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Expressions of Grief and Bereavement
WendyTuckerGarrean,M.A.,Expressive Therapist
Arts
LegacyHospiceServices-McMinnville5O3472-9685
LegacyGoodSamaritan Healing
Cancer Center 503413-8404
wgarrean@lhs.org

Expressive Therapy oftenreferred as a multi-modal multi-arts
Arts is to or
therapeutic modality to the utilization manycreative
due of means expression
of
suchas visualarts,movement writing,
arts, drama, and music. Various
organizations individuals displaying
and are deepinterest utilizing
in the
expressive as a healing
arts modality informational for groupand
and lens
individualtherapeutic support.Thiswidespread interest beenshownby
has
teachers, socialworkers, occupational
therapists, community outreach program
leaders, psychologists, medical
and personal, namea few. Suchgrowing
to
interestis an indication the effectiveness creative
of of intervention providing
in
an avenue withwhichindividuals ableto communicate innermostself.
are their

Junge(1985), Mclntyre (1990), Simon
and (1981),report
findings that
showmanybereaved individualsrespond favorably oftenmore
and quicklywith
the creative therapies
arts thanwithtraditionalverbalinterventions. Using
creativeapproaches griefcounseling
in encourages expression one's
full of
thoughts and feelingswhena lovedone dies. Examples creative
of approaches
are'.
" Aft Making: expression
art aids in reflection feelings
of and
experiences shared withthe deceased helpsbringclarity
and to
one'sunique grieving process.
* Useof Symbols Analogr'es:
and encourages mourner share
the to
photos,letters,
tapes,articles clothing, significant
of and objects
belonging the deceased encourages bereaved explore
to and the to
personalsymbols images healing.
and of
* Witing:writinglettersto the deceased of
helpsthe expression
thoughts feelings
and regarding possible
unresolvedissues
between mourner
the and the deceased.
* Commemoration: pictures,
creating bookof stories,
a
poems, drawings
memorabilia, and helpsthe bereaved reminisce
and eventually
mourn deathwitha morerealistic
the imageof the
deceased.

ritualscan helpeasethe painthroughengaging
"HealingRituals: in
an outwardexpression memorializing loved-one
of the and
promoteshealing throughcreating sacredact of expressing
a one's
experience.

Johnson(1987)explains the practice art makingas an aid to the
that of
healingprocess not a newconcept."Humankind havedeveloped to
is may art
alf
eviateor containfeelings anxietylear,crisis,
of , (Johnson1987 p.
andthreat" , ,
7). Dissanayake (1988) supports opinion,
this that
stating art making marksthe
importance eventssuchas death,
of through creation visualimagery.
the of

Hatcher p.
(1985, 7) offers anthropological of whycreative
an view is
expression
exploredduringtheseprofound points life:
in
Whatever theoretical
the explanation,is clearthatart
it
somehow helpshuman beingscopewiththe trauma of
death. Beauty and art formshavebeenpartof funeral
ceremonies sinceNeanderthal times.Thisuniversal
human problem meteverywhere symbolic
is with
solutions satisfy mindand aesthetic
to the solutionsto
(pp
release emotions 106-107).
the
Simon(1981 p. 7) suggests artistic
, that expression the bereaved
from
representseffortsof workingthrough conflict
and usually occursin threestages:
stageone-expression the conflict,
of allowing greaterconscious awareness the
of
feelings
withinthe stress;stagefwe-the artisticimageenables suffering
the
expressed stageoneto findcontainment
in whileit is converted mourning;
to
stagethree-bringsresolutionand greatercopingskills.

Hill describes benefits groupart therapy the bereaved the
the of for in
following
way.
" Hastens GriefProcess Promotes
the and Coping Skills-lna
supportive environment,
resolutionthrough creativeexpressionand
in
containment art freescreativeenergynecessary dealwith
to
dailyliving.

" Remember Commemorate Deceased-Creativity
and the in art
therapy also"leadto remembering, experiencing rage
can to the
and the loss,andto regaining pastin all itswarmth
the and its
imperfection....to
mourning losses
of andto getting knowoneself
to
andothers" (Fleming, p
1983, 7).
* Creation Healing
of Rituals-According (1987),
to Johnson "Art
origlnally
developed a meansof expression andrelieffrom
as of
traumaticexperiences. song,drama,
Art, and dancein primitive
timesweremotivated a needfor catharsis gaining
by and control
overthreats the community" 8)
to (p.
* Helpsto Organize Regain
and of
Sense Containment-Junge
(1985) explains the ovenryhelming
that feelings thoughts
and
resulting froma lovedone'sdeathcan be contained within
symbolism. container artistic
The of symbolism presents senseof
a
controland organization,whichallowsgreater productivity daily
in
life and resolution the griefprocess.
of
* Promotes
Exploration Feelings-Artistic
of images promote
can
discussions maynot havebeenacknowledged
that previously
(lrwin,
1991; 1985).
Simon,
* FacilitatesCathartic
Effectand KinestheticRelease-Cathartic
expression through releases
art emotions grief,
of andthe
experience catharsis
of allowsthe healingprocess begin(Furth,
to
1988; Rubin, 1987',lrwin,
1991;Junge, p
1985; 8).

* Encourages Awareness-"The
Self pro@ssof making allowsfor
art
self-awareness the artworks safeoutlets individuals
and are for to
expresstheirgriefat theirownrate,withthe emphasis
on
discovering investigating
and relevantpersonalconcerns
(Schimmel Kornreich,
& p.
1993, 9).
* FinalProduct Permanence-Persons
and in griefcan lookat
finished overtimeand continue gaininsight
artwork to fromthe
work. Theycan engage withthe images,increasing self
understanding a pacethatis appropriate them.
at for

lmplementing creative therapies substantially
arts can increasethe
beneflts groupsupport.According Aldridge
of to (1993) andMalchiodi(1991)
creativetherapiesoffermodalities well-suited the needsof
to grieving
individuals.
Thisis in partdueto the difficulty fullyexpressing through
of grief wordsalone.
Art therapyoffersa multimodal non-verbalmeanswithwhichto discover new
possibilitiescoping
in withloss(Grant, 1995;Graves, p
1994, 7).

Hospice programs beginning implement
are to moreart therapy their
into
bereavement groupsessions. (1990),
Mclntyre reports the goalsof group
that
art therapyservestwo purposes; provide
to of
socialsanction the expression
for
grief,and to promote mourning
adaptive responses.

and
Schimmel Kornreich (1993)suggest, "Thesharing artwork
of
augments deepens connections
and the madeduringnormal verbal
communications groups.Theseimportant
in interadions
between participants,
art therapist, the art process
and helpthe participant
movefromisolation and
loneliness connection empowerment; denialto acceptance; loss
to and from from
and anxiety relief; fromdespair hope"(p 10)
of control to and to

and
Schimmel Kornreich (1993) discuss art therapy
an bereavement
groupfor thosewidowed lessthanone year. The groupincluded weekly
sessions lastingfor the periodof one yearand was looselystructured after
Kubler-Ross's (1969) stages griefandacceptance death,
five of of andYalom
andVinogradov's (1988) bereavement work. "Thegoalsof the groupwereto
identify emotional
the experiences the groupmembers
that couldshare,how
members couldhelponeanother, howtheymightgainrelief
and fromsadness,
continue withtheirlives, andgrowemotionally'' 10). The participants
(p. were
presented with art therapydirectives,helping facilitate expression their
to the of
experiences. Results showed the artistic
that processbrought the participants
to
recognition thoughts feelings, an alleviation sorrow 10)
of and and of (p

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