SAOT Annual General Meeting – Virtual Event

The events of 2020 have placed extra strain and stress on the work and home experiences of OTs in Alberta. Managing all these demands have become increasingly complex and emotional.

This has resulted in more awareness around both the presence of grief as a natural human experience, and the need for appropriate action to support this experience in ourselves and others.

In this short presentation Sandy will offer some reflections on how OTs are built for the challenge; how the unique skill set of OTs make us equipped to deal with these challenges with openness, wisdom and a way forward.

Sandy will discuss grief, the importance of acknowledging and processing your feelings, the need for community, and lastly, how “skills for the job of living” are paramount in navigating these difficult times.

Sandy Ayre is an Occupational Therapist with a Certificate in Death and Grief Studies Certificate through the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins Colorado. She works on the Tertiary Palliative Care Unit at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, supporting patients and families at the end of life. She also is a certified yoga instructor. Since 2009 she has been providing Yoga for Grief Support – a grief support group in Edmonton that uses yoga and meditation as a supportive modality. You can find her classes online as well at www.yogaforgriefsupport.com