Facilitator Curriculum Guide Brave Space Facilitator Guide
Individual Grief Counseling Plan: 4-Week Sequence
Counseling Goal
To provide a structured yet flexible environment for a student to process the loss of her mother, identify varied emotions, and develop a personalized "Anchor Kit" of coping skills.
Core Approach
Person-centered, trauma-informed, and creative-expressive. Focus on "brave space" rather than "safe space"—acknowledging that grief is inherently uncomfortable.
WEEK 1: BRAVE BEGINNINGS Focus: Rapport & Feelings
Key Objectives
Define the counseling space as a "Brave Space" where all feelings are welcome.
Introduce the concept that grief is not just sadness, but a mix of many emotions.
Identify where emotions are felt in the body.
Session Outline
1. Connection (5 min): Low-pressure check-in (e.g., "What was the highlight of your breakfast?").2. Setting the Stage (5 min): Explain the 4-week plan. Use the slides to define "Brave Space."3. Heart Map Activity (20 min): Use the student document. Help her color in the different "rooms" of her heart right now. Highlighting that it's okay for "Anger" or "Confusion" to take up space alongside "Love."4. Closing (5 min): One-word checkout on how she feels after sharing.
Tip: Avoid "Why" questions this week. Focus on "What" and "How." "What colors do you see in your heart today?" is more approachable than "Why are you feeling blue?"
WEEK 2: ECHOES OF LOVE Focus: Memories & Loss
Key Objectives
Share positive and complex memories of Mom.
Normalize the "missing" parts of daily routines.
Create a tangible representation of connection.
Session Outline
1. Connection (5 min): Review the Heart Map from last week. Did any colors change?2. Memory Work (15 min): Using the slides, discuss "Momories." Use the Memory Jar worksheet. Encourage specific details: smells, sounds, favorite jokes.3. Narrative Exploration (10 min): Talk about a time Mom was really proud of her, or a funny mistake they made together. This helps humanize the loss.4. Closing (5 min): Identify one thing she wants to "keep" from her mom this week (a saying, a habit, a feeling).
WEEK 3: STEADYING THE STORM Focus: Coping Skills
Key Objectives
Understand the concept of grief "waves."
Identify personal triggers for big emotions.
Build a personalized toolkit of physical and cognitive coping strategies.
Session Outline
1. Connection (5 min): Use the "Wave" slide. Ask: "How deep is the water today? Ankles or over your head?"2. The Anchor Kit (20 min): Introduce the concept of Anchors (things that hold us steady). Use the Anchor Kit worksheet to brainstorm: 5 things I can see, 4 I can touch, etc. (Grounding).3. Practice (5 min): Actually practice one breathing technique or grounding exercise in the room.4. Closing (5 min): Discuss where she can use these anchors at school or home this week.
Tip: If the student becomes dysregulated during memory work, pivot immediately to Session 3 tools, even if it's still Week 2. Safety always comes first.
WEEK 4: GROWING FORWARD Focus: Growth & Closure
Key Objectives
Recognize personal strength and resilience.
Identify a continued support network.
Create a symbolic closing for this specific counseling block.
Session Outline
1. Connection (5 min): Reflect on the first session vs. now. "What's one thing you know about yourself now that you didn't 4 weeks ago?"2. Growth Sunflower (20 min): Use the Growth Reflection worksheet. Focus on the "Roots" (who helps her) and the "Petals" (her strengths).3. The Continued Connection (5 min): Discuss how she will keep honoring Mom (e.g., "Mom's Sunday Pancakes" or wearing her favorite color).4. Closing Ritual (5 min): Acknowledge that while these sessions are ending, the Brave Space is always something she can carry with her. Give a small token (a stone, a sticker, or a copy of her Anchor Kit).
Post-Sequence Checklist
Schedule follow-up check-in for 1 month from today.
Update teachers/guardians on the student's specific "Anchor" skills to encourage use in other settings.
File "Heart Map" and "Anchor Kit" copies in confidential student file.
Ensure the student knows the process for requesting an "emergency session" if a wave feels too big.
Brave Beginnings Slides Brave Space
A place for all your feelings, all your memories, and all of you.
What is a "Brave Space"?
1
Every feeling is okay.
Sad, mad, confused, happy, or even just "nothing." It's all allowed here.
2
You set the pace.
We only talk about things when you are ready. You are the boss of your story.
3
Confidentiality.
What we talk about stays here, unless you or someone else is in danger.
"Being brave doesn't mean not being scared. It means doing something even when you are."
Grief is Like the Weather
The Bright Spots
Remembering funny jokes, eating a favorite food, or feeling love.
The Gray Days
Feeling heavy, tired, or just wishing things were different.
