Well Received in Peterborough

As temperatures rapidly dropped from fourteen to a chilly three degrees Celsius outside, the historic corridors and reputable theatre of Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School were once again ignited last night as people poured in to attend Windows of the Heart.

Our very own Dr. Heather Mohan opened with poise as she discussed some of her twenty years of research and clinical work in palliative and bereavement care. As the evening progressed she communicated the effectiveness of Expressive Arts Therapy in her work with families and how one could incorporate such methods in both their personal grieving process and professional practice. Her ability to address those in the audience on both an academic and emotional level was brilliantly interwoven with spoken words, images, and pieces of live music.

The second half of the evening consisted of a fascinating and interactive discussion with a highly regarded panel of local experts that included; David Kennedy (Hospice Peterborough), Dr. Brian Nichols (Art Therapist/Psychotherapist), and Rebecca Birrell along with Dr. Mohan. The panel addressed a variety of questions from the audience and highlighted approaches that have been successful in regard to working with children, youth and families who have experienced significant loss. The discussion was interactive and facilitated by well-known actress, Linda Cash, who also shared some of her own personal experiences, which made the evening particularly poignant, informative and inspiring.

We are grateful to all those who came out to support the event and to the volunteers who worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to organize and promote it. We are particularly proud of Shelley Hermer, our Ontario Program Coordinator, who was the driving force behind this success. Over three hundred and fifty dollars was raised at the door in support of Camp Kerry Ontario, which will be offered to ten families from the Peterborough area in October of this year.

We wish to extend our thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their participation and support:

Brian Nichols
Brianna Gosselin
David Kennedy
Energy 96.7FM
Jeff Macklin
Jill Tilley
Kevin Root
Linda Kash
Owen Macklin
Rebecca Birrell
Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School