Authors: Jennifer Greenham
Year: 2019
Event: 2019 TheMHS Conference
Subject: book of proceedings
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
ISBN: 9780994570260
Abstract: Paper from the 2019 TheMHS Conference by Jennifer Greenham. Published as part of the 2019 Book of Proceedings.
Biography:
Jenny is the Mental Health Leader at Spiritual Health Victoria. She brings a wealth of experience working in
community, clinical and forensic mental health settings over a 30 year period. Her work at SHV is supported
by an Interfaith Ministry Ordination and units in Clinical Pastoral Education. Interfaith honors and celebrates
the many ways to know God and has been described as ‘spirituality without borders’. In her experience this
speaks beautifully to the spiritual care needs of those with a lived experience of mental illness. The intersect
of spirituality and mental illness is the very fertile place where much education, advocacy and inquiry occurs
in her day to day role at SHV.
Additionally, Jenny co-creates ceremony and ritual with and for people who wish to acknowledge or
celebrate significant life events from her private celebrancy business. She has recently retired from the
Board of the Interfaith Centre of Melbourne after seven years of service.
This case study tells the story of Josephine, a 62 year old married woman with a diagnosis of bi-polar
disorder. Until a few years ago Josephine would have regular admissions to an inpatient unit in Melbourne.
Underlying these admissions was the overwhelming grief associated with the death of her two daughters.
Her status as a mental health patient somehow excluded her from participating in the rituals and accepted
practices around death. As a consequence Josephine spent many long years in isolation with her grief,
anger, confusion and despair.
During an admission in April 2015, Josephine spent time with a Spiritual Care Practitioner. A spiritual care
assessment was undertaken and referral made to explore the possibility of co-creating a memorial service
with Jenny that would support Josephine to acknowledge her losses as a mother and begin the healing
process to reclaim her mental health and wellbeing. The memorial service took place in May 2016 at
Josephine’s home with 12 close family and friends.
This presentation will explore the powerful role of ritual in our lives. The audience will meet Josephine in a
short video presentation. This amazing story of courage and resilience will inspire hope and healing for
others.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: Delegates will leave this presentation with an enhanced appreciation for the powerful
healing role that ritual and ceremony plays in all our lives. It has the capacity to speak to the part of us that
connects with something greater than ourselves and offers the opportunity to have our story witnessed and
validated as meaningful and important.
Learning Objective 2: Just about all mental health clinical presentations contain some aspects of grief and
loss. Sometimes those feelings need to be acknowledged in a way that is not usually found in mental health
settings or treatment guidelines. Spiritual care thinks outside the box and offers an alternative way forward.
References
Anderson, H., & Foley, E. (2001)
Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals – Weaving Together the Human and the Divine. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass
Moore, J.T. (2013)
Happy Funerals
A Handbook for Celebrants and their grieving families. Geelong:
Self-published
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