‘In a dark time, the eye begins to see.’ Theodore Roethke
Opening the Gates – Tending Our Grief
‘There is a strange intimacy between grief and aliveness, some sacred exchange between what seems unbearable and what is most exquisitely alive’. Francis Weller
About this workshop
This workshop explores the vital role of grief in navigating our current times. We have entered a significant cultural and ecological transition – few things feel stable, and the illusion of human invulnerability is dissolving. It is a period characterised as ‘The Long Dark’ – a time of endings, decay, and dissolution, as Francis Weller describes this era of profound challenges.
This will be a prolonged, multi-generational season during which the earth community will face immense difficulties and accumulating losses that will touch every aspect of our lives. Grief will be a constant touchstone for the foreseeable future.
Maturing as human beings requires a healthy relationship with the fundamental human need for grief. Yet, contemporary culture often displays a deep discomfort with and suppression of grief – with the common refrain to ‘cheer up and get on with it.’ Without supportive opportunities to process our grief, especially within community, we risk becoming trapped in cycles of loneliness and distress.
The grief we carry can manifest in many ways, including experiences of loss and heartbreak, feelings of woundedness and rage, emotional numbness, a sense of living an unfulfilled life, disconnection from our authentic selves (‘our outcast parts’), a feeling of powerlessness, alienation from the natural world, and profound aloneness. When we turn toward and tend these griefs, we invite a deeper sense of soul to awaken within us. By creating space to tend our individual griefs within a supportive community, we can also cultivate the resilience and compassion needed to navigate collective challenges.
So, how can we learn to trust, befriend, and accompany our grief, and in doing so, become sources of healing for our communities? Could embracing grief paradoxically open us to deeper experiences of love and joy? You are invited to join us in this workshop where we create a community container for this essential human experience and exploration.
This workshop is open to all genders and is available to 20 participants.
Overview:
In this 2-day experiential workshop we will:
> create a safe and sacred community container for participants to explore their personal experiences of grief.
> facilitate experiential exercises that allow grief to be safely expressed and witnessed in community.
> encourage connection, empathy, and mutual support among participants.
> explore creative, ritual, and nature-based practices for integrating grief and fostering resilience.
> empower participants to develop a more compassionate and accepting relationship with their own grief.
Date: August 16-17, 2025 – 6 Places Remain
We acknowledge the seminal work of Francis Weller as our inspiration.
Logistics:
David Mallard and Chris Caldwell facilitate a 2 day workshop experience.
Date: Saturday August 16 & 17, 2025 (9AM – 6PM)
Venue: Currawong Bush Park – Conference Room – 277/285 Reynolds Road, Warrandyte (just east of Springvale Road).
Investment: $499.00 (plus GST)
Limit of 20 participants.
It is impossible to mature as a human being without a fluent relationship with grief!
This workshop will stretch you in a very good way! It will invite a more human, whole and alive sense of self to arrive.
Facilitator
David Mallard is an extensively experienced trainer, coach, mentor, guide, adviser and consultant and has been actively involved in human development work for over 25 years. He is trained in Breathwork, accredited in the DiSC personality profile, holds a Cert. IV in Training & Assessment, is certified in Mental Health First Aid as well as holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
David is a graduate of the professional ‘Wild Mind Training Program’ with the Animas Valley Institute of Colorado and recently completed Francis Weller’s Grief Ritual leadership training. He has extensive senior executive experience working closely with CEO’s and Boards. In parallel David has facilitated hundreds of personal growth meetings, workshops and seminars. In 1998 he co-founded the NFP and registered charity Melbourne Men’s Group Inc and is a leadership council member of Soulcraft ANZ Inc. David is a recipient of CPA Australia’s ‘President’s Award for Excellence – Distinguished Service‘ with a specific focus on Human Development and Mental Health.
Facilitator
Chris Caldwell is a counselling psychologist, supervisor, teacher and group facilitator with over forty years’ experience in the field of healing and personal development. Chris has explored and trained in diverse fields during his practitioner career including the body mind model of Wilhelm Reich, formal meditation and yoga trainings in Australia and India, extensive practice in dreamwork and depth psychology as initiated by Carl Jung and extended into the transpersonal work of Stanislav Grof. Until recently Chris taught transpersonal counselling and specifically ‘Loss and Grief’ at the IKON Institute of Australia.