Hello, I am Registered Social Worker, with my Masters and over 22 years of experience supporting children, youth, families, in both big city and rural communities. I worked in the field of Child Welfare in Toronto, for 20 years. As a frontline worker; I worked with families whom experienced any number of challenging topics, ranging from; Trauma, War, Mental Health, Intimate Partner Violence, Human Trafficking, Substance Misuse, Housing/Food Scarcities, Separation, Loss, 2SLGTBQIA+ Identity/Exploration and/or Discrimination, Poverty, Various forms of Abuse, Neglect, as well as Racism, Colonialism, Kinship and Family ties.
I then transitioned into the field of rural health care, working in a hospital, as a Social Worker. There, I assessed psychosocial needs, provided support and short-term counselling to in-patients/families, outpatients in Oncology receiving chemotherapy, and crisis support to patients/families in the Emergency Department. In addition to the many themes noted above, I also had the privilege of supporting patients and their families in the areas of; Chronic Illness, Long Term Care Planning, Terminal Illness, End of Life Counselling and Palliative Care, SDM conversations, Sudden/Tragic Death, MAiD Considerations and Provisions and Grief and Bereavement.
In my professional and personal life, it did not take long for me to notice how ‘grief’ is not only a foundational thread throughout art, literature, music and social justice, but one that has touched us all, and binds us. That which is woven through many, if not all, of the many challenges and triumphs, mentioned above. I have experienced grief first hand several times throughout my life, and thus ‘grief’ holds a special space in my heart. This is why I created The Grieving Hearts Club, and why I chose to focus exclusively in this area of my practice.
The Grieving Hearts Club Founder (and member),
Sincerely, Kristina
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