Mending Our Souls: The Role of Textiles in Death, Loss, and Navigating Grief

This literature review bridges the gap between research on the therapeutic benefits of engaging with textiles and the known benefits of art and narrative driven engagements for individuals and communities navigating grief. The prominence of textiles within historical and cultural contexts shows the way textiles are often key components in mourning rituals and have long been used as expressions of grief, despite its absence within the field thanatology. This article explores how the vast and varied ways people ritualize, memorialize, and engage with textiles have specific therapeutic benefits and support the frameworks within prevalent grief theory. This body of research encourages the application of textiles within personal and collective grief experiences, clinical settings, educational, and counsel spheres by establishing a body of research that addresses the breadth of textile’s value as tools for navigating life after loss.