Viveca Massage

Author, educator, and grief counsellor Dr. Alan Wolfelt is presenting two complimentary seminars on grief right here in Calgary!

The session for family & friends grieving a loss will be Tuesday, May 6 from 7-9 PM. The session for professionals working with people who are grieving is Wednesday, May 7 from 9 AM - Noon. I’m registered for the Wednesday session, and I am looking forward to meeting and learning from Dr. Wolfelt.

If you’re interested, I encourage you to sign up for the session that’s most appropriate for you.

McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes has had the privilege of inviting Dr. Alan Wolfelt to Calgary for many years to share his “Companioning Philosophy.” Based on the positive feedback we've received from past participants, we are thrilled to welcome

Dr. Wolfelt back this spring, in May 2025.This year, Dr. Wolfelt will be offering two separate seminars on two different dates.

The first seminar is for individuals and families who are grieving a loss. Dr. Wolfelt will guide us in understanding how loss affects our lives and how we can better navigate the various needs of mourning.

The second seminar is intended for professionals within the caregiving community. It will provide valuable insights for anyone looking to learn how to better support those who have experienced loss. Please join us for these complimentary seminars: "Tending to Your Broken Heart When Someone Dies: Hope for Your Healing" and "When Grief is Complicated: A Model to Understand, Identify, and Companion Grievers."

Please find both seminar dates listed below.
To register, please visit mhfh.com

A little levity, because we all need it these days. And you all know how much I appreciate a good pun. Or even a bad one.

By the way, how are you doing with your home-care exercises?

My favourite bookstore is closing 😢 This store has been in my neighbourhood for nearly 3 decades, and it holds so many memories for me. When my children were small, we’d often walk there; I’d pack snacks, we’d stop at a playground along the way, and at the bookstore we’d look at books and the kids would play with the Thomas the Tank Engine railroad set up in the children’s section. In more recent years, my daughter and I always made plans to walk there for a coffee and a browse whenever she was home from uni. It was where my kids and I buy our planners every autumn. (How awesome is it that they, like me, prefer old-fashioned paper planners to digital calendars? 😉) We were so sad to learn that our favourite store was closing. I went for a last browse and sent my daughter these photos of the empty shelves. We both got emotional thinking of how much this store has meant to us over the years. Farewell, . You’ve been an important part of my community and my family’s life, and we’ll miss you terribly. 💔

The holidays are a joy-filled time for many people, but for someone who’s grieving, they can be particularly tough. If you know someone grieving a loss, Megan Devine from Refuge In Grief has shared this graphic illustrating helpful ways to support them during this season (and a few tips on what NOT to do).

If you’re grieving, this is your gentle reminder that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve, or to mark the holidays. Only what is right for you, or not right for you. So please be kind to yourself ❤️

Grief is hard any time of year, but the holiday season can feel particularly brutal. If you’re trying to support someone you love, this comic is for you. And if you’d like some help educating friends & family on the best ways to support you, this comic is for you, too.⁣⁣
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Please share this widely, friends. Most people truly want to help, they just aren’t sure how. Let's help everyone get better at delivering the love and support they intend.⁣⁣

If you’re grieving, I recommend joining my monthly grief support group call where you can get answers to your questions about grief and spend time with a caring community of fellow grievers.

Go to https://www.patreon.com/megandevine and sign up at the $10 level to get immediate access to our upcoming Q&A clinics plus recordings of all our previous Q&A sessions.

I’m honoured to have been asked to be part of the inaugural Self Care for Grief Massage Therapists Summit and excited for its launch next week! If you work with or have an interest in working with grieving clients, you won’t want to miss this — details are below, and the link to register is in the comments.

As .lmt so wisely stated in her summit presentation, the cost of Grief Massage practitioner/teacher burnout is so great. 💛

In order to stay in this field and remain in love with the work we are called to do, it is essential that we create rituals, protocols, plans and roadmaps for maintaining our own wellness. 💛

Creating a kinder, gentler world for grievers will ask us to be kind and gentle with ourselves too. 💛

The “Self-Care for Grief Massage Therapists” summit launches on Monday with Ursula’s beautiful recorded presentation releasing that day and other expert presentations releasing every day that week through Friday.💛

The summit is:

✨free

✨evergreen (you can go back time and time again to listen and watch and learn)

✨created just for you, a Grief Massage practitioner (or aspiring one) or Grief Massage teacher

Link is in the comments, register now and you will receive access on Monday 10/14! 💛