Transform Grief with Creativity

We all will grieve as some point in our lives. While this is difficult to bear, I believe we can move through our grief and process it by feeling it deeply, expressing our response and discovering our innate creativity and resilience.

I develop creative tools that are accessible to any bereaved person. My books contain expressive techniques, stories from my own life and the people I have worked with.

Claudia Coenen

Claudia Coenen, GTMR, CGC, FT, is a grief counsellor in private practice in Hudson, New York, where she helps people express emotions and discover personal resilience as they learn to live fully after loss. A skilled public speaker, she presents workshops on Grief through the Creative Lens, Loving after Loss, Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue and Somatic Awareness. Claudia has certifications in grief counseling, thanatology and Grief...

Books

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An Invitation to Thrive

Cultivating Resilience and Purpose After Bereavement, Life Transitions and Multiple Loss

“I’d like to invite you to stop here, at the juncture of your disruption. You are already halted by what has happened, so just stop for a little while. Breathe. There will be a time for assessments and action, but not just yet. Be with it. The break offers an opening.Open your heart and enter.”Everyone experiences transitions and major “...

Karuna Cards for Thriving After Loss

Creative Ideas to Cultivate Resilience, Personal Growth and Build a New Future

A creative card deck to foster resilience and growth after loss, trauma, or life transitions. With prompts for reflection and action, they support posttraumatic growth and to process emotions, integrate change, and build a meaningful future. Suitable for self-help and professional use by therapists, coaches, and counsellors.

Seasons of Grief

Creative Interventions to Support Bereaved People

The quiet letting go of Autumn, the reflective stillness of Winter, the bright rebirth of Spring, and the flourishing warmth of Summer trace the natural path of grief as it grows and changes to fit the spaces left behind by those we love. Easy-to-use exercise guides and activities invite readers to explore the changeable nature of grief through...

Praise

This is the one book you need to help your grieving clients move from heartache to hope. Grounded in modern grief models that are flexible enough to accommodate individual differences, yet solid enough to provide much needed support, Coenen elegantly transitions theory into practice with the creative activity sheets that allow clients to explore their grief in a holistic way. From somatic exercises to reflection, art, and journaling, the wide range of activities in this toolkit has something for everyone, no matter where they are on their grief journey. Ultimately the partnership formed between practitioners and clients who take advantage of the innovative activities in this workbook will be healing, meaningful, and even transformational. I no doubt will keep The Creative Toolkit for Grief and Bereavement close by on my desk!

– Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT, Author of Mindfulness & Grief and Host of The Mindfulness & Grief Podcast

Seasons of Grief is a beautiful journey through the natural healing power of creative expression in grief. This book is filled with wisdom and compassion and is a gift for both grieving people and providers alike. There are so many creative methods, prompts, stories, activities and insight for the energy of grief and transformation to be channelled into expression, no one will put this book down without feeling inspired to create and explore their capacity to create. Thanks to Coenen and all the contributors for this exceptional book.

– Karla Helbert, MS, LPC, C-IAYT, author of Yoga for Grief & Loss, The Chakras in Grief and Trauma: A tantric Guide to Energetic Wholeness, and Finding Your Own Way to Grieve: A Creative Activity Workbook for Kids & Teens on the Autism Spectrum

They say if you're going through hell, keep going. Claudia Coenen is a wise and compassionate guide through the hell of deep loss, a place she knows well. Shattered by Grief offers a compelling personal story, helpful advice, and kind companionship for navigating the grief journey. Highly recommended.

– They say if you're going through hell, keep going. Claudia Coenen is a wise and compassionate guide through the hell of deep loss, a place she knows well. Shattered by Grief offers a compelling personal story, helpful advice, and kind companionship for navigating the grief journey. Highly recommended.

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