Coping with Grief through Creative Arts TherapyCoping with Grief through Creative Arts Therapy
Grieving Overdose Death
Cathy Williams and host Susan Clare talk about using somatic movement and creative arts to process the intense grief that follows an overdose death. The conversation shares practical, body-based and creative tools for expressing emotions that feel too heavy or complex for words.
42:02•6 Jul 2026
Grief in Motion: Using Creative Arts and Body Wisdom After Overdose Loss
Episode Overview
- Grief often lives in the body as heaviness, tension and pain, so approaches that include movement can support emotional processing.
- Somatic dance movement therapy shifts focus from talking about the story to noticing sensations and how the body wants to move.
- Creative practices like drawing, using colour, and keeping an art journal offer expression when words are difficult or unavailable.
- Short, playful daily movement such as an "impulse stretch" can help people reconnect with their body as an ally rather than an enemy.
- Healing is described as a nonlinear, ongoing process of expanding capacity to feel emotions without being completely overwhelmed.
“Our feelings are there to be felt, and our body is a rich resource and ally with lots of wisdom.”
This episode sheds light on the personal battles against addiction-related loss through a gentle, body-focused lens on grief. The conversation centres on Cathy Williams, a body-based healing and creative arts therapy practitioner who supports people using somatic movement and expressive arts. Host Susan Clare, who created the podcast after losing her daughter Sharon to overdose, asks thoughtful questions that keep the chat grounded in real-life grief.
You’ll hear Cathy explain how western culture often pushes people to "intellectualise our emotions or run away from feeling uncomfortable feelings" and why that can keep grief stuck in the body. She contrasts traditional talk therapy with somatic dance movement therapy, where attention shifts from story to sensation: heaviness in the chest, tight fists, tingling hands, and the way those feelings want to move.
Cathy describes simple practices like tension-and-release, pressing against a wall, or soft self-touch such as holding the heart, helping people "start a dialogue with the body" instead of fighting it. The episode also looks at creative tools for processing overdose grief when words are hard to find. Cathy talks about using big sheets of paper, colours, lines and shapes as ways to express emotions that can’t be spoken, and how art journalling becomes a private, safe container.
One powerful moment is her reminder that "our feelings are there to be felt, and our body is a rich resource and ally" – a reassuring message for anyone terrified that their grief will swallow them whole. Susan weaves in her own experience of losing Sharon, describing grief moving in waves and feeling like a physical beating, which makes Cathy’s focus on movement and body awareness feel especially relevant.
The tone stays warm, practical, and accessible, with plenty of examples you can imagine trying in your own living room. If you’ve lost someone to overdose and your grief feels too big for words, could your body and creativity be the gentler doorway you’ve been looking for?
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