Drawing on expertise in both expressive arts and grief counselling, this book highlights the use of expressive arts therapeutic methods in confronting and healing grief and bereavement. Establishing a link between these two approaches, it widens our understanding of loss and grief.
With personal and professional insight, Renzenbrink illuminates the healing and restorative power of creative arts therapies, as well as addressing the impact of communion with others and the role that expressive arts can play in community change. Covering a broad understanding of grief, the discussion incorporates migration and losing one’s home, chronic illness and natural disasters, highlighting the breadth of types of loss and widening our perceptions of this. Grief specialists are given imaginative and nourishing tools to incorporate into their practice and better support their clients.
An invaluable resource to expand understanding of grief and explore the power of expressive arts to heal both communities and individuals.
With personal and professional insight, Renzenbrink illuminates the healing and restorative power of creative arts therapies, as well as addressing the impact of communion with others and the role that expressive arts can play in community change. Covering a broad understanding of grief, the discussion incorporates migration and losing one’s home, chronic illness and natural disasters, highlighting the breadth of types of loss and widening our perceptions of this. Grief specialists are given imaginative and nourishing tools to incorporate into their practice and better support their clients.
An invaluable resource to expand understanding of grief and explore the power of expressive arts to heal both communities and individuals.
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Reviews
A paradoxical, but unsurprising, display of how creative vitality springs forth from the most difficult conditions and inspires an embrace of life. Irene Renzenbrink presents compelling evidence of how art heals, gathered from throughout the world in an elegantly written and designed text that will persist as a hopeful guide.
In this remarkable 'duet' for the fields of grief and the expressive arts, with unfailing pertinence and heartfelt authenticity, Renzenbrink eloquently illustrates the healing potential of the creative imagination across the loss spectrum. Against a thorough and comprehensive backdrop of traditional and current grief theories, the author courageously shares the intimate details of her personal struggles with trauma in a most readable style.
In this beautiful and deeply moving work Renzenbrink interweaves extensive professional knowledge and experience with personal story to show us that beyond suffering, hope and healing are possible, that we have within us an unshakable resilience that can be touched and nurtured by creative work. This is the most important book I have read for anyone working with grief and loss.