Insel der Trauer

Insel der Trauer offers a thoughtfully designed graphic for supporting conversations with people who are grieving, including children aged eight and older. The image presents grief as an island with places that can serve as prompts for reflection, such as a Valley of Tears, a Cemetery, a place of letting go, and a greenhouse. These locations are suggestions rather than fixed interpretations, allowing each person to connect them with their own experience and circumstances.

The graphic is intended for use in individual grief support and is especially suited to opening a conversation. Clients can use figures to indicate where they feel they are now and where they might hope to be, without needing to maintain eye contact. The island can also be revisited over time, recognising that grief may unfold in waves. Its accompanying guidance relates the locations to grief models by Verena Kast and William Worden, and offers questions to help practitioners explore feelings, needs, support, and possible next steps.