Play Therapy Helps Children Grieve

They sat around a table in miniature chairs as a gentle woman guided them
through play with toys that might make some people cringe.

"This is a
coffin," Mary Vondra explained in a soft voice.

In this article and video at KETV.com, Julie Cornell reports on a program for grieving children at Ted E. Bear Hollow, a center for grieving children and teens, in Omaha.

At Ted E. Bear Hollow, children, teens and adults go into separate small groups, where they are free to share their feelings without worrying how they will affect other family members.

Social worker and program director Sarah Flanagan explains the many ways in which family members are helped through the process of grief, through play and art.

Families are encouraged to decorate memory boxes to store letters, pictures and other mementos that remind them of their loved one. Memory pillows can be created, using an article of clothing that belonged to a relative.

To read all about it, and to watch the video, go to Play Therapy Helps Children Grieve.

Check out the center's website, at Ted E. Bear Hollow.