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Grief, Healing and Creative ExpressionThis program is co-facilitated by psychology graduate JR Alsip and Nia Delafleur, our art therapist, using guided discussion, therapeutic art-making, and supportive connection to help participants explore grief, healing, and resilience through creative expression.
Together, we explored the many forms grief can take in the lives of elders and 2SLGBTQ+ people, including:
Loss of loved ones — grieving partners, family members, friends, and chosen family.
Loss of community — experiencing the loss of friends and connections through aging, illness, relocation, or changing social circles.
Grief from discrimination and rejection — the lasting impact of homophobia, transphobia, rejection, bullying, and social exclusion.
Loss of identity or belonging — navigating times when people were unable to live openly or had to hide important parts of themselves.
Unrecognized or disenfranchised grief — losses that may not have been acknowledged or understood by family, society, or traditional support systems.
Grief for lost time — reflecting on relationships, experiences, opportunities, or milestones that may have been missed because of stigma or the need to live in the closet.
Anticipatory grief — facing changes associated with aging, declining health, independence, or the potential loss of people and abilities that are important to us.
Complicated feelings around family — grieving relationships that were distant, estranged, or never became what we hoped they could be.
Collective and historical grief — carrying memories of discrimination, the HIV/AIDS crisis, loss of community members, and other experiences that have shaped generations of queer people.
Grief and resilience — recognizing that grief can exist alongside love, joy, connection, pride, and hope.
Through conversation and creative expression, participants are invited to acknowledge their experiences, share when comfortable, connect with others, and explore pathways toward healing, acceptance, and renewed connection.
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Event venue
400, 750 - 11 Street SW, 750 11 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 3N7, Canada
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Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.