Wellbeing
Good afternoon families,
St Mary’s Stormbirds Program program continued this week.
Stormbirds is built upon the theory of J. William Worden (1996, 2001, 2009), who suggests that adjusting to loss involves four ‘tasks’, which he refers to as ‘grief work’. The concept of ‘tasks’ frames grief as a process, not simply a reaction, which means the person needs to be actively engaged with the tasks. Worden suggests these four tasks are to:
- accept the reality of loss
- process the pain of grief
- adjust to a changed world after the loss
find an enduring connection with what has been lost in the mist of embarking on a new life.
In the Stormbirds Program, Worden’s tasks have been adapted for use in educational settings. The choice of using this theory of grief is significant, as it suggests an active ‘I can’ rather than passive ‘if only’ experience. Hence the Stormbirds program provides participants with space to acknowledge the natural disaster, while learning ways to adapt to the change and loss they have observed and experienced as a result of this. (Adapted from Stormbirds Companion Manual)
In our third session this week, we focused on integrating Worden’s third task, ‘adjust to a changed world after the loss,’ with the Stormbirds Program task: ‘learn skills to assist with adapting to change and loss.’ This session involved remembering good times and special places. Each child was also given an opportunity to identify a worry or concern still affecting them or their community, such as ‘Our garden got badly burnt in the fires.’ Following this, they were invited to brainstorm small, immediate actions they can take to make a difference, for example, ‘I can help my family plant new plants in our garden.’
If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me.
Julie Cotter
julieann.cotter@smcastlemaine.catholic.edu.au
