Creative grief support

for children & adolescents

Creative grief support for children and adolescents

Creative grief counseling for children and adolescents helps them to find their own balance again in a changed life situation.

My offer is suitable for children, adolescents and young adults who have to deal with drastic loss and changed living situations, e.g.

• because someone important to them has died or is terminally ill and will die soon
• the death of a beloved pet
• the separation of parents or family
• the loss of familiar surroundings, e.g. due to a new place of living or a change of school.

Mourning processes are different for children and adolescents than for adults. Often grief comes in spurts, and during the times in between they seem almost inconspicuous. Sometimes grief reactions show themselves indirectly through physical complaints, anxiety or difficulty sleeping.

Find out more about Creative Grief Work.

Creative grief support helps

• to stabilise
• gather strength and good thoughts
• strengthen self-esteem
• counteract possible inner isolation
• pursue important questions
• deal with stressful experiences
• allow feelings of shame, anger, guilt or relief and “funny” thoughts and to find a way to deal with them
• work through fears
• come to terms with changes or loss
• sort out memories and feelings as they arise
• say goodbye
• find ways to stay connected

More participation – less anxiety

Many adults are insecure how much painful reality and confrontation with the topic of death children and young people can be expected to endure. Whether they may be exposed to stressful situations as a hospital visit, a funeral or the subject of suicide.

Often this results in not talking about the seriousness of an illness or the imminent death of an important person. Or only doing so when it becomes unavoidable. If children or adolescents are no longer allowed to see their deceased important people, the tangible and thus comprehensible farewell that is part of healing mourning work is missing.

Children and adolescents sense very precisely if something is not ok. Being not transparent about painful life changes means first and foremost to leave them on their own in a very difficult situation. The scenarios a child might imagine on its own and all the insecurity, anxiety and grief that goes along with that, are far more stressful than being involved in an age-appropriate way. To allow grieving children and adolescents to participate actively (and well supported) in the situation, will help them to deal with what is happening.