One of the most profound—and certainly most tragic—human experiences is witnessing the death of a loved one. While the knowledge of our mortality is a collective reality, the grieving process itself is deeply personal, as unique as a fingerprint.

Yet across cultures and centuries, many grieving individuals share certain universal experiences. One of the most compelling of these is the dream. Like Orpheus’s haunting descent into the underworld in search of his beloved Eurydice, the bereaved often embark on a sacred inner journey—one that can be powerfully mapped through dreams.

This presentation explores dreams of the bereaved and the grieving process through the lens of Alan Wolfelt’s Six Mourning Needs and the concept of grief as initiation. Drawing on dream research, case studies, and personal reflection, the presentation will examine several types of bereavement dreams, including visitation, archetypal, and nightmares.

In this presentation, you will:

• Identify common types of bereavement dreams and explain how they relate to the stages of grief.
• Explore psychological and emotional reasons why bereaved individuals dream of the deceased.
• Examine how dreams can foster healing, meaning-making, and hope during the grieving process.
• Apply practical tools and interventions for working therapeutically with bereaved individuals around their dreams.
• Participate in experiential dream activities and interactive Q&A discussions.

Although this course is designed for mental health professionals, hospice nurses and social workers, caregivers, chaplains, and end of life/death doulas working with grief and loss, all are welcome to attend.