Writing through grief online - Families of Veterans Guild

Creative writing session focused on grief for war widows, defence and veteran families

Born from the idea a war widow shared with us, our writing through grief sessions are a space to express grief, having grown with repeating attendees able to feel safe, acknowledged and heard. These sessions are facilitated by our Wellbeing Team and offer a supportive environment to explore experiences and emotions that are often difficult to voice.

Over time, many attendees have returned again and again, with many looking forward to reconnecting each time we host this activity. This group is still growing and welcoming to newcomers.

Join us on Thursday 29 January 2026 to use creative writing as a tool to separate the person from the grief/loss/pain, enabling us to step back and see things in a different way.

Writing session

War widows, defence and veteran families are invited to come together online for a session of creative writing with a focus on grief. Facilitated by social workers, Gabby and Hayley, you will explore creative writing as a therapeutic tool which can take many different forms including poetry, short stories, letters, and reflective journaling. As a group we will explore the theme of grief which may be experienced in the Defence community in a variety of ways including bereavement, deployment, transition, relocation etc.

It is important for participants to be informed that we will be exploring themes of grief in this activity and are advised to participate at their own discretion. This is not a counselling session however our qualified social workers can explore referrals to such supports as needed.

There is no cost for this activity. Your materials will be covered by Families of Veterans Guild.

Previous attendees to wellbeing activities said “I just wanted to express my gratitude for being able to connect with such a wonderful group. It was such a great opportunity to do a self-care activity and get to know some of the other attendees at the same time.”