Antenatal & Postnatal Psychology Network
  • HOME
  • COUNSELLING FOR...
    • Conception & fertility
    • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy decision making
    • Childbirth
    • Postnatal period
    • Parenting & child
    • Difficult diagnoses
    • Miscarriage & loss
    • Grandparents
  • PSYCHOLOGISTS
    • Dr Renée Miller Principal
    • Dr Megan Andrew
    • Brooke Andrews
    • Vickey Annakis
    • Tonia Bainbridge
    • Dr Karola Belton
    • Dr Kate Caldwell
    • Dr Delwyn Carpenter
    • Anna Costello
    • Emily D'Amour
    • Dr Shikkiah de Quadros-Wander
    • Hettie Dubow
    • Dr Angela Gent
    • Dr Michelle Kornblum
    • Melissa Lagozzino
    • Megan Mellington
    • Justine Mrkusic
    • Dr Melanie Quinn
    • Dr Gwyn Rees
    • Yolanda Romeo
    • Jessica Saville
    • Kanthi Sayers
    • Dr Tania Slaviero
    • Sue Titcumb
    • Bianca Whiteman
  • REFERRALS
    • For clients
    • For referrers >
      • Screening patients
      • Order brochures
      • Download practitioner list
      • Mental health information
      • Register for MHPN
  • CONTACT
    • Melbourne >
      • Albert Park
      • Ascot Vale
      • Boronia
      • Box Hill
      • Brunswick
      • Bulleen
      • Burwood East
      • Carlton North
      • Caulfield North
      • East Melbourne
      • Hampton
      • Ivanhoe
      • Kew
      • Malvern
      • Newport
      • Niddrie/Essendon
      • Seddon
      • Thornbury
      • Werribee
    • Mornington Peninsula >
      • Mornington
    • Regional Victoria >
      • Ballarat
      • Geelong
  • RESOURCES
    • COVID-19
    • Resources
    • Videos
    • Information posts
    • Pregnancy Pearls
    • Parenting Pearls
    • Parenting Tips
    • TED Talks we love
  • SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Community support services
    • Child Psychology >
      • Dr Alison Wilby
  • TRAINING
    • For professionals >
      • Perinatal loss ONLINE
    • For parents
  • RESEARCH
    • For researchers
    • Research studies

information posts

Bereaved mothers sculpt their grief

23/11/2018

 
Picture
The death of a baby brings profound sorrow, the depth of which can exist beyond words.

Throughout pregnancy, mothers are primed to nurture and protect their babies. A relationship has been formed. A future has been imagined. A woman’s identity has been changed.

When a baby dies, mothers can feel heartbroken, lost, empty, isolated. Bereaved mums can anticipate future milestones with trepidation, commonly wanting to hide away from the world.

They can feel that healing is impossible and that no one really understands what they are going through - except other bereaved parents. 

Bereaved mothers often seek outlets to express their grief, share their grief, and mourn their much-wanted babies.

Anne Riggs is an artist whose PhD explored art practice for healing grief, loss and trauma. Anne developed Art for Soothing & Strengthening. She facilitates art-making for bereaved groups of people, clustered according to their specific shared experiences.

I spoke with Anne about her Bereaved Mothers Art Groups. “I run two Bereaved Mothers Art Groups. One group works with clay, and the other with mosaic. Each medium represents aspects of women’s grief in different ways. Clay is earthy and smooth. The stroking of the clay can feel like skin. The moulding is soft and gentle. The piece each woman creates can be about her grief, her hopes, her memories – the expressions are endless. 

Mosaic on the other hand is a more brittle medium. There is  cutting of tiles and crockery and a re-forming of the ‘broken’ into something beautiful - a meaningful piece that commemorates the woman’s loss. Both art forms provide women with something to take away and keep forever.”

Along with the creative expression, is the shared experience with other bereaved mothers. In these small groups, there is a deep knowing, an implicit connectedness – whether women choose to openly share their experience in the group, or not. A community is formed, and ongoing bonds can emerge.

In her gentle, affirming way, Anne guides and encourages each woman to draw out her creative expression. She takes care to provide a soothing environment in her garden studio – an environment that fosters nurturing and healing.

For further information on Anne Riggs and upcoming groups please visit www.anneriggs.com
To book a Bereaved Mothers Art Group 
https://www.trybooking.com/ZOYF

Written by Dr Renée Miller
Picture

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Posted by Dr Renée Miller 
    ​Principal Clinical Psychologist

    Archives

    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    About-appn
    About Therapy
    COVID 19
    Fatherhood
    Fertility
    Gender Disappointment
    Grandparents
    LGBTIQA+
    Loss
    Motherhood
    New Clinic Locations
    Parenting
    Pregnancy
    Research
    Resources

    RSS Feed



Social Media Guidelines
Website Terms & Conditions 
Research Disclaimer
Picture


© Antenatal & Postnatal
Psychology Network 2019

Portrait photos by
​Rebecca bana photography
​SEO by Cloe Blanchet

  
  • HOME
  • COUNSELLING FOR...
    • Conception & fertility
    • Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy decision making
    • Childbirth
    • Postnatal period
    • Parenting & child
    • Difficult diagnoses
    • Miscarriage & loss
    • Grandparents
  • PSYCHOLOGISTS
    • Dr Renée Miller Principal
    • Dr Megan Andrew
    • Brooke Andrews
    • Vickey Annakis
    • Tonia Bainbridge
    • Dr Karola Belton
    • Dr Kate Caldwell
    • Dr Delwyn Carpenter
    • Anna Costello
    • Emily D'Amour
    • Dr Shikkiah de Quadros-Wander
    • Hettie Dubow
    • Dr Angela Gent
    • Dr Michelle Kornblum
    • Melissa Lagozzino
    • Megan Mellington
    • Justine Mrkusic
    • Dr Melanie Quinn
    • Dr Gwyn Rees
    • Yolanda Romeo
    • Jessica Saville
    • Kanthi Sayers
    • Dr Tania Slaviero
    • Sue Titcumb
    • Bianca Whiteman
  • REFERRALS
    • For clients
    • For referrers >
      • Screening patients
      • Order brochures
      • Download practitioner list
      • Mental health information
      • Register for MHPN
  • CONTACT
    • Melbourne >
      • Albert Park
      • Ascot Vale
      • Boronia
      • Box Hill
      • Brunswick
      • Bulleen
      • Burwood East
      • Carlton North
      • Caulfield North
      • East Melbourne
      • Hampton
      • Ivanhoe
      • Kew
      • Malvern
      • Newport
      • Niddrie/Essendon
      • Seddon
      • Thornbury
      • Werribee
    • Mornington Peninsula >
      • Mornington
    • Regional Victoria >
      • Ballarat
      • Geelong
  • RESOURCES
    • COVID-19
    • Resources
    • Videos
    • Information posts
    • Pregnancy Pearls
    • Parenting Pearls
    • Parenting Tips
    • TED Talks we love
  • SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Community support services
    • Child Psychology >
      • Dr Alison Wilby
  • TRAINING
    • For professionals >
      • Perinatal loss ONLINE
    • For parents
  • RESEARCH
    • For researchers
    • Research studies