Expect that you will meet others who have experienced the death of someone close to them.  Expect that some days will be harder than others.  Expect that you, or some of your family members, will not want to
come to group—but encourage them to do stay committed to coming.  Group
members need each other, teach each
other and help each other through the process. 

Everyone grieves.  Grief is the feelings inside—the confusion, the churning stomach, the heartache, the mental anguish.  Mourning is what we do with our feelings
of grief in order to reconcile the loss and continue living healthily and positively. 

Coming to support group is both challenging and rewarding—it may be difficult to face the pain, but facing it, expressing it and sharing with others in similar circumstances provides us with
new tools and the inner strength to cope with our changed circumstances and help our families move forward. 

We do not subscribe to theories of “stages” of grief, or think of our mission as “treating” people so that they “get over” their grief.  We recognize that there is no timeline for individual grief, but rather chaotic, stormy, swirling seas of emotion punctuated by moments of calm and gradual reconciliation of the permanent changes, reassessment of life’s meaning and living a “new normal” that is assisted by the hard work of healthy, life-affirming mourning. 

The model we use is often referred to as “companioning” bereaved children and teens—that is, walking with them as they teach us about their own grief and their need  to mourn, establish a new self identity without their loved one,  remember and honor their loved one and search for meaning for their life journey without their loved one. 

Participants are encouraged to attend for as long as they like.  There is no cost to the participants for either the services or meals provided.   

Helping children grieve can have a lasting impact on their lives. Central to the mission of Journey of Hope is helping children and adolescents reconcile the loss and move toward healing.  Laughter, fun and celebration are part of the healing journey along with frank discussions, tears and sharing of memories.

 

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Kids and Teens
Young Adult
Adult

Anticipating Loss

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