Grief Informed

“The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief” not only provides applied tools to cope with grief but also offers a compassionate space to understand and navigate the complex emotions that accompany loss. The course structure was extremely well-thought-out, offering a blend of informative modules, practical, well-timed reflections, and heartfelt personal stories that will resonate with anyone’s grief journey. Hilary’s design felt like a gentle guiding hand, leading the reader through the different aspects of grief, and providing great care to the reader. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, for those who are employers or leaders and need to support folks experiencing grief, there is the challenge to alter those unhelpful responses that are often offered in our culture to friends, colleagues, and family, following a loss. Understanding what constitutes loss is critical to providing the appropriate response and support. What truly stood out was the emphasis on self-care and healing, reminding us that it's okay to prioritize one’s emotional well-being during such a challenging time. I would recommend this course wholeheartedly to anyone grappling with loss and encourage employers to consider how this course could be a profound asset to better understand the needs of their employees who are grieving. ”

Carla Gregan-Burns, MSW RSW Former Director of Social Development, Province of New Brunswick Consultant/Consultante Child and Youth Wellbeing/ Direction du bien-être des enfants et des jeunes

“The online course, The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief, finally offers insights and understanding of the critical process of supporting others (and ourselves) through grief of all types. Through thoughtfully presented research, personal insight, and her own innate wisdom, Hilary’s course allowed me to see my own grief as a totality of experience of the body, mind, and soul. As a classroom teacher, I now have a greater understanding of what grief is and clear tips on what to say (and not to say) to those students and colleagues who are grieving, to support healing without adding more stress to the griever. ”

Mary Peters BA, BEd, MA English and Psychology Teacher, Secondary School, Vancouver BC

“This course opened my eyes to the impact of grief and loss, what a huge role it plays in our lives, and so importantly how with some education we can be more helpful than harmful when relating to people experiencing grief or loss. I feel that I have gained some insight and some tools that will help me not only in my personal life but in my role as a coworker and a leader in the workplace. I realize that I can make a difference with thoughtful interactions and support to coworkers on bereavement leave, during that transition back to work and after. At a time when workplace attrition is a huge concern, I am now convinced that understanding and being more thoughtful and compassionate around grief and loss is not only just the right thing to do but will be essential to keeping valuable people from leaving. I will be more conscious about the language I use and the support I can offer. I wish I had known better sooner, but I am very happy to be more informed now”

Shelley Beairsto, Sr. Manager, Certified Public Procurement Expert, Defence Manufacturing Industry. Dispute Resolution Certificate.

“For thirty years I worked in the long-term care field, initially as a front-line recreation staff member and later in management as the Administrator of the home. During that time, I learned a lot about death and dying. When sitting by the bedside of a dying resident the families appreciated staff informing them about what was happening to their loved ones. Knowledge and information helped them deal with the challenging time. Grief was not a focus of the training. I now realize how beneficial it would have been to extend the training to include grief and how to support families and caregivers in the process. A Practical Guide to Understanding Grief, by Hilary Scott, would fit nicely in the ongoing online education requirements of long-term care staff. It would give them confidence to interact and support the families and it would also raise their awareness that they also grieve when a resident dies. Death can trigger grief, but the mental health of individuals also requires that we acknowledge all the other times grief is present. This course opens your eyes to the universal yet individual experience of grief. On a personal level, after retirement I had reflective work to do to process years of grief that I had not acknowledged. Reviewing this course was an opportunity to revisit and continue the healing process. ”

Lauma Stikuts, B.A. (Psychology), B.Ed., Long-Term Care Administration Diploma, Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate.

