About the Series

This three-part series is for therapists, yoga teachers, body workers, and anyone working with people in bereavement. It is also a welcoming and open space for non-professionals who want to learn more about the experience of grief, its somatic, emotional, and spiritual expressions, and how to be supportive friends or allies to folks experiencing profound grief and loss.

Session 1: What is grief?

In this session, we will define grief and differentiate between different kinds of grief, as well as grief from depression. We will talk about the physical, emotional, and spiritual expressions of grief and the tools and techniques to address each of them. We will look at the ways in which grief is pathologized, including the recent entry of “prolonged grief” into the DSM.

Session 2: Wisdom presence

In this session, we will discuss what people in bereavement need and touch on some of the helpful and less helpful things people say to folks who are experiencing intense grief. We will also do practices in “bearing witness” and discuss the ways in which we can listen more deeply and the barriers to our total presence.

Session 3: Grief rituals

In this session, we will talk about community, individual, and family grief rituals, as well as how to use ritual “on the spot” to help acknowledge and contain a person’s experience. This series is taught by Molly Lannon Kenny, MS, C-IAYT. Molly has been teaching end-of-life care and supporting people in grief for over 3 decades, and has experienced multiple catastrophic losses within the past 8 years. Her teaching style is warm, authentic, and down-to-earth; she ensures everyone feels welcomed and valued.