Creating a Personal Farewell – SZKOLENIE

***This workshop will be held in english and polish language. Understanding of english is required, but group work and presentations will be done in polish.***

As the last rite of passage in a person’s life, funerals are important events in a community. Many of us are used to an image of funerals as a depressive duty that needs to be endured rather than experienced or even consciously shaped. However, a funeral celebration has the potential to be a valuable and supportive event that can provide strength in the process of grief.

When we gather as a caring community to say goodbye to one of us, we have a chance to experience an empowering space of shared grief. Honouring the deceased person, a meaningful funeral can be an invitation to allow and accept a broad spectrum of emotions: sadness and pain as well as gratitude and love. A professional funeral celebrant can help to consciously create an atmosphere, in which memories can unfold their power to comfort and console us.

The training course Creating a Personal Farewell treats funeral ceremonies as a form of grief support. Based on contemporary models and research of grief processes, we will introduce a perspective on rituals as symbolic acts that facilitate a shared expression of emotions and strengthen a sense of community. We will explore how to address individual as well as collective needs and how to connect cultural traditions with personal elements. Participants are invited to understand and experience how unique end-of-life celebrations can help to foster meaningful and supportive memories, which have the potential to ease the pain of grief.

The training offers knowledge and exchange of experience through lecture, dialogue and practical exercises in an encouraging learning space. It provides basic knowledge of

• contemporary grief theory
• structure and meaning of rituals
• ceremony space and dramaturgy
• the role of the celebrant
• planning of personal funeral celebrations.

TEACHERS / INSTRUCTORS:

JAN S. MÖLLERS

Jan is a funeral director and trained grief counsellor. He is the founder of the funeral home and cultural education center “memento” in Berlin. As a funeral celebrant, he creates individual rituals of farewell.
memento-bestattungen.de

ANJA FRANCZAK

Anja is a certified grief counsellor, end-of-life doula in training and author of the blog Sprawy Ostateczne. She is the founder of Instytut Dobrej Śmierci, an interdisciplinary initiative promoting education and open dialogue about dying, death and grief.
anjafranczak.com
sprawyostateczne.pl

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

The training course is open for both professionals, who are already experienced in organising and conducting funerals, as well as people, who would like to explore this field of work as a potentially new career path. The number of participants is limited to 16.

WHEN: 23rd – 26th August 2021

WHERE: Teresin (50km from Warsaw)

FEE 2500 zł

The price includes
• training
• training materials
• certificate of participation
• accommodation in double / triple rooms
• vegetarian / vegan catering

INFO & REGISTRATION: info@instytutdobrejsmierci.pl