Dealing with Dealing with Loss in the time of Covid

Tuesday 10 November and Thursday 12 November (limited availability) facilitated by Julie Aldridge

Loss is a universal experience and a normal part of human life. Collective rituals, customs and attitudes have been formed over millennia in response to this central theme. The current global pandemic of Covid 19 challenges previous cultural norms and expectations as it impacts many aspects of our personal and social life. Economic, educational and healthcare systems, job security, personal freedoms, the closest of familial relationships and environmental issues have all been undergoing an urgent process of re-evaluation.

Rapid change on such a scale is unparalleled in our lifetime and change, even when anticipated, can be a source of anxiety. The loss of what was formerly valued and familiar can bring attendant feelings of confusion and grief. The loss of anticipated futures is equally painful and may be especially acute in young adults.

Through art making, storytelling and mutual sharing, this zoom workshop aims to acknowledge these personal and collective losses, as a first stage in beginning to explore fresh possibilities. I will be offering directed exercises and narrative within a theoretical frame of trauma-informed therapy, as points of departure for experiential work. The creative arts are a time-honoured source of new narratives, reflections and perspectives. They can support resilience, visualisation and co-creation towards making a new start after the loss of the known.

Participants will need basic art materials and writing equipment.

The FACILITATORS

About Kim Doherty

advocates for the arts as a powerful tool in the healing journey and as a path to your unlimited self.

Kim Doherty is an art therapist who works in a range of contexts including private practice with children, young people and adults. Kim has worked in mental health including community mental health, acute psychiatric setting, youth settings and elderly care. Works 1:1 and also facilitates group work. Promoting the use and exploration of both therapeutic art and arts and health work with a range of stakeholders including local authorities, HSE, CMETB, public and private clients.

About Louise Gartland 

Louise is an Art Psychotherapist and Director at Artonomy. She works with adults and adolescents dealing with a variety of issues, some of which include anxiety, depression, addiction, self-harm, suicide and sexual trauma. She has worked in many settings including educational, clinical, foster care, residential treatment, forensic and international voluntary organisations. Louise believes in peoples innate wisdom and hopes to help them explore this in therapy so that they may grow to listen to and trust in their own voices, thus gaining personal autonomy in their lives. She provides sessions in the Artonomy Rooms and out in Nature.

Link to Artonomy website here

About Julie Aldridge

Julie Aldridge

Julie Aldridge lives on Beara in West Cork and retired from part time teaching MA art therapy CIT, two years ago. Pre-lockdown, she was delivering bespoke workshops in various venues, for different interest groups. She is currently working remotely with individual clients in therapy and supervision and continues to paint and write.