Tapestry Network

Like what you’ve seen?

Have you studied the books and found resonance with the words? Would you like to work with others to help them to find the peace in death, grief and the thought of dying?

Join D.I.P.ism!

The Tapestry Series was created so that notions of dying be redirected to more positive ideas that move humanity away from fear and into self empowerment. At many times within our lives we experience deaths, and as sure as the leaves fall from the tree’s in Autumn, there will come a time when we will experience our own personal and rather unique death transition.

About the Tapestry Licensing Program

The Tapestry Series© was set up in 2021 by Laura D Pusey as a membership-based network forming a standard guide in preparation for the end of life transition; for individuals, family members, friends and associates in a bid to open discussions around death, dying & grief in order to minimise fear and strengthen care and expectations at the end of life.

D.I.P.ism (Death in Practice): is dedicated to the ongoing development of compassionate awareness around the taboo of death from the emotional, spiritual, mental, practical and social perspectives.

Ensuring The Tapestry Series and brand are maintained to the highest standard.
Setting standards of empathy and support with an understanding of social, economic, culture and class based disparities that influence decision making, experiences and subsequent grief.
Creating a learning community of Licensed Tapestry Guides who can learn from each other and lead the continuing development of empathic approach.
Supporting Licensed Tapestry Guides with the latest developments, research and materials.
Ensuring that training and consultation are delivered at the highest standards by people with extensive knowledge and experience of the approach.

The core purpose of the licensing program is to establish and support an international community of D.I.P.ism accredited Tapestry Guides. These licensed professionals can fill the void of socially appropriate guidance through the preparation of the end of life transition and grief following bereavement.

Through The Tapestry Series, D.I.P.ism is working with individuals, families, educational facilities and the corporate sector to deliver high quality guidance and assistance for those approaching the end of life, those aiding family members in the negotiation of a transition and those who are affected by the loss of a loved one, friend or colleague.

The main materials are the Workbook & Planner: My Life’s Tapestry and the Conversational Textbook: Tapestries of Grief.

Who needs to be licensed?

Any person using material from The Tapestry Series alongside personal methods of practice with clients and any person seeking to financially support themselves through the use of The Tapestry Series.

Any person using material from The Tapestry Series with the intention of providing guidance or support to those approaching the end of life or dealing with loss whether it be prior or post transition.

Those seeking to integrate their standard practice of care or support with the education or assistance of people wishing to come to a point of acceptance and understanding regarding dying, death or grief.

Educational facilities teaching courses focused on End of Life, Dying, Death and Grief via Bereavement.

Educational facilities charging for training and consulting services to third party organisations will need to license each of the individual accredited Tapestry Guide teaching staff members.

Welfare, Personnel or Human Resource teams seeking to support colleagues and members of staff.

Organisations seeking to strengthen the support and guidance provided to colleagues and members of staff dealing with end of life or grief via matters pertaining to bereavement.

Tiers of membership

Tapestry Guide

Level 1 – Helping individuals and their family members to complete their workbooks and have those conversations whilst planning end of life. Helping people to come to an understanding of the nature of grief. The Tapestry Guide is validated by the attendance of a:

D.I.P.ism Accredited course. This allows the Tapestry Guide to charge upto £60 per hr / or £30 per person.

Tapestry Trainer

Level 2 – Works with individuals and their family members also businesses’, organisations and corporations, HR, personnel and welfare departments to enable them to help those in their care prepare for death and cope with circumstances surrounding a death including grief and bereavement. The Tapestry Trainer requires a licence to work with materials and resources provided by D.I.P.ism and the Tapestry series.

Tapestry Consultant

Level 3 – As well as providing the above guidance and training, the Tapestry Consultant provides non-medical, hands-on end of life care. Tending to the social, spiritual, mental, emotional and practical needs of an individual or their family members approaching an end of life transition.

This may include liaising with family members to ensure wishes are fulfilled, mediation, consultation with medical staff, offering respite care, carrying out ritual, or guidance to those concerned or affected. The consultant strives to be present at the moment of transition and provides mentoring or coaching support to those bereaved. The Tapestry Consultant requires a licence to work with materials and resources provided by D.I.P.ism through the Tapestry series.

Who doesn’t need to be licensed?

