Have you had some major losses in your life? Do you feel like those around you have long forgotten about it and they think you are okay? But you are really not. You may feel very tired, lethargic, no energy or motivation to do anything, even things you have loved to do in the past. If this is how you feel, then you may be experiencing grief. We aren’t often taught about the value of grief and how to process it. This class was created to help you.
When: Please contact your instructor, Susan (below) to be notified when the next class will begin. Interested in requesting a class for your group? Please let Susan know!
How Long: 7 weeks
Location: Zoom
Cost: $88
Instructor: Susan McPherson
Books and Supplies: Please see list below.
Questions? More Info? If you have questions or would like more information, please contact your instructor, Susan directly: susanmcpherson7 [at] gmail [dot] com
Books and Supplies: (please purchase prior to class start date)
(The following links will open a new window in Amazon. Note: As an Amazon Associate, Kerri earns from qualifying purchases.)
The Understanding Your Grief Journal: Exploring the Ten Essential Touchstones by Alan D. Wolfelt
Also bring a creative journal, along with watercolor, oil crayons, colored pens, pencils, markers, whatever you prefer. We are going to take words and expressions that come up during our teaching that we’ll be able to add color to, as we journey through the grief from dark to color, from mourning to dancing, death to life.
We recommend this leather journal writing notebook, which is perfect for journaling and adding color and creative expression.
Leather Journal Writing Notebook
These beautiful color media are ideal for creative journaling from mourning to dancing.
Watercolors
ClasseArt Watercolor Paint Set
Oil Crayons
Markers
Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point Markers
Student Testimonials
“About 2 1/2 years ago I took this class after my son’s father and love of my life passed away. This class brought forth so much healing and understanding of the journey I was embarking on. It’s very hard to navigate your feelings early on in grief. The group of women were able to help me process all of my fears, questions and confusion. Something is just so sacred about having a group who went before you and who are grieving alongside you. These women have become my tribe and lifelong friends. I am happy to say I am now moving forward and able to carry both grief and joy at the same time. But mostly understanding grief and embracing this new feeling. I hope you, reading this, will invest in your well being and your children if you have them to continue to mend. Best of luck on this journey.” — Kelly
“Several years ago, I took Susan’s Grief Class. My Father died of a heart attack when I was 23 years old. My Mom died when I was 36 years old, and then my brother died a year later. Grief would well up during the years my husband and I raised our son, but I would stuff it in. During the years before I took the class, several aunts and a sister-in-law died. A week or two into the class, my young niece died unexpectedly. Needless to say, my pent-up grief overwhelmed me. I thought I could stuff it again, but one day I found myself crying uncontrollably at work. Susan called to check on me and gave me permission to leave that day. During the rest of the class, Susan and the other participants helped me understand how to process grief.” — Karen
“The Grief Support Class was a safe place for me to get in touch with grief that had been stuck in my heart for 38 years. My dad died suddenly when I was 15. I was not shown how to grieve in a healthy way, so I simply stuffed it away. All other losses I experienced after that were also locked into my heart. Society does not teach us how to grieve or the importance of the mourning process. That’s what makes this class so valuable. This class allowed me to release my stored-up grief and get in touch with deep places in my heart among caring people who are also walking through grief. My fellow class members understood and honored my heart. Susan is a wonderful leader who really ‘gets’ grief, how it affects us, and how to heal. As a result of this class, I am now able to enjoy memories from those difficult years of loss, and I am able to feel blessed by remembering the good times with the dad I loved and lost. I recommend this class for anyone who has experienced loss, whether recent or long ago. It is never too late to let Jesus set your heart free.” — Janet
“Grief has its own process. Being a part of this class taught me to allow it to have its process, that I don’t need to avoid grief, feeling as if it will consume me, but that it actually can be a conduit for deeper connection with others. Give yourself permission to walk in this area of healing, especially though this class, and I trust the Lord will help you breathe in it and reconnect.” — Kelly
About Your Instructor:
I’m Susan McPherson and have experienced grief in many ways. At 30 years of age my husband drowned leaving me with our 6 month old to care for alone. With the help of God, my church family, and my family I got through that difficult time. I had the opportunity to spend lots of time with the Lord during that hard time because my husband, just 3 months before, had taken out a large life insurance policy. So I was able to stay home with my baby and press into Jesus. God blessed me with another husband a year and a half later. We chose before God to have as many children as He wanted us to have, so we had 6 more! What a blessing they all are! My most recent loss has been my sweet Daddy. It has been 3 years ago this month, but sometimes it seems like only yesterday. I’m doing this grief class not only for you but also for me. I look forward to meeting you all and hearing your stories.
Have you had some major losses in your life? Do you feel like those around you have long forgotten about it and they think you are okay? But you are really not. After two weeks those around you go back to their normal way of life, but you have lost your way and are now in a wilderness. You don’t even know how to verbalize it because no one has shared with you what grief does to you – in you.
You may feel very tired, lethargic, no energy or motivation to do anything, even things you have loved to do in the past. You can’t remember things like you used to, you are clumsy, you can’t even seem to do simple tasks. You feel like you are going crazy. You aren’t yourself, and you don’t know how to get back to yourself. You certainly don’t know how to move forward. Time does not heal like “they” say it does.
People ask how you are doing, and you don’t know what to say. You think surely they don’t want to hear, “I’m in grief” after a year. “They” say you get over grief in a year, but I’ve not found that to be true. Grief doesn’t just leave; it has to be drained out by mourning, not by busying ourselves. Grief can be there for 30 years and feel as if the loss happened just yesterday.
Mourning? What is mourning? We certainly aren’t taught about mourning and what it looks like. Actually, mourning is what drains the grief out.
If any of this sounds familiar, you will benefit from the grief class that I’ll be leading. It will be a 2-hour weekly class where we will go through the book Understanding your Grief by Alan D. Wolfelt. There is a companion journal, The Understanding Your Grief Journal by Alan D. Wolfelt that we will be writing in. Both of these books should be purchased before the class begins. The cost is $88 and we will meet for 7 weeks.
Also bring a creative journal, along with watercolor, oil crayons, colored pens, pencils, markers, whatever you prefer. We are going to take words and expressions that come up during our teaching that we’ll be able to add color to, as we journey through the grief from dark to color, from mourning to dancing, death to life.
The class will meet via Zoom.
“An odd by-product of my loss is that I’m aware of being an embarrassment to everyone I meet . . . perhaps the bereaved ought to be isolated in special settlements like lepers.”
C.S. Lewis (after the death of his wife)
This course is made available by Kerri Johnson Ministries.