holidays are times when family and friends gather together to celebrate, but when experiencing grief it can seem like there is little to celebrate. Access this printable tool to learn more about some ways to manage the holidays while experiencing grief.
Videos
Grief Healing With Guardian Lane: Why This Resource Exists and How It Can Help
Watch an introduction to the children's mental health video platform Guardian Lane by its founder and CEO Kristina Jones. Guardian Lane is a fun and safe space for a child or children to have instant access to grief healing the moment they need it. Watch this video to get a glimpse into the types of projects and resources available on the website. Once you are registered as a provider, you can access certain materials free of charge.
Stress Relief and Homemade Slime
Watch a demonstration of a project available on Guardian Lane on how to make homemade slime as a way to relieve stress with grief counselor Hayley. The video starts with the materials and Hayley guides the audience through how to make the slime as well as talking about feelings and using the slime as a way to manage stress.
Trainings
Black Male Grief Reactions to Traumatic Loss: Increasing Understanding, Healing, and Services Among Black Men in an Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Way
One of the many disturbing aspects of grieving is experiencing a variety of unexpected or seemingly uncontrollable emotions and/or physical sensations. Often African American/Black men who mourn fear that they “are going crazy” or somehow “abnormal” in how they are responding to their loss. The goal of this seminar is to teach, inform and encourage providers to be anti-racist and anti-oppressive when providing services to African American/Black men who are experiencing traumatic grief and loss. Recorded on: 8/19/2020
Counseling Grieving Children and Teens
This presentation will provide an overview of the most widely accepted theories which describe how children grieve at different developmental stages. Intervention strategies will be shared that have been based on over 25 years of clinical practice with grieving children individually, in groups, and in camp settings. These interventions have demonstrated success with children who have both natural grief responses and those who may additionally experience PTSD, depression, or anxiety reactions. We will also look at the important ways in which the grievers’ culture informs ...
Supporting Adult and Older Adult Clients Through Grief and Loss
This training will provide an overview of the common experiences felt during grief and loss. What is often referred to as the “stages” of grief will be discussed, as well as research on the “stages” of grief. Various grief trajectories will be presented, including those more likely to be associated with a healthier progression versus those associated with complications in the grieving process. Discussion will emphasize grief and loss during the COVID pandemic, as well as among persons experiencing homelessness. The presentation will highlight “common” ...
Supporting Grieving Families
The grief process looks different for children and adults. Watch this video to learn best practices in supporting families experiencing grief and recognize how personal beliefs, cultural differences, and history with death influences the therapeutic process. Recorded on: 3/7/2018
Prevention in Practice
Strategies for Coping With and Overcoming Loss and Grief
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, historical and ongoing social injustices, and environmental disasters (CDC, 2020) have resulted in collective hurt. Many people are experiencing deep feelings of grief around loss: from the loss of family members or friends due to disease or violence, loss of normality or social support, or even loss of a home or living area.
Websites
Guardian Lane
As communities grieve, Guardian Lane can be one source of support. The website provides Los Angeles families, schools, and organizations tools to promote therapeutic grief virtually. Created by certified and licensed children’s grief counselors, the resources are free of charge for child(ren) and families to use and referrals to additional therapy resources. The resources are recommended for children aged 5-15; child(ren) can watch, create, and share creative grief projects to support feelings of not being alone in what they are feeling and experiencing.
