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October 14, 2010

This post also includes a listing of the upcoming classes in the
new ASN Program of Study:
Animal Loss & Grief Support
Internationally Available 4-part Teleclass
(early registration pricing through October 18th)


Grief Support Skills:
Effectively Helping Others Through the
Grief of Losing Animal Loved Ones

with Teresa Wagner

Date:  Monday evenings, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 2010 

Time: 7:30-9:30pm Central Time each evening
 
(8:30pm Eastern, 6:30pm Mountain, 5:30pm Pacific)
  
Tuition:  $214 early bird pricing through October 18th


Also available On Demand to take at your convenience. 


Dear Clients, Colleagues and Friends,

Losing an animal, for some of us, is one the most painful experiences of our lives.  Effectively and lovingly offering support to someone in the darkness of such grief can make a huge, positive difference in that person's healing journey.

This workshop is designed to assist those who want to build, refresh or reaffirm their abilities to support others through the pain and healing of grief from the loss of a beloved animal. It is appropriate for anyone who is exposed to people grieving the loss of their animal loved ones: animal communicators, veterinary professionals, animal shelter and rescue group workers, trainers and behaviorists, therapists, energy healers, as well as friends and family members who want to better support their loved ones who are grieving. 

Hope to have you join us in this special teleclass.

Wishing  you and your beloved animals much love and many blessings,

Teresa Wagner
  
Content:

When another being truly cares, understands, and acknowledges the depth of our loss, our path is lighter. When the truth of a tender and difficult loss is acknowledged, we know we are not alone. When we are understood, healing feels much more possible. All of us on earth are here together to help one another. Almost anyone seeing another in emotional pain wants to help. Yet, seeing or hearing someone in great anguish can also be overwhelming and intimidating. We may feel awkward or unsure about what to say or do. Sometimes in attempts to help, friends, family and even professional counselors, healers or authors impose their beliefs, thinking that their own paradigms of animal death and grief will be relevant and helpful to all others. For grievers, this intentional or unconscious imposing gets in the way of them discovering for themselves what they believe or need, and what will work for them. It also often adds anger and frustration to an already stressful time of grief.

The most empowering things we can do to help grievers is to learn to be truly present with their suffering: to listen, not advise; to judiciously and gently suggest possibilities, not impose our beliefs as fact; to be with them as they find their own way, not judge, push or prod them in the way we think they should grow. To be truly present with someone's pain without feeling a need to fix it, reconcile it, or recoil from it is one of the most powerful gifts we can give another. It requires patience, discernment of what to say when, skills of empathic expression, and great respect for the wisdom of the other's soul. These delicate and subtle grief support skills can be learned and integrated into our practices as animal communicators and healers.

This four session teleclass offers an introduction to these skills and ideas as well as an overview of the grief recovery process.

 
SESSION 1:
� What are energetic boundaries and energetic protection?
� Why are they important when working with people and
    animals in pain?
� A chakra perspective of these issues
� Levels of Compassionate Response to Others' Pain
� The Whale's Lesson on Death
� Specific techniques and strategies to practice energetic
    protection

SESSION 2:
� The Two Golden Rules of Grief Support
� Why Animal Loss is Different
� Personal Understanding of Grief: 
    Intimate Self Awareness of our Motivation to Help and
      our Orientation as Helpers/Healers
� Intellectual Understanding of Grief:
    The fallacy of stages of grief;
   Understanding the tasks of healing grief and choices involved
   Complicated Grief;
    The Humpback Bridge

SESSION 3:
� The Skills of Empathy:  The Core of Grief Support
� Using specific language to communicate compassion and
     support grievers
          Empathy vs. Projection
          Empathy vs. Enmeshment
          Empathy before Strategy-Always!
          Permission to offer resources or ideas vs. imposing them

SESSION 4:
� The Role of Spiritual Beliefs and Paradigms in the
     Grief Support Process: Helpful or Hindrance?
 � Specific Do's and Don'ts Known to Help Grievers
 � Resources on grief support for additional learning and referral

   (early registration pricing through October 18th) 


Conference call phone numbers and passwords are provided
to registered students the week in advance of the class.


You will also have an opportunity, one week
before the class,
to submit a question or topic to be reviewed during the class.
 

This course is also continuously available On Demand.  Click HERE for more info.


 

~~~

Additional Testimonials from Prior Participants in Teresa's Teleclass:

 
"Teresa was so loving and compassionate in her delivery. A true role model for all of us.  I eagerly looked forward to each and every class. "  ~ Penny P.

"I feel so much more confident to help someone thru a loss and to deal with some of my own grief I've buried. I would highly recommend this class." ~ Terra K.

"All sessions were extremely enjoyable and informative. It was a privilege to listen to Teresa speak on this subject. Her compassion, empathy, sensitivity and beautiful energy came across vividly, and served to remind me that the most important thing in this work is not the words, tools and techniques used, but the genuine heartfelt caring expressed. Handouts were fabulous! Well presented, and lots of clear, concise, thought-provoking useful info."  ~ Pat S.

~~~
About Teresa

Teresa has been working with animal loss and grief issues since 1986 when she facilitated her first grief support group for people who lost their beloved animals.  Since then, Teresa has worked with thousands of grievers in bereavement support groups, workshops, in individual counseling and in her animal communication practice.  She is passionate about helping others through this typically disenfranchised loss. 

Her traditional education includes a master's degree in counseling from Villanova University, studies at the Grief Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, and post graduate work in counseling and organizational development at Columbia University, Wharton, and with Carl Rogers at the University of Nottingham, England. She has also completed the Clinical Training Program in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the National Center for PTSD, Dept. of Veterans Affairs.  Her healing arts education includes animal communication with Jeri Ryan, flower essence training at FES, Perelandra, and Desert Alchemy, energy healing training in Reiki, Tellington-Touch and Therapeutic Touch, and psychic studies with Evelyn Isadore.

For Teresa's full biography, please visit here...
 
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This Animals' Perspectives class offering is also part of the
 
 
New Professional Program of Study:
 
Animal Loss & Grief Support
 
 
Additional upcoming classes within this study program, which are each also available for open enrollment, include:
 
(in calendar order)
   
 
Plan ahead and save!
 
Early Registration Incentive Pricing
for ALL Animal Spirit Classes
 
 
Information for all classes available on the ASN website.   
 
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