Those working within the funeral industry give kindness and compassion to every family they encounter every day. And, although working within this industry is incredibly rewarding, dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions families display in grief can be very challenging and take its toll.
With the Covid-19 pandemic placing extra pressures on workers and families across the globe, the opportunity to pause and reflect on how we can build resilience in the funeral industry workplace is more relevant than ever before.
Here’s how our Resilience Session can support carers and assist with longevity in the industry.
At IFISS we value the work everyone does in this industry and know how important it is to look after yourself so you can continue the job you were meant to do, Funeral care.
With our Resilience Session, we help give you the necessary tools and support to help regenerate your enthusiasm and assist with longevity in the industry.
Critical Incident Stress Management CISM & Building Resilience training
A traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one, affects multiple people, yet reactions to that event are very individual. These events have the power to overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope, and supporting how family members grieve can be challenging.
Critical incident stress management aims to support workers with a system of crisis intervention meant to prevent psychological damage associated with unusual and stressful events, such as navigating emotional reactions.
Through our Resilience Session, our Critical Incident Stress Management CISM & Building Resilience training will cover how to:
- Lessen the impact of the critical incident
- Normalise instinctive reactions to the incident
- Encourage the natural recovery process
- Restore the adaptive functioning skills
- Determine the need for further supportive services or therapy
Companions in Grief
Joining the funeral industry often means acting as grief companions during a family’s time of loss. When adopting this role, we can be tasked with navigating varying stages and reactions to loss.
During our Resilience Session we’ll cover how to show compassion and support to grieving families, while not being burdened with another’s loss through:
- Active listening
- Informal support and friendship
- Creating a safe space for sharing
Caring for the Carer
Funeral industry workers are compassionate and empathetic people, however, there is a risk in constantly putting the needs of others before yourself.
Remember, it’s okay to look after yourself too. In fact, looking after yourself is vital to help you continue the job you were meant to do. Taking care of others can be stressful, and sometimes you might feel anxious, angry, frustrated, resentful or sad. It’s important that you find ways to manage your stress and stay mentally healthy.
During our Resilience Training we’ll show you how to look after your health and wellbeing with:
- Mindfulness techniques
- Methods of identifying changes in your mental and physical health
- How to keep energised
- Saying yes to help
Would you like to join our next Resilience Training Session? Click here to enquire.
About the Trainer and Facilitator
Kathryn Hodges MAIE,MBIE, Funeral Director and Qualified Embalmer.
Kathy has Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is a Member of CIMA (Critical Intervention and Management Australasia) also a Clinical officer of the SES. A TIR facilitator (Traumatic Incident Reduction) for the effects of PTSD. She has certificates in Strategic Planning in a crisis, Group and Individual Crisis Intervention, Psychological first aid, Resilience Leadership Training, Peer support, Suicide Awareness and Prevention and focuses on educating the industry in all aspects of the industry including, Caring for the Carer and co-creator of Companions in Grief programs.
Whether you’re a large or small company we tailor training to your needs – contact us for a chat.
