Grief can be lonely but there are many things you can do to heal yourself from the pain of loss. For the price of paperback, we offer a six-month rental of the Grief Monomyth, a one-hour documentary presenting a new paradigm for healing formed on the foundation of the archetype of the hero’s journey. Also included in this streaming package is “The Secret Map of Surviving Loss,” a re-cut of “the Grief Monomyth” in which the experiences of the grievers in the film are framed and explicated by three bereavement counselors. It’s really helpful to use with our free downloadable companion workbook which provides you with exercises to help you process your grief and truly understand how normal it is to feel anxiety, isolation, and disorientation as well as deep sadness after a loss. Whether you’re on your own or using the film to supplement grief counseling, we hope you endeavor to discover the secret map out of grief hidden inside you.

We offer this program, the Secret Maps Project, available on DVD or to stream online, to bereavement counselors of all stripes. With 3 films, you can run groups with it AND learn how to run groups with it. Previously, it was only available to Social Work and Human Services programs at the college and university level for the training of Social Workers but in order to support all the grief workers we can, it is now accessible for everyone. Check out the trailer, see the Frequently Asked Questions, and contact us if you have questions of your own or would like to preview the films online.

This 2-film DVD is made for use in clinician training. It contains the 60-minute documentary feature, the Secret Map of Surviving Loss, which takes clinicians intimately through the patient/client’s experience of grief in a way they cannot experience outside of actual counseling. Also included is the half-hour short film, Good Grieving: A Guide to Group Facilitation, a development tool focused on the framework of group counseling that clinicians-in-training may undertake.

Q:  Why should my Social Work, Psychology, or Human Services Department be using the Secret Map of Surviving Loss to teach students about grief and bereavement therapy?

A:  The main reason that professors should be using the Secret Map of Surviving Loss is that it uniquely provides what we call “the man in the hole” experience. The subjects in the film, while very articulate, are in the full rawness of grief after their losses. If your students will be doing any kind of work with the bereaved, they will not be able to get a closer first-hand experience of what their work will be like without actual live practice with clients for some time. When your students actually get to field practice, having viewed this film will make that practice all the more better for both your students and their future clients.

For more on “man in the hole” aspect of the film, please read this short essay.

Or see more in our Frequently Asked Questions for colleges & universities.