Processing grief through creative expressive art

Recently, I invited a kiritaki (client) to engage in art therapy as part of her grieving process. My intention behind this creative intervention was to offer a gentle and expressive outlet for her emotion. As she browsed through magazines to find meaningful kūpū (words), each choice became a step in exploring and expressing her grief in a safe, and symbolic way.

Collage can be a powerful tool in grief therapy, offering both symbolic and practical benefits for those processing loss. Here's what collage work offers in the context of grief work:

Nonverbal expression: Grief is often hard to put into words. Collage allows you to express your emotions and thoughts through images, colors, textures, and words without needing to articulate them verbally. This can be especially helpful when the loss feels overwhelming or when talking feels too painful.

Externalisation of Inner Experience: By selecting and arranging images and words, you externalise your internal world. This creates distance from intense emotions, making them more manageable and giving the you a sense of control over your grief.

Meaning Making: Grief is not only about loss but also about making meaning from that loss. Collage enables you to visually explore themes like memory, legacy, identity, and transformation, helping you find personal significance and healing in the process.

Slowed Reflective Process: The act of browsing, cutting, arranging, and pasting can be meditative. It slows down the mind, inviting reflection and emotional regulation, offering a grounded, tactile way to sit with grief.

Narrative reconstruction: By constructing visual narratives of your loss; what happened, what was lost, what remains, and what lies ahead. This storytelling process supports healing by integrating the loss into your ongoing life story.