Describes the Center for Grieving Children’s programs to help young people and families express and heal grief through creative and physical activity. The Portland, Maine-based center, in collaboration with area schools and agencies, has served children from such diverse countries as Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Iran, Korea, Somalia, Sudan, and Vietnam. In a safe environment, children can unleash perceptions and experiences, while art- and body-centered activities are vehicles for transforming feelings into images, stories, and dramatic play. Recent pilot projects demonstrated that puppetry was an important emotional medium for increased self-expression; the diversity of symbols used in sculpting clay pieces triggered dialogue and ultimately expressions of grief; and a hiking-and-fishing retreat, combined with drawing, journal writing, and games, opened the door for personal stories. Art and physical activities appeared to release children’s fears and trepidations, enabling them to start sharing their experiences and to recognize the commonality of those traumatic experiences. Since these activities were driven by the children, they benefited from taking a central role in their own healing process. Understanding children’s experiences enables mental health professionals and educators to better help these young people adapt to the significant changes.
