Finding a New Normal

Activities in the children’s groups are designed to help the children find words to express their feelings and experiences. Through drawing, painting, and sharing their stories, they learn that other families have experienced a similar loss. In addition to group activities, the children are allowed time to play, which allows them to process their feelings and experiences by playing and engaging with other children. Great friendships are formed within the group as they share a common bond with other children their age who understand what it is like to be part of a grieving family.

Middler’s groups are for adolescents in grades 6-8. This is a time of development in which being part of a group and fitting in is a huge developmental concern, so team building and group interaction are central to the activities in this group. Through art activities, writing, and discussion, the grieving process is normalized and members learn they are not alone in their grief. Each night involves an energizer or icebreaker that allows them to have fun and develop friendships with others in the group. The group then turns its attention to the discussion topic or art activity for the evening, which focuses on some aspect of the grieving process. They learn to incorporate the loss into their lives and learn how to move forward into their teen years in a healthy manner. Each evening ends with another light-hearted or fun activity.

Teen groups are for high school students in grades 9-12. Each evening begins with an icebreaker or fund activity that allows the teens to relax and get to know each other. The focus is then turned to an activity or discussion topic that addresses some aspect of grieving. Activities in this group involve a lot of talking and discussion around common themes and subjects related to the loss. Teens share their common experiences of returning to school and dealing with peer groups who do not understand what it is like to experience a death in one’s family. They have worked on the creation of a book about the experience of being a grieving teenager and what others need to understand about how to help grieving teens. The focus of much of the discussion is how to move forward toward independent young adulthood, while being part of a family that is grieving.

Parent’s Groups
Parent groups are a combination of sharing the experience of grief and learning how to deal with grieving children. Through a combination of personal sharing and some educational materials, parents are assisted in dealing with their own grief, which allows them to provide better support for their children.  Being part of a larger community of grieving families provides support and encouragement.

Young Adult Group
This group is designed for grieving young adults ages 18 to 30-something, grieving the death of a loved one. They meet from 6:00pm to 7:00pm twice a month. Participants in group simply share their experiences and provide support for others in the group. The group leader introduces discussion topics and provides educational materials to explore and understand the complex issues of grief. Attendees may come at any time after a death. Some people come within a week or two. Others come months or even a year after the death. We encourage people to come to group whenever they feel ready.

Older Adult Group
This adult grief support group is designed for adults grieving the death of a spouse of many years, an adult child, or an older adult parent. The group meets twice a month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Participants in group share their experiences and offer support to others in the group. The group leader introduces discussion topics and provides educational materials to explore and understand the complex issues of grief. Participants may come to group at any time. Some come within a week or two after the death. Others come months or even a year later. We encourage people to participate in group whenever they feel they are ready.