Dear readers…..
I am digressing this month from sharing about what’s happening in the filed on creative arts in counselling in other parts of the world to sharing some recent experiences that I have been dealing with at work.
It seems that one fourth of my clients are dealing with grief and loss issues at some level .Its either directed linked to them or somebody they know.
I have been supporting children, families, caregivers, grandparents to process the feelings of transition, endings and closures in my counseling sessions and wanted to share some of the activities that I have found to be useful when talking hasn’t helped…….
Most of these are that what I have been taught, have read or have researched and modified to suit the particular client, depending on their ages and stages of grief.
Some of my trial and tested ones include:
Creating a grief or memory collage to a favorite music listened to by the person.
Creating a family tree painting using the handprints of family members as the leaves with wishes for each other.
Developing messages in art (if you could create a message for your special person using art as a form of expression, what would you want to communicate?).
Making a  paper boat with messages for the person who has passed and sailing it in open water.
Using T-Shirts and other paraphernalia bearing the picture and facts about the deceased, to symbolize the life and death of their loved ones. 

I found these to be self reflective as well as helping in the grieving process so if anybody finds anyway to modify and use them……please do so.

By: Priya Senroy

*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA