Practitioners, not coaches
There’s a reason why we’ve chosen to call our alumni “Practitioners” rather than coaches … it’s a great reminder of the nature of our profession. We’re always in practice. There’s the old adage, “Practice makes perfect.” Though we doubt there’s ever a “perfect” in the world of grief support, we’re certain that practice is the most promising way that we can keep becoming a better, more relevant, and more effective source of support for people who are struggling in their lives after loss.
Reflect on your practice
But effective practice is not a case of simply repeating what we do. Effective practice that expands our skills and deepens our relationships is deliberate and reflective, and it needs a support system.
- As a grief support practitioner, what does your support for your own professional development process look like?
- How can you make your professional practice more deliberate?
- Though you may never reach “perfect”, what direction are you practicing towards? In what specific ways do you want to improve your practice? And how do you know that you’re on track, moving in that direction?
- What does your support for your relationship with creativity look like?
- How are you continuing to approach grief experiences creatively in your own life?
- If you take a few moments in stillness and silence to sit with a-sort-of-imaginary-character named Creativity, what does this character say to you? Does it ask you to pay attention to anything in particular about your creative and/ or grief support practices? Is there anything you might like to ask it? Does anything change in your relationship to Creativity when you tend it more consciously? What do you think others might see and learn as they see you tending your relationship with Creativity?
- In what ways do you invite your clients to give you feedback that can help you to know where your practice is going in the right direction?
- Who else’s eyes, minds, hearts, and voices might you like to draw on, to help you to keep your practice moving you in the direction you want to be going in?
How the Creative Grief Studio supports your practice
Of course our Certification in Creative Grief Support is structured to support all our students to learn through deliberate, reflective, and relationally supported practice. You’ll receive beautiful, comprehensive manuals and participate in live calls covering the theory we teach, but the real learning takes place through the creative and reflective experiential activities that we’ll ask you to engage in. Not only will you have the opportunity to apply the approach we teach to your own grief journey, but you’ll also have opportunities to share your reflections and broaden your imagination for other people’s experiences by taking in others’ reflections during the supportive discussions and communal journalling opportunities that we offer throughout our 4-month course. Within the intimate and respectful classroom culture (we accept no more than 20 participants in each class), and the “practitioner buddy” connections you’ll make, you’ll have lots of opportunity to experience the value of relationally supported practitioner development. Find out more about the structure of our course and apply here.