1 Day Training: Supporting Bereaved Children at School
This training day is designed for staff to build confidence and awareness in supporting the needs of bereaved children. It is led by Andrew Royle, a dramatherapist and bereaved child himself, with many years of experience working with bereaved children and their families. The day is based around ten Principles of Bereavement Work, which permit schools to formulate their own bereavement strategy and processes as well as developing techniques and activities for staff to use with bereaved children. Participants are also invited to bring an object, photo, poem or a memory of their own experience of bereavement to share on the day.
In bereavement, the words escape us. ‘I don’t know what to say’ is oftenwhat staff will say when working with a bereaved child. The reality is that there is often nothing that can be said. The training day then focuses both on verbal and non-verbal interventions. The embodied and often non-verbal, practice of dramatherapy provides a wealth ofresources for staff to draw from and apply when working with children, such as: Play, Movement, Drawing, Story, Physical exercises with touch and Ritual.
The influential work of William J Worden (Harvard Child Bereavement Survey, 1996) provides helpful insights into the emotional and often, angry, world of the bereaved child.Furthertheoretical insights are drawn from the work of Daniel Stern, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud,
Martin Heidegger, Seamus Heaney and Julian Barnes.We will explore how best to support and contain the often difficult emotional and behavioural ramifications of childhood bereavement.
There will be opportunities for staff to reflect on particular bereaved children they are currently working with and to discuss strategies and approaches pertaining to their school. A variety of cultural and ethnic approaches to bereavement will be sensitively explored too. In particular attitudes and bereavement rituals from Central America, Africa and The Far East augment and widen Western approaches to bereavement work.
Case-studies, from dramatherapy practice, will be offered to provide clear examples of effective interventions in working with bereaved children. Continuing Bonds, a contemporary approach to grief and bereavement work, is also discussed as well as insights drawn from Philosophy and The Arts.
Child Protection and Safeguarding advice will be given and clear indicators provided for when staff will need to refer children onto other services. Self-care and well-being of staff is also focused upon. Finally, we will explore the importance of endings in bereavement work too, how best to prepare for and ‘hold’ an ending in bereavement work.
Bereavement is a process of time and depth, for this reason, if necessary follow up sessions can be offered, following the training day. This provides space for staff to reflect new strategies and processes implemented from the training day itself.
Costs
1 Day Training Supporting Bereaved Children at school: £750 (up to 20 attendees)
1 Day Training Supporting Bereaved Children at School: £1,150 (up to 40 attendees)
1 Day Training Supporting Bereaved Children at School: £2,500 (up to 100 attendees)
Follow-up Reflective Sessions (90 mins duration)
£175 (up to 20 attendees)
All training and reflective sessions will be delivered at your school
For further Information and to book a Training Day, please contact:
Andrew Royle, Director, The Drama Therapy Space
Email:
Tel: (+44) 0796 705 9412
Andrew Royle is a qualified and experienced dramatherapist and director of The Drama Therapy Space. He was bereaved himself, at the age of 13. Andrew has worked with bereaved children and their families over the last 10 years, within schools and other organisations. As well as dramatherapy, Andrew also facilitates Staff Reflective Groups and Residential Therapeutic Weekends. He has provided Bereavement Training and Workshops for schools and other organisations. Andrew researched Dramatherapy and Bereavement in his Masters in Dramatherapy at The Central School of Speech and Drama, London and continues to write on bereavement work.
I have known Andrew and the scope of his work for several years. Springing from philosophical, therapeutic roots alongside his experience and ability as an actor and father, Andrew brings aspects of his own story to the grief process of others making their way through bereavement and loss. Imagination and play are vital tools in his work with children, enabling them to see difficulties through play or role exploration. Andrew has written for the Sesame Institute Journal and has also presented his research ideas at the Sesame Institute Research Forum. His work is valuable, daring and original
Mary Smail
Psychotherapist,Dramatherapist and Director of the Sesame Drama therapy
Institute, London