Grief is a universal experience, yet for children and adolescents, the process can be particularly bewildering. As adults, we often expect children to grieve in similar ways, but their grief manifests in spurts, shifts rapidly, and is often expressed through behavior rather than words. This reality creates both a challenge and an opportunity for mental health professionals doing grief counseling with young children, youth, and their families.

One solution that stands out for its adaptability and therapeutic richness is creative play therapy for grief. This approach bridges communication gaps, allowing young clients to process grief at their own pace and developmental level.

Among the most impactful and practical resources available in this realm is Liana Lowenstein’s on-demand course, “Creative Play Therapy Interventions for Grieving Children, Youth and Families,” which is available on Core Wellness. This engaging, evidence-informed training offers a treasure trove of therapeutic tools specifically designed for professionals and caregivers working with bereaved children and their families.

Why Children Need a Different Approach to Grief

While adults often understand death as a permanent, irreversible event, children’s grief manifests differently from adults’. Younger children may not grasp the finality of death and might even expect the deceased to return. This can lead to behaviors like regression, acting out, or appearing unaffected. Their understanding of death evolves with age, and their expressions of grief can be intermittent and influenced by developmental stages.

They may oscillate between moments of sadness and play, a phenomenon often referred to as “puddle jumping” in grief literature. This non-linear grieving process necessitates therapeutic approaches that are flexible and attuned to the child’s developmental level. That’s why grief counseling must be developmentally sensitive, with expressive modalities. Children need space to play out their pain, confusion, and memories.

Traditional talk therapy often falls short, making play therapy an essential modality for young clients dealing with loss. By engaging in play, children can express feelings that they may not yet have the words to convey. This modality respects the child’s natural mode of communication and provides a safe space to explore complex emotions associated with loss.

What You’ll Learn From This Course?

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of creative interventions tailored for grieving children and their families. The course is designed for both beginning and experienced grief care providers seeking new and innovative ways to assist children, youth, and families in navigating their grief journey.

Key components of the course include:

• Grief Concepts: Gain an understanding of various grief types, including anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, suffocated grief, traumatic grief, and prolonged grief disorder.

• Grief-Informed Practice: Learn the core tenets of grief-informed practice to provide sensitive and effective support.

• Communication Strategies: Develop guidelines for discussing death and dying with children, ensuring age-appropriate and compassionate conversations.

• Creative Interventions: Explore a variety of play therapy and arts-based techniques to help children express and process their grief.

The course emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to each child’s developmental level and unique grieving process. It also highlights the role of family dynamics and cultural considerations in grief therapy.

Spotlight on Liana Lowenstein

Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S, is a renowned Canadian play therapist with over three decades of experience working with children and families. As a Certified TF-CBT Therapist, she integrates trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral techniques with creative modalities. Her contributions to the field have been recognized with the Monica Herbert award for outstanding contribution to play therapy in Canada.

She is also a prolific author, with 15 books that serve as essential resources for mental health professionals worldwide. Her publications, such as “Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children,” offer practical activities to help children express feelings of grief, address self-blame, and process traumatic reminders.

Integrating Creative Play Therapy into Practice

The course provides therapists with a toolkit of creative interventions, including:

• Therapeutic Games: Engaging activities that facilitate discussions about loss and coping strategies.

• Art Techniques: Projects that allow children to externalize their emotions and memorialize loved ones.

• Storytelling and Puppetry: Narrative methods that help children make sense of their experiences and feelings.

These interventions are designed to be adaptable for both in-person and virtual settings, ensuring accessibility for diverse client needs and preferences.

The Importance of Family Engagement

Recognizing that grief impacts the entire family system, this course emphasizes the importance of involving caregivers in the therapeutic process. This includes educating parents about children’s grief responses, providing them with tools to support their child, and facilitating family sessions that promote open communication and shared mourning.

By engaging the family, therapists can create a supportive environment that reinforces the child’s coping mechanisms and fosters resilience.

Why This Course Is a Must for Grief-Focused Professionals?

If you’re a caregiver or mental health professional working with grieving children, you know the unique challenges. Disengagement. Behavioral regression. Silence. Confusion. This course offers:

• Evidence-based tools that are playful but clinically grounded.

• Video demonstrations and activity guides that you can implement immediately.

• Lifetime access to the course through Core Wellness; learn at your pace and revisit any time.

Whether you’re new to grief therapy or a seasoned clinician looking for fresh ideas, this training offers a low-barrier, high-value solution to expand your effectiveness and confidence in working with grief.

A Perfect Intersection of Grief and Play Therapy 

Grief work and play therapy naturally align. Its non-verbal nature makes it ideal for trauma-informed care. For many children, play is their language, and toys are their words. Incorporating structured play into grief therapy enhances:

• Emotional processing

• Trauma resolution

• Self-regulation

• Family connection

This course doesn’t just teach what to do; it shows how and why these interventions work.

Additional Resources and Continuing Education

For professionals seeking to deepen their expertise, Lowenstein offers a range of recorded courses through Core Wellness. These courses cover various aspects of play therapy and provide practical strategies for working with children experiencing grief and trauma.

Furthermore, Lowenstein’s books, such as “Cory Helps Kids Cope with Grief,” offer additional activities and insights for supporting young clients through bereavement.

Flexibility for Busy Professionals

Whether you’re juggling a full caseload or working remotely, Core Wellness provides flexible, on-demand courses for mental health training. This flexibility empowers professionals to continue their education without compromising client hours. Combined with the ability to earn continuing education (CE) credits, it’s a win-win for both professional development and client care.

Conclusion

Children and families navigating grief deserve interventions that are empathetic, developmentally appropriate, and impactful. Liana Lowenstein’s on-demand course offers a clear and compassionate roadmap. It equips mental health professionals and caregivers with the knowledge and tools necessary to support children, youth, and families through their grief journeys. 

If you’re seeking a way to connect more deeply with grieving children and help them build a bridge between loss and resilience, this course can offer a transformational experience. By integrating play therapy techniques and understanding the nuances of children’s grief, therapists can foster healing and resilience in the face of loss.