Chesapeake Life Center will offer a variety of grief support groups for adults that will be meeting in person and virtually this winter.
The following grief support groups will meet in person:
- Four-Week General Grief In-Person Support Group is a facilitated group offering attendees an opportunity to explore grief themes and share strategies for navigating grief in a community of trust. A four-week commitment is required. There are two groups that will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb 3 to 24. One will meet in our Charles County office at 2505 Davis Road, Waldorf, Maryland, and the other will meet on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland.
- Loss of Life Partner/Spouse Monthly Evening Group is for individuals grieving the death of a spouse or life partner. It will meet on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month, Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and March 9.
- Parent Loss Four-Week Group will focus on exploring the loss of a parent or parental figure. Whether you are grieving the loss of a parent or someone who was like a parent, wherever you are in your grief process, whatever the relationship, you are welcome to attend. A four-week commitment is required. It will meet on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, March 3 to 24.
- Traumatic Loss Eight-Week Group will be led by clinicians with expertise in traumatic loss and will focus on how to heal from death losses that involve trauma. This is a safe space for participants to learn skills of grounding, containing overwhelming feelings, releasing trauma from the body, and safely expressing the loss and its circumstances. An eight-week commitment is required. It will meet on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, March 22 to May 10.
Per Center for Disease Control and local government guidelines, the number of people allowed to participate in programs in person is limited to allow for physical distancing. Face masks must be worn at all times. Childcare is not provided, and children are not permitted in any of these groups.
The following groups will meet virtually via Zoom for Healthcare:
- Loss of Life Partner/Spouse Monthly Morning Group is for individuals grieving the death of a spouse or life partner. It will meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the second Wednesday of the month, Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and March 9.
- Nurturing the Grieving Heart through Yoga is a four-week virtual workshop led by certified yoga instructor Cathy Rees. This workshop will help participants explore how grief shows up in your mind and body. This gentle exploration reveals a compassionate way to journey through your suffering toward a healing path. No experience is necessary. People can participate with a yoga mat or with a chair. It will meet from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, Feb. 17 to March 10.
Acknowledging that not everyone has access to this technology or may not be comfortable with it, the center suggests people call or email the office and grief professionals will work with individuals to help them find other appropriate resources if needed.
Two groups will be meeting both in-person and virtually:
- Child Loss Support Group will meet both in-person and virtually. This group is for parents who have experienced the death of a child of any age or circumstance. The group will meet on our Pasadena campus as well as via Zoom for Healthcare from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month, Jan. 5, Feb. 2 and March 2.
- SoulCollage Grief Support Group has participants create a series of collages to commemorate lost loved ones and to visually journal the grief process. The group will meet from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 10, Feb. 7 and March 7 at the nonprofit’s office at 9500 Medical Center Drive, Suite 250, in Largo, Maryland, as well as via Zoom.
Registration is required for all groups and can be completed by calling 888-501-7077 or emailing griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org. Visit www.hospicechesapeake.org/events for a complete listing of in-person and virtual groups and workshops for adults and children.
