A collection of Hopefully Helpful Hints on Supporting Children with Grief put together by me. I hope you find them helpful.
~ Dallas Shirley, Registered Clinical Counsellor and BC Registered Play Therapist
“The BC Bereavement Helpline (BCBH) was established as a charity in 1988 and has become a provincial leader in providing education, support and advocacy for the bereaved, their caregivers and professionals.”
“KidsGrief.ca can help you understand how children (ages 0 to 18) grieve and how to support them as they face the life-limiting illness, dying and death of someone important to them.”
Canadian Virtual Hospice shares an “… activity book [that helps] kids think about how someone’s illness is affecting their life.”
~ KidsGrief.ca
Canadian Virtual Hospice shares an “… activity book [that helps] kids think about how someone choosing medical assistance in dying is affecting them”
~ KidsGrief.ca
Canadian Virtual Hospice shares an “… activity book developed for kids aged 6-12 years living with a life-limiting illness, to help them think about and respond to their thoughts, feelings and questions.”
This is a book series I wrote and co-illustrated with my sister called Woodland Wisdom Books. They are children’s books and guides for parents, caregivers, educators, support workers, social workers, counsellors, mental health clinicians, aunts, uncles, grandparents, or any adult wanting to help support children as they navigate tough stuff like grief, loss, anxiety, and anger.
Dougy Center “… provides grief support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families can share their experiences before and after a death. We provide support and training locally, nationally, and internationally to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children who are grieving..”
“This resource is a collaboration with the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), which provides culturally specific support for LGBTQIA2S+ youth in Portland, Oregon… To create this [grief-specific resource for queer and trans youth]… Dougy Center facilitated a focus group with youth from SMYRC.”
~ Developed in partnership between Dougy Center and SMYRC – New Avenues for Youth
“YouthGrief.ca has been developed — from content to art to design — by grieving youth, for grieving youth. It shares wisdom, experiences and advice from more than 30 young people who’ve been there, and know what it’s like to grieve when someone you care about has died.”
~ YouthGrief.ca
“Coping with the death of a loved one brings enormous challenges for the whole family. Grieving may never completely end, but working through the difficult feelings can become easier with time. Through support, open conversations, and finding ways to keep the person’s memory alive, families can begin healing together.”
Candian Alliance for Grieving Children And Youth provides opportunities for grief education and a wonderful directory for grief support across Canada.
The Children and Youth Grief Network’s vision is that “Every child and youth has honest information and well-informed support when someone they care about is dying or has died.”
This website has access to the Dream Builder Worksheet, the Grief Dreams Podcast, academic publications about grief dreams, and much more.
“We hope the information found here can assist the bereaved by normalizing their experience and reduce any isolation they may feel. In addition, we hope that those who assist the bereaved can reduce the biases associated with dreams and explore the healing that can be found within these experiences.”
This is a blog written by a dear friend and mentor Johanna Simmons who is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and BC Registered Play Therapy Supervisor who specializes in children and family therapy. Also, Johanna is one of the most experienced and caring counsellors and play therapists that I know. I would highly recommend her services.
A trusted friend and past colleague, if you are looking for in-person support for those 15 years and older, in the Abbotsford area, I would highly recommend the services of Yoko Gifford. She helps support those dealing with anxiety & depression, relationship issues, trauma, anger, shame, belonging, re-discovering self, grief and loss, end-of-life support, spirituality and/or faith, internalized oppression and racism.
Live Purposefully End of Life Care Planning’s vision is “to bring peace of mind to the end of life experience through compassionate conversations, meaningful education, and proactive planning.”
End of Life Doula Association of Canada’s approach “is holistic, individual, person-centered quality care. We see death as a process rather than an event that takes place over time. We see building relationships with the person as the key to supporting them in their journey. We see a person as being made up of a unique set of circumstances and beliefs. We see the person as an individual.”
This is a blog written by a friend and Registered Clinical Counsellor, Cordelia Mejin, whose “specialty is supporting young adults and adults process the different layers and emotions in grief and loss, grow one’s capacity to carry grief and integrate grief into their life story.”
“Have you ever wished that your child came with an instruction manual? Sesame Street Tool Kits are the next best thing. They provide opportunities to build closeness and confidence, making learning fun, and keep your child’s world safe and secure.”
“Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. We offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French.”
“We help families across the province navigate the mental health system, listen and offer peer support, and connect them to resources and tools.”
Mental Health Services – “We provide psychiatric assessment, short-term individual, family and group treatment, and medication review.”
“We provide specialized development and rehabilitation services for children, youth and their families.”
“Foundry offers young people ages 12-24 health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through integrated service centres in communities across BC.”
~ Foundry
“YouthInBC.com is first and foremost an on-line crisis chat service, where you can chat 1-on-1 with a trained volunteer from the Crisis Centre, where our service is based. We also have this site, with information so you can learn more on a variety of youth-related issues, as well as resources: a list of organizations and websites where you can get help.”
“Anxiety Canada™ is a leader in developing free online, self-help, and evidence-based resources on anxiety.”
“Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada.”
“The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world’s leading research centres in its field.”
“The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.”
Dallas Shirley 