Family members working with family members or close friends in informal settings.

What about Bereavement agencies wanting their staff to use the material?

The Tapestry approach is not an open platform for practitioners and agencies. Therefore, organisations that want their staff to use the approach need to develop their expertise by becoming or working with D.I.P.ism accredited trainers who are part of The Tapestry Series network.

Organisations and practitioners are welcome to utilise the approach based on the aforementioned publicly available materials; but do so at their own risk. Any such practice cannot receive endorsement from D.I.P.ism, Laura D Pusey, or from The Tapestry Series network of D.I.P.ism accredited Licensed Trainers and Consultants.

Organisations that want to understand and implement the approach at its best should utilise the skills of D.I.P.ism accredited Licensed Tapestry Trainers and/or Consultants.

A Bereavement based organisation, either statutory or non-government, can also apply for internal training staff to be licensed to teach The Tapestry Series, which will ensure the highest standards in training and practice.

Ensuring quality

While growing and supporting a strong community of endorsed, experienced Guides, Trainers and Consultants, D.I.P.ism will restrain unaccredited, unendorsed Guides. Trainers or Consultants who are commercially exploiting The Tapestry Series approach, whether they operate independently, within training organisations or in an educational environment.

Where necessary, D.I.P.ism will use legal mechanisms to defend the use of the The Tapestry Series trademark, resources and intellectual property, thereby maintaining strong quality standards and increasing the value and marketability of The Tapestry Series licence.

D.I.P.ism does not grant exclusive rights over geographical regions when licensing Trainers or Consultants. Provided the licensing requirements are met by applicants, multiple trainer and consultant licences may be granted for any given district, city, state or country. The goal of the licensing program is to uphold the quality of the model rather than create exclusivity within regions.

D.I.P.ism reserves the right to terminate the licence of members who breach standards specified by Laura D Pusey through D.I.P.ism with regard to the Tapestry Series.

Licence Application Fee

An initial application fee of £333.00 GBP (English Pounds) plus VAT (if applicable) is required for both trainers and consultants. The application fee covers administration duties and the time required by D.I.P.ism to review and provide feedback on applications.

Licence Fees

Annual licence renewal costs are £99.00 GBP (English Pounds) plus VAT (if applicable) Paid to D.I.P.ism for the commercial use of the Tapestry Brand trademark, intellectual property, products and services.

This fee helps to enable D.I.P.ism to create The Tapestry Series resources, documentation and training materials; manage the licensing program; and provide significant, continued support to all trainers and consultants.

The materials and support included in these fees are outlined in: The D.I.P.ism membership area. What D.I.P.ism and the licensing arrangements will provide to licensed trainers and consultants found at www.dipism.com.

Practitioner Fees

Over the course of ongoing two hour sessions, Tapestry Guides and Consultants are requested to charge clients for their time and knowledge base.

What is required from licensed Trainers and Consultants

BEING PART OF THE ONGOING LEARNING & JOURNEY OF DEATH

The Tapestry Series is a mature approach, yet it continues to evolve. The approach develops and is refined from the expanding knowledge of what works for practitioners, agencies and service recipients. This means that those who lead the approach are required to continue growing in their professional journey with D.I.P.ism through The Tapestry Series.

D.I.P.ism will require and support trainers and consultants to continually deepen their understanding and experience with The Tapestry Series, thereby growing their capacity to lead others in the approach.

To maintain their Tapestry Series accreditation, D.I.P.ism licensed trainers and consultants are required to demonstrate continued learning and make an ongoing contribution to the development of the model.

Trainer and consultant licences are granted for a one-year term and re-assessed on a yearly basis.

As part of this ongoing learning journey, Tapestry Guides and Consultants need to:

Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to continuous learning with practitioners, organisations and the broader D.I.P.ism community in all aspects of the approach.
Attend one Tapestry Guides and Consultants workshop run by D.I.P.ism at least once every year (self-funded);
Participate in individual and small group consulting sessions with Laura Pusey or other approved D.I.P.ism staff (face-to-face or by video).
Wherever possible, support presentations by agencies and practitioners they work with.
Contribute one substantial case study documenting experience gained each year.

.

