Join this 8-session online group counselling series led by Edgar Rodríguez-Dorans. Explore an embodied, person-centred approach to maintaining post-death relationships with those who have passed away.
The initiative for this grief group counselling for LGBTQIA+ people emerges from current literature on bereavement counselling and clinical experience, which demonstrate that hearing other people’s stories of loss and grief has a profound impact on those affected by bereavement, as this reduces a sense of isolation, develop a sense of camaraderie between group members, and contribute to experiential learning from being with others. Specifically, group therapy for LGBTQIA+ individuals has been documented to be beneficial in helping users develop a psychological sense of community and reduce the impact of minority stressors. The group sessions will involve an element of movement (e.g. some activities will include moving your body lightly) because traditional approaches to grief counselling often focus on grief as a phenomenon of the mind and ignore how grief affects the body. Physical symptoms of grief are usually seen as just mental issues, which misses how our bodies also experience and process loss.
Sessions will be conducted online via Zoom and will be held fortnightly on Fridays from 6:00 to 7:30 pm (UK time).
Dates for the series:
4th and 18th April, 2nd and 16th May, 6th and 20th June, 4th and 18th July 2025
Cost: £160 per person for the whole series. Attendance to the whole series is essential, as one factor contributing to the effectiveness of this approach is the bonds established with other group members.
The following framework gives you an impression of what the group sessions will entail:
Session 1: Introduction and establishing a trusting space
Session 2: Exploring your journey of grief
Session 3: Presence of the deceased in the bereaved’s body
Session 4: Body-associated actions and activities
Session 5: Pain as a connection agent
Session 6: Moving portraits of grief
Session 7: Revisiting your journey of grief
Session 8: Creating a never-ending
Additional Considerations:
To participate, you will need access to a stable internet connection, a computer, tablet or phone, and a private space to participate in the online sessions.
Contact me via the online form if you want to know more about the project or to book a place in the series.
Edgar in Edinburgh 