ABSTRACT
Labyrinth walking addresses normal, complicated or conflicted grief; stress and burnout of hospital and hospice staff; children and adolescents experiencing losses; and responder grief. A mourner can step into the labyrinth, walk the path and then step back out of the labyrinth, using it as a means of accessing yet also containing strong emotions within the kinesthetic experience of walking a defined path that requires nothing more than beginning and continuing on the journey. A near-universal experience of comfort and safety in the center of the labyrinth is reported by walkers, with many experiencing it as sacred space where one is close to Holy Mystery or God. In this sacred space, deep emotions of grief—tears, regret, sadness, guilt, anger—are often released and may be offered to God or one’s higher power. In some instances when the client is hesitant to walk the labyrinth or fears emotional release, the therapist might agree to walk behind or beside the client.
