Honor Collages

This is a great activity for dealing with grief and/or loss.  Submitted by Adrianna Markley, CTRS.

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Materials:
Any handouts you want to use about grief and loss (myths and facts, stages of grief, etc.)
Construction or white paper
Colored pencils or crayons
Glue
Scissors (Optional)
Magazines that can be cut up

Description:
Lead a discussion on grief and loss, incorporating the handouts

Have patients make a collage to honor a person/pet they have lost and shared with the group.  Emphasize that the loss does not necessarily mean death, it could be that a friend moved away, a close relationship that isn't close anymore, etc.

Processing questions:
-Why did you pick that person to honor?
-How have you dealt with that loss?
-What coping skills have you used? (Positive and/or negative)
     -Discuss coping skills and strategies
-How does it feel to honor the person you have lost?