The Storms
Feeling big anger, confusion, or overwhelming sadness.
Today, we're going to map out YOUR weather.
The Map of My Heart
Inside our hearts, there is room for many different feelings at the same time. Let's explore what your heart looks like today.
Let's get started!
Heart Map Worksheet The Map of My Heart
A space to explore and name the feelings inside of you.
Name:
Date:
How to use this map:
Imagine your heart has many "rooms" inside. Step 1: Give each feeling below a color. Step 2: Fill in the heart shape with those colors to show how much space each feeling is taking up today.
Color Inside the Heart
The Feeling Legend
Love
Sadness
Anger
Confusion
Missing Her
Peaceful
Other:
A Note to My Brave Self:
How do you feel after mapping your heart today?
"There is no 'wrong' way to feel. Your heart is doing its best."
Echoes of Love Slides Echoes of Love
"Love is a bridge. It stays even when the person we love isn't here anymore."
What are "Mom-ories"?
Mom-ories are the tiny, special things that belonged to your mom or that you did together.
A song she loved to sing.
The way her favorite food smelled.
A funny face or "look" she gave.
The Power of Remembering
When we share these Mom-ories, we are keeping her story alive inside of us. It might feel a little sad, but it can also feel really warm.
The "Missing Pieces"
"Grief is noticing the empty chair, the phone call you can't make, and the quiet parts of the day."
It's okay to miss:
Her advice, her hugs, or even just her being in the other room.
It's okay to feel:
Frustrated that things have changed and that life feels different now.
Creating Your Memory Jar
Let's pick out some of your favorite Mom-ories to put into our special jar today.
Time to Create!
Memory Jar Activity My Jar of Memories
Every memory is a treasure we can keep forever.
Name:
Date:
Draw or write your favorite memories of Mom in the jar below.
Memories
Spark a Memory:
The way Mom used to say "Good morning" or "I love you."
A favorite activity you did together.
A song, a scent, or a piece of clothing she loved.
A Question for Mom:
If you could tell her one thing today, what would it be?
Remember: Some memories might make you smile, and some might make you cry. Both are okay. The jar is a safe place to hold all of them.
Steadying the Storm Slides Steadying the Storm
Grief can come in waves. Some are small, and some feel like giant storms. We're going to build your anchor.
How Waves Work
They are temporary.
A big wave might feel like it will last forever, but it always recedes eventually.
They have triggers.
Seeing a photo, hearing a song, or a holiday can make a big wave come back.
We can float.
We don't have to stop the wave. We just need to know how to float through it.
Finding Your Anchor
5
Things You See
Colors, shapes, shadows
4
Things You Feel
Clothes, chair, floor, wind
3
Things You Hear
Birds, humming, traffic
2
Things You Smell
Flowers, food, soap
1
Thing You Taste
Water, mint, or a candy
This brings your mind back to the "Now."
Building Your Anchor Kit
Let's put together a personal list of "anchors" you can use whenever you feel a big wave coming.
Time to Prepare!
Anchor Kit Worksheet My Anchor Kit
Personal tools for big waves of grief.
Name:
Date:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Anchor
5 Things I See
4 Things I Feel
3 Things I Hear
2 Things I Smell
1 Thing I Taste
My Safe People
My Safe Places
Helpful Actions (Check 3)
Deep Breathing
Journaling
Squeeze a ball
Cold water
Walk outside
Listen to music
Something else that helps me:
"I have the strength to weather this storm. One breath at a time."
Growing Forward Slides Growing Forward
"Healing doesn't mean forgetting. It means growing enough to carry the memory with you."
Look How Far You've Come
In the last 4 weeks, you have been incredibly brave. You have:
Shared your "Heart Map."
Built a "Memory Jar."
Created your "Anchor Kit."
Resilience
Resilience is like a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk. It's tough, beautiful, and it keeps reaching for the sun.
The Ongoing Connection
Just because our sessions are ending doesn't mean your connection to Mom is ending. How will you keep her close?
Traditions
Cooking her favorite meal or visiting her favorite park.
Feelings
Wearing her favorite color when you need extra strength.
Conversations
Writing letters or talking to her in your mind.
You Are Ready.
This is not a "goodbye" to your feelings or to your mom. It's just the start of a new way to carry them with you.
Keep Growing!
Growth Reflection Worksheet My Growth Reflection
Looking back at my journey and reaching toward the sun.
Name:
Date:
My Strengths
My Roots (Who helps me)
Color and grow your sunflower
Something I Learned
What's one thing you know about your feelings now?
Honoring Mom
What is one way you will keep her memory alive?
Note to Future Me
When a big wave comes, what will you tell yourself?
You are resilient.
You have all the tools you need to keep growing.
Session 4
