Training grieving together
Getting over the loss of a parent, partner, sister, or brother can be a daunting task. Grief and loss can also be experienced in the context of health issues, being away from your homeland or loss of future perspective. Students who deal with a loss can benefit from extra attention to cope with their situation.
We offer students a safe space to grieve by creating a student support group, led by two professional trainers, who have both experienced loss themselves. Students will realize that they are not alone in this process and will find support from their fellow students, who are in a similar situation. We will make use of creative techniques, to also use our body and our senses in dealing with grief and loss.
Aim of the training
Grief is a ‘normal’ response to experiencing loss and finding support in a small group setting can make the process more manageable. In this training, you will get a better understanding of the process of grieving and how this applies to your own situation. Psychological theories and insights on grief and loss will be combined with creative assignments, so you learn how to connect the mind and the heart in your individual grief process. We create a safe space for you to give room to your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a light and non-judgmental way.
Set-up of the training
In this training, we will cover the following topics:
- Meeting 1 – Emotions & grief
- Meeting 2 – Your body & grief
- Meeting 3 – Asking for help & grief
- Meeting 4 – Giving meaning & grief
- Meeting 5 – Resilience, hope and comfort
The training will consist of 5 meetings, which will take place every two weeks. We expect you to work on the (voluntary) homework assignments in between the meetings. Before the start of the training, you will be invited for a short individual intake with the two trainers, so you can share your individual story before the start of the training itself.
Student Experiences
This training is life changing: it gives you strength for now and for the future. I recommend this training to anyone who is experiencing a loss. You can learn about your body and how it can react to grief, based on scientific research. At the same time, you can see and experience how art and creativity could be a way to express your grief.
- Elena
It isn’t always easy to open up about your grief -especially to strangers. Yet, this is what I did at the Grief Training at Tilburg University. Ellen and Gerdien’s professionalism, compassion and creativity helped me in coming to terms with such a difficult period in my life. Sad as it is, it helps greatly when you have the support of other students
who know exactly what you’re going through. I would recommend this safe space and training for anyone going through such traumatic period.
- Olga
Working method
The training consists of 5 meetings of 1.5 hours each in a small group setting (4 – 10 participants). Participants are expected to attend each session. During the meetings, materials will be provided to work on the creative assignments.
Training information in short
Target group | All students, registered at Tilburg University (any study phase) |
Duration |
5 sessions of 1.5 hours each on March 2 and 16 , April 6 and 20 and May 4, 2023. Time: 15:45 - 17:30. |
Where? | On campus, Zwijsen Building (Building Z) |
Trainers | Ellen Dreezens (psychologist) and Gerdien Wolthaus Paauw (photographer) |
Costs | Free of charge |
Number of participants | At least 4, no more than 10 |
Language of instruction | English |
Interested?
The training group, which starts on 2 March, is now fully booked. If you are interested in taking part in future editions of this training or if you wish to receive further information, please send an e-mail to the course coordinator, Ms. Zarrea Plaisier. Email:z.plaisier@tilburguniversity.edu