CONTRIBUTION TO SHARED KNOWLEDGE

The unique and most powerful attribute of The Tapestry Series is that it is a practitioner’s model. The Tapestry Brand is grounded in, and continues to evolve from, actual examples of what works for practitioners and service recipients and building understanding of the best organisational structures that support this work in end of life and grief via.

The approach generates interest and excitement because practitioners and agencies are given direct guidance, tools, methods and skills about what to do in their direct work with individuals and families, while managers and directors are guided in how to lead their agencies towards more constructive practice.

A very significant amount of Laura Pusey’s work over the past 7 years has involved capturing, documenting and sharing examples of informed death related practice from personal and shared experiences locally and around the world with people of varying culture and class divides.

D.I.P.ism Gatherings

These are a key forum for advancing the collective knowledge of the emotive Tapestry series approach in action. This is the Appreciative Inquiry ‘engine room’ of the D.I.P.ism approach focusing always on what works, evolving the approach, and building vision and energy from that foundation.

Endorsed Tapestry Guides and Consultants are the primary leaders of the approach. They are required to demonstrate their commitment to the action learning foundations of The Tapestry series, by annually preparing and documenting practice examples, training materials or implementation initiatives from the practitioners and agencies they work with. These examples will continue to build the shared Tapestry Knowledge Bank in de-identified format for all endorsed trainers and consultants.

What D.I.P.ism and the licensing arrangements will provide for licensed Trainers and Consultants

While the licensing and accreditation may seem to be an impost on trainers’ and consultants’ income and business, the value of the licensing program far outweighs those costs.

After becoming accredited and joining The Tapestry Series community, D.I.P.ism will promote the trainer or consultant, their business and products through www.dipism.com and will draw on and promote these individuals around the world. The Tapestry Series accreditation increases the status, income, reach and influence of the accredited trainer and consultant within the Tapestry Brand, D.I.P.ism and broader Dying, Death and Grief community.

D.I.P.ism strives to provide considerable contractor opportunities for licensed trainers and consultants. This contracting work is undertaken through D.I.P.ism.

ENDORSEMENT

Laura D Pusey and D.I.P.ism will formally endorse and promote licensed trainers and consultants.

Licensed trainers and consultants will be endorsed and promoted on www.dipism.com, www.aiyeconsulting.com and other digital platforms.

Licensed trainers and consultants will have the exclusive right to promote themselves and their certification using the official Tapestry Guide branding, including uniform and The Tapestry brand logo.

PROMOTION

Through www.dipism.com run by D.I.P.ism, licensed trainers each have a profile page as well as the opportunity to promote their activities and training events on the site at no additional cost.

If licensed trainers have products to sell, they may sell these through their profile page on www.dipism.com, pending product approval from D.I.P.ism. Products will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at no extra cost.

COMMUNITY

The most significant benefit for licensed Tapestry Guides, Trainers and Consultants is that they become part of a unique community of professionals committed to transforming the taboo of dying, death and grief through practice and organisation. Trainers and consultants stay connected through participating in workshops, gatherings, online supervision, web based forums, leading trainings together, and are constantly supporting and challenging each other, exchanging and developing ideas and are able to draw on support and advice from expert advisors.

SUPPORT

Licensed trainers/consultants will have an ongoing relationship with D.I.P.ism and receive support in their Tapestry guidance, training and consultation as well as in marketing, promoting and building their business. Laura and the team at D.I.P.ism will do everything possible to support licensed trainers and consultants.

The licensed trainer/consultant community are also constantly working together on different projects, including training, research, developing resources, organising events and other undertakings. This builds the momentum and energy of the approach and the whole community.

Tapestry Guides, Trainers and Consultant Developmental Days and Gatherings

D.I.P.ism holds regular Tapestry Guide and Consultant Development Days and Gatherings to support and grow consultants and trainers in their work.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ongoing professional learning and development for trainers and consultants is provided in the following ways:

Monthly 2-hour learning and development sessions focused on practice, implementation and Tapestry business.
Specialist sessions — for example Wills & Probate guidance
An annual Tapestry Gathering for guides, trainers and consultants.
Opportunities to participate in whole system learning cases, workshops and webinars alongside lead consultants.
Access to all Knowledge Bank resources including specific resources for trainers and consultants on implementation and training.
A reciprocal peer review buddy system for trainer and consultant resources submitted to the Knowledge Bank for re-licensing.

