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Children’s Grief Awareness Day is Thursday, November 16th. It’s a day that sheds light on, ensuring that children are able to grieve in a healthy way. We have an expert, who not only speaks on the topic but has written a book specific to children in the grief process.
 
Marceia Cork is the owner of The Good Grieve LLC, where she brands herself as The Change Coach. She holds certifications as a change practitioner and grief recovery specialist and is the creator of the proprietary Good Grieve framework. Marceia has written two books that showcase this framework: “The Good Grieve: A Guide for Exploring What Life Can Look Like After Loss, Trauma, and Hardship for Adults,” and “My Good Grieve: A Youth’s Guide to Navigating Loss, Trauma, and Hardship… the Good Way!”

What makes your approach unique? 

Marceia: I am a non-clinical option for grief and social and emotional wellness. Not everyone seeks, relates to, or prefers traditional therapy and a clinical diagnosis. For those communities and for Black and brown people I am often the relatable bridge to much-needed mental health services.

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone experiencing grief or helping a child deal with grief? 

Marceia: The simple answer is to talk about it. Talk about what happened, talk about the impact it has had on you, and talk about what you’re letting go of because you can’t control it. Talking about it and its impact to a trusted source allows you to ventilate, and ventilation is healthy. The best advice I can give is to make space in your life for grief and to gently settle into the uneasiness of permanent change as you navigate it. 

Why is it important to have difficult conversations around grief even with young children?

Marceia:  When we learn to have difficult conversations in our youth, we eliminate avoidant behavior and passive responses to conflict in adulthood–which then impacts how we show up in personal and professional relationships later. This makes us better collaborators, partners, and leaders later in life. 

Tell us about your children’s book. 

Marceia: People always say, “Kids are so resilient.”

My Good Grieve gives kids the space and guidance to grieve and express themselves after hurt and hard times. It’s especially great for kids who’ve felt silenced to keep up the appearance of being so strong and resilient. Sometimes that can lead to us not dealing with our tough experiences in a healthy way, and not realizing that the young people we support might be going through some serious stuff. That unhealthy way of coping follows us into adulthood.

What age range is suitable for your children’s book? 

Marceia: It can be worked on independently by children as young as 9–and is still appropriate for youth up to the age of 18. My son is 9 and he’s been able to read the instructions and do the exercises. Younger children should work alongside an adult, so it puts families on a path for healthy conversations and coping skills as they navigate grief together.

How can our viewers remain connected?

Marceia: Social Media: https://instagram.com/itsmarceiacork?igshid=MWVuazl6dzI4YjEyOQ==

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marceia%20Cork/author/B0CLBGMGZV/allbooks

Photo Credits: Photo Provided