“As a health care provider in hospice and hospital end-of-life care, I have never really felt prepared when dealing with grieving loved ones or knew how to properly listen to those dying. Medically speaking, I was trained properly and confident in my job. But I fell short of the mark when comforting those experiencing the trauma. There were no avenues of deliberate compassionate training available. We get a short, intro to dealing with death and how to talk to family members. Short and very sterile, with no compassion. Professionally speaking, "The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief" should be an essential part of those not only living with grief but also those professions that are immersed in it daily, as well as any public service position. The normalization of grief matters is vital to healthy communities, and this guide gives the footpath for it. I am also a young (ish) widow, parent of a child cancer survivor, divorced, lived with substance abuse of a partner and so many more "little g" moments in my life, I applaud the creator of this guide. The defining of a lifetime of grief is eye-opening to say the least. I fell prey to many of the myths and misinformation tripe and suffered silently under it. Having the strength and encouragement to speak the truths of grief and its many tendrils that ensnare ones life is such a relief. Finally, someone has put effectual information to elevate grievers from the isolated, dark places we hide to a hopeful, caring level of understanding and compassion. ”

Nora Peddle -Personal Care Attendant, Nfld

“Hilary’s course is an insightful, open, and sometimes personal, discussion on the misconceptions and often unrealistic societal expectations around grief and the negative impact it can have on employees, customers, clients, or our own loved ones. It provides valuable tools, discussion, and information on issues like what to say (and not to say) while also having the participant examine their own experiences with grief and its impact. I see great value for the customer service industry, organizations, and governments in having their employees take this course to give them the skills on how to respond to customers/clients/coworkers dealing with grief. For example, simple tasks like canceling a cell phone plan of a loved one can be devasting. Having trained employees to properly handle these types of situations can create lifelong customer loyalty (as was the case for me after a loss); can ensure employees who have suffered a loss can feel supported when returning to work; and can help build a corporate culture that supports their customers and employees.”

Director of Communications Valerie K. Works in communications and marketing for a government organization.

“As someone who has navigated a lifetime of grief, I found "The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief" to be profoundly educational and insightful. Hilary uses clear and accessible language, drawing from her extensive personal experience with grief. The course offers essential guidance to understand how grief differs from societal misconceptions. It explores the various types and layers of grief, helping me feel more understood and better equipped to support others. As the wife of a first responder, a mother, and a friend, the insights I've gained are invaluable. Additionally, in my work as a death doula and in my virtual assistant business, I can now provide more empathetic and effective support to clients and loved ones. This course is indispensable for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of grief and aiming to offer meaningful support to those navigating it. ”

Samantha Schumyn , Death Doula, Virtual Assistant. British Columbia

“As a leader in the not-for-profit sector with over 15 years in mental health & addictions, youth empowerment, and animal cruelty, I recently completed Hilary Scott's - Healing the Grief - The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief. The value to this sector is an investment in caring for yourself and your team. Everyone should have the opportunity to understand and learn about grief and loss, especially within industry supportive roles we play with those we serve. I highly recommend these pre-recorded sessions to all people and all workplaces no matter what sector; as in life no one escapes grief and loss, it is death, divorce, job loss, financial crisis, pet loss, and so on. The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief educates and enlightens people about every facet, of how we support others and ourselves through each loss we or they experience. No one should feel alone and silenced in their grief to make others comfortable. This course is an excellent offering within your human resources wellness programming. ”

Diane MacDougall Director of Administration VETS Canada

“I just completed Hilary Scott's online course The Practical Guide to Grief. As a teacher of 33 years, I wish I had this in my wheelhouse of knowledge sooner. I highly recommend it for any profession, especially personal use. I've faced myths and platitudes concerning grief and learned how to respond without diminishing and to show support. The course is easy to follow and contains short video parcels compassionately spoken. These engaging sessions can be done in small amounts or all at once. Hilary will nudge your conception of grieving and guide you with acceptance to a place of comfort and support. ”

Laura Guilfoyle BA in Child Psychology, B Edu in Early Childhood, Master in Education in Administration. Lincoln, New Brunswick

“I have just had the pleasure of completing Hilary Scott’s online course, The Practical Guide to Understanding Grief After 35 years as a family practitioner working in hospital medicine, grief and loss are old friends. This course has greatly improved my understanding of these painful, inevitable parts of our shared journey. This course is very user-friendly and can be done at your own pace. The exercises embedded in the course provide a safe space to allow the user to explore their relationship with the losses in their lives. This course will definitely help me support the people I care for with sensitivity and compassion. It’s a great professional resource. ”

Dr. Heather Robertson Hospitalist South Shore Regional Hospital Bridgewater Nova Scotia