D.I.P.ism uses Zoom as its video conference platform. All Tapestry Guides, Consultants and Trainers will use this platform to participate in learning and development sessions with D.I.P.ism via video conference.

LEARNING AND TRAINING MATERIALS

Licensed trainers will have access to the following supports and opportunities, and the Tapestry Series Knowledge Bank of resources, including:

D.I.P.ism’s catalogue of training resources.

The Tapestry Series Briefing Paper with permission to distribute to trainees and clients.

Assorted videos, some suitable for use in training, others for personal learning.

Appreciative Inquiries with practitioners and service recipients wherever permissions are available.

End of Life Mapping, Planning, Case Consultation.

All available past Tapestry Series Gathering Presentations.

Participation via video link in live Tapestry Series consultations in many places around the globe.

Materials reflecting the latest developments in the Tapestry Series from around the world.

Training exercises, training materials and PowerPoint presentations for all aspects of Dying, Death & Grief via Bereavement, including Mapping, Planning, Words and Pictures, My Three Houses and other work with children, implementation, research and outcome data.

Participation by video link in practice and implementation consultations led by D.I.P.ism’s trainer/consultants.

Assistance from D.I.P.ism for Trainers/Consultants to design training exercises, training packages, organisational implementation strategies and plans tailored to their needs and context.

Tapestry branded materials including logo, letterhead template, flyer template, name badge with The Tapestry Guide logo, email signature.

20% discount for licensed trainers/consultants to attend any event run by D.I.P.ism, including residencies and Gatherings.

PREREQUISITES TO BECOME A TRAINER OR CONSULTANT

D.I.P.ism welcomes applications from experienced death related professionals and service providers who have a comprehensive understanding and extensive experience with the dying, death and grief; and who want to develop their skills to become a Tapestry trainer.

Neither D.I.P.ism nor the Tapestry community offers a stand-alone train-the-trainer process that is typical of many licensed helping or therapy approaches.

It is expected that individuals wanting to apply to be licensed will usually have:

A minimum of 3 years’ experience within professions dealing with matters of dying, death or grief.
A 4 year gap since the passing of a close family member or friend.

Incidents of personal deaths that occur during training or once qualified will be considered on a one to one basis with a D.I.P.ism representative.

Applicants need to have a comprehensive understanding of and high level skills in:

The D.I.P.ism philosophy
A working comprehension of basic English, Maths and communication skills
Ability to adhere to practice principles
Listening skills
Questioning skills
Empathy & Compassion
Safeguarding
Internet navigation including information searches
Awareness of social structures, class / cultural privileges and disparities

In building their experience with the The Tapestry Series, professionals wanting to be licensed would usually have attended and completed:

Basic 5 day training in The Tapestry Series Part 1 including Assessment, completion of Case study experience and the Introduction to Part 2 A Tapestry of Grief.
Training in End of Life Planning and have a strong foundation in the Grief and Bereavement awareness guide (Part 2) as well as questioning skills and Appreciative Inquiry
3 One-One peer mentorship and support sessions
At least one Tapestry Series annual Gathering

From this foundation of training and practice experience, people interested in becoming licensed are encouraged to get involved in supervising, teaching and leading the practice within their familiar location and thereby develop their capacity to teach the empathic approach to those who come under them.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING LICENSED?

We are looking for professionals who:

Are experienced in the facilitation of End of Life preparation; who want to develop their expertise and work as part of the community of Tapestry Guides, trainers and consultants.
Want to grow themselves and The Tapestry series approach and are committed to sharing their experience of this journey. We are looking for those who want to bring the approach to practitioners and particularly to organisations.
Want to do the hard but exciting work of building a revolution in the way death is thought about, handled and accepted, so there is a better chance of people experiencing a good / fair and desired death transition.

THE TAPESTRY LICENCE APPLICATION PROCESS

If you are interested in making an application to become a Tapestry Guide, Trainer or Consultant, please contact us at www.dipism.com or complete either a Trainer Application Form, or a Consultant Application Form. We will be in touch with you following this, to start your application.

For licensing and membership enquiries, please contact membership@dipism.com.For practice and questions about The Tapestry Series, please contact us at www.dipism.com.