Excerpts From "Beyond the Myths of Grief and Loss" Spiritual Direction Workshop
This two-part video series is excerpted from OIS's spiritual direction workshop, titled "Beyond the Myths of Grief: Wisdom for Spiritual Accompaniment" and presented by Melissa Kelley, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. This workshop was presented on April 21, 2018, and co-sponsored by the Office of Ignatian Spirituality and Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.
Part I – The Myths of Grief and Beyond (75 minutes)
In this segment, Dr. Kelley sheds light on four myths of grief that have come to limit our understanding of and response to grief and loss. She addresses each myth by sharing insights from contemporary grief theory and emphasizes that faith and spiritual dimensions can be both a comfort and a challenge for those who companion others through times of grief.
Part II – Faith, Resilience, and Spiritual Accompaniment (50 minutes)
In this segment, Dr. Kelley draws upon well-known research linking resilience and self-care. She goes on to suggest ways that faith and spirituality, including concepts of meaning-making, mystery, and Christian hope, help to cultivate resilience in times of grief and loss.
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About Dr. Kelley
Melissa M. Kelley is associate professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling and the faculty director of the Professional Ministry Practicum at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Previously, she was on the faculty of Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, MA. She has many years of pastoral-clinical experience, including serving as a campus minister for 14 years at both Boston College and Emmanuel College in Boston. She holds a PhD from Boston University in pastoral psychology.
Dr. Kelley is a fellow and nationally certified pastoral counselor through the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. She is also certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement through the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the primary organization in the country for all bereavement researchers, educators, and clinicians. She is a pastoral formation guide with the Metropolitan Boston Association of the United Church of Christ and is the author of Grief: Contemporary Theory and the Practice of Ministry, published in 2010 by Augsburg Fortress Press.