Do you know and love a child who has experienced a significant loss? Whether you are a parent, caregiver, therapist, teacher or just a supportive adult, this book is a tool designed to help kids cope with grief. In partnership with the book Mae the Courageous Caterpillar, this companion workbook offers space for kids to write about, talk about, and/or create about their feelings. The journal prompts take aspects of the therapeutic approach of cognitive processing and also incorporates Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills, to give children an introduction into healthy coping strategies. These evidence-based practices should help to guide you and any child who is hurting through many of the complex emotions surrounding grief. The book Mae the Courageous Caterpillar was written by the author, Michele Gates, to address the multidimensional aspects of grief when a child loses a parent or important loved one. Michele lost her mother to suicide when she was a young child and as an adult, recognized the lack of resources available to children dealing with complex grief. She also realized the difficulty presented to adults when it comes to starting conversations with kids about loss.
It can be intimidating to breach the topic of grief, even for adults in conversation with our peers. As a psychotherapist, I have collaborated with Michele in the creation of this workbook in the hopes it will provide a framework for parents, guardians, therapists and others to encourage kids to openly express their feelings. Whether this workbook is used at home or in a clinical setting, we have created it to support both children and the adults who are working to help them heal. If you or anyone you love has been impacted by suicide or loss, please know that you matter, you are loved and healing is possible.
