Crossing the Owl’s Bridge

Book excerpt: Crossing the Owl’s Bridge uses the wisdom of worldwide folk tales to demonstrate how to share, ritualize, and transform grief. Each chapter describes psychological tasks as communicated through folk tales, offers stories about others, and provides guidelines for application. The premise is that although we do have to say goodbye to our material relationship, we are also being presented with a chance to say hello to a different type of relationship. Crossing the Owl’s Bridge illustrates creative outcomes to mourning that allow one to recognize, contain, release, and yet stay in relationship and keep loving. Kim Bateman, Ph.D., has facilitated grief workshops and taught courses in Death and Dying for over 20 years. Her research interests include bereavement, organizational psychology, and humor, and she has presented over 60 projects in the behavioral sciences at regional and national psychology conferences. Dr. Bateman has delivered many notable keynote addresses, including: “There’s a Fox Under My Bed and Pixie Dust in My Hair,” at the Developmental Psychology Conference, “The Psychology of Humor” at the Women’s Wellness Conference, and “College Culture Through the Song Lyrics of Bob Marley,” at the Community College League of California convention. She recently presented a TEDx talk called “Singing Over Bones.” Dr. Bateman serves as the executive dean of the Tahoe-Truckee Campus of Sierra College.