The Life Certificate: A Narrative Framework in working with grief and loss by Mohamed Fareez
As opposed to conventional ways of addressing the ‘trauma’ of loss, narrative ideas provide a refreshing alternative to celebrate the lives of those who have left us. We celebrate the gifts of their values, skills and knowledges as part of the process of legacy building. Re-membering practices allow the deceased to continue “living” in the present and future.
This presentation proposes the use of the ‘Life Certificate’ a narrative therapeutic document that allows us to document the preferred stories of our lost loved ones. Examples of how the ‘Life Certificate’ is used in practice will be discussed, along with narrative inquiries to facilitate the renegotiation of our relationships.
Mohamed Fareez is a social worker from the sunny Island of Singapore, where he is currently Centre Head of Cheng San Family Service Centre (AMKFSC Community Services Ltd). As a practitioner, he is keen on developing ways of integrating narrative ideas into social work case management and community work in Singapore. Fareez frequently collaborates with persons affected by grief and loss, where he values ideas of ‘re-membering’ as important counter-stories against the dominant discourses of grief work. Fareez writes about his experiences as a social worker in his blog www.fareez.sg, where he can also be contacted.
