Suicide Postvention and Bereaved by Suicide

This workshop assists clergy, funeral celebrants, funeral directors, kaumatua and marae committees to work through the issues of concern and to ensure that the ritual or the cultural practices honour the person without glorifying the way the person died.

The facilitator of this course will draw upon his extensive experience working with people and communities affected by suicide, his leadership in the loss and grief sector and as a funeral celebrant.

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His international experience includes being the State President of National Association for Loss & Grief (Victoria) and convenor of the Victorian Loss & Grief Practitioners Accreditation Board. He developed and delivered nationally a certificate training programme for the Australian funeral industry on loss and grief and has 26 years’ experience as a funeral celebrant. He has lectured at theological colleges and training programmes for funeral celebrants on the role of ritual in grief processes and the pastoral care needs of those bereaved by suicide.

Honouring Not Glorifying: The role of the tangi or funeral service in the prevention of suicide and bereavement support 

With the increasing number of people dying by suicide, especially in young people, concern has been expressed about the potential risk in tangis and funerals of glorifying suicide which could lead to further suicides.

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The facilitator of this course will draw upon his extensive experience working with people and communities affected by suicide, his leadership in the loss and grief sector and as a funeral celebrant. He has worked with numerous indigenous communities as they have debated the sensitive issues of observing cultural funeral rituals (tikanga) and their concern of not glorifying suicide, especially in their tamariki.

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His international experience includes being the State President of National Association for Loss & Grief (Victoria) and convenor of the Victorian Loss & Grief Practitioners Accreditation Board. He developed and delivered nationally a certificate training programme for the Australian funeral industry on loss and grief and has 26 years’ experience as a funeral celebrant. He has lectured at theological colleges and training programmes for funeral celebrants on the role of ritual in grief processes and the pastoral care needs of those bereaved by suicide.

Topics covered

• The funeral of someone who has died by suicide – Why the concern?

• Mitigating against the potential for suicide contagion

• The stigma of suicide and mental illness

• The role of the tangi or funeral service in community debriefing after a suicide

• An overview of the issues for those bereaved by suicide and how the tangi or funeral service helps

• Ways to discuss / address the topic of suicide in a funeral – helpful and unhelpful messages

• Working with the family in preparing the funeral

• Honouring not glorifying - how to manage the tension between the two and why it is important

Length of time:      Minimum 3 hours but preferred format is 6-7 hours

Target Audience:  Clergy, Funeral Celebrants, Funeral Directors,

                                    Kaumātua, Marae Committees

Delivered on Request

This workshop is delivered on request.  Please contact Barry Taylor to discuss the possibility of having the workshop delivered in your organisation or community. The workshop can be adapted to develop a tailor-made training programme to meet your community’s or organisation’s specific needs and can be delivered at weekends.