WHEELING, IL—Although our profession excels at providing those who grieve with space to feel, we don’t often permit the same latitude for ourselves. With terms like burnout and compassion fatigue, we are able to name the results of our emotional self-suppression—but when do we give ourselves permission to actually experience our feelings? On May 16, 2023, Jennifer Muldowney facilitates a virtual Funeral Professionals Peer Support Meeting to talk about the sense of guilt or shame around a mental health injury and the permission you give yourself and others to feel it without judgment.
Born in Ireland, Jennifer Muldowney claims her expertise on guilt and shame comes naturally. She’s also an acclaimed speaker on grief, host of The Glam Reaper podcast, founder of Muldowney Memorials, and a celebrant who has witnessed many expressions of grief. Throughout her career, she has reassured hundreds of families that their feelings are normal and given them permission to feel without judgment. Too often, we neglect to extend that grace we grant our client-families to ourselves. Instead, we often suppress those feelings, ashamed to show how our work has affected us or that our personal lives have crept in.
“We all go through it. That’s why I appreciate mental health and what people do for it. So, I say to myself, ‘This is shit, but it’s okay. Do what you have to do: grieve, cry, watch sad movies. We’re giving you a month,’” explains Jennifer Muldowney about her own experience with loss. “It doesn’t mean you ever forget, that you wake up after a month and you’re great. But I have found that giving myself freedom— stepping back and letting myself do it without guilt or shame—helps with a timeline.”
As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. Join Jennifer Muldowney, the Cremation Association of North America, and Funeral Professionals Peer Support to discuss your experiences with loss, the families you’ve served, and the challenges you face today. Or, be there just to support your peers across the profession with your presence and listening ear. If you work for a funeral home, cemetery, or crematory serving the public or supporting those who do—connect with us on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT via Zoom link at goCANA.org/peersupport. Students, apprentices, and interns are welcome.
About Funeral Professional Peer Support
Funeral Professional Peer Support Group is committed to providing support, healing, education and knowledge to funeral professionals. They promote wholeness and wellness by uniting funeral sector professionals through a Canada-wide network of regional organizations offering support, information and resources within their community.
About CANA
Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,500 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.
