This spring, Chesapeake Life Center offers creative and diverse programs for adults, teens, children, and families to find a path to healing from loss.
- Grief Group for LGBTQAI+ Community Members — This group provides grieving LGBTQAI+ adults ages 18 and older the opportunity to come together to feel supported in their grief. Participants will have an opportunity to share their feelings, obtain support from a licensed counselor, and participate in activities designed to help with the grief process. It will meet for six weeks from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 2 to May 7, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland. The cost for the series is $60.
- Grief & Poetry Workshop — This reading and writing workshop will explore the nuanced layers of loss through poetry. Poetry serves as a cathartic tool, offering solace and a unique outlet for navigating the complexities of grief. This workshop provides a supportive space to channel emotions, share, and connect with others on similar journeys. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at the Burnett Center for Hope & Healing, 4559 Sixes Road, Prince Frederick, Maryland. The cost is $10.
- Soles of Grief: Walk a Mile in These Shoes — Chesapeake Life Center will be working in partnership with Soles of Imagination to offer this unique event. In this family workshop, adults and children ages 6 and older can artfully adorn sneakers to illustrate and express their grief experiences and honor special persons they have lost. The cost is $35 and includes sneakers, all supplies needed to decorate the shoes and light fare. Register early, as space is limited. Sign up at least one week in advance of the date to ensure supplies are ready for you and your family. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Prince George’s County office, 9500 Medical Center Drive, Suite 250, Largo, Maryland.
- Grief and Movement with Adaptive Yoga Instructor Cathy Rees — Movement has long been used to help those who are grieving cope with the impact of the loss. Adaptive Yoga Instructor Cathy Rees will share ways to manage grief using aspects of yoga including gentle stretching, breathwork, and mindful walking. It will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 20, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10.
- Nature Informed Therapy Workshop for Children and Teens — Kids and Teens: Be ready to spend time outside and get dirty! This is an opportunity for children ages 6 to 18 years to connect with each other and the natural world to find support in their grief process. It will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10.
- Remembering Our Mothers — Just in time for Mother’s Day, this workshop is for adult children who have lost their mom or someone who was like their mom. Participants will get together to connect, share memories of their mother or maternal figure, and personalize a picture frame, using a 5” x 7” picture they provide. It will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at the Prince George’s County office, 9500 Medical Center Drive, Suite 250, Largo. The cost is $20.
- Parenting While Grieving — This four-week group is offered at the same time as Stepping Stones, the center’s children’s grief program, which is noted below. It is open to any parent who is grieving a loss. Join fellow parents for fellowship and support around the challenges of parenting while grieving a loss. It will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 7 to 28, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10 each week but free for those whose children are participating in the Stepping Stones program.
- Stepping Stones 4-Week Group — This group is for newly bereaved children and teens ages 6 to 18 who have experienced a loss within the last 12 months. The group will focus on normalizing grief reactions, teaching coping skills, and providing opportunities to remember the loved ones who have died. Groups will be divided by age and grade level based on enrollment. It will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 7 to 28, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $40 for the series.
- Nature Informed Therapy 4-Week Workshop — Nature has a great power to heal us emotionally, and research backs this up. Time spent in natural settings can lower stress hormones, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and offer many other benefits. This four-week support group series will include immersive walks in nature, time spent focusing on the cycle of the seasons, and working with natural objects to both contain and express the grief experience. It will meet from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays, May 30, June 6, June 13, and June 27 at a location yet to be determined in Prince George’s County. The cost for the series is $40.
- Good Grief and Game Night — Come for an evening of family fun and healing through games and shared camaraderie for adults and children of all ages. This event aims to help in the grief journey, inspire laughter, share memories, and provide a few hours of respite. It will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6 on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10.
- Bereavement Workshop for Spanish-Speakers — This workshop is tailored to Spanish-speaking grievers open to all who have experienced a loss due to death and use Spanish as their primary language. Group members will gather to share grief experiences and coping strategies, while honoring lost loved ones through small acts of remembrance. The workshop will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 17 at the center’s offices at 9500 Medical Center Drive, Suite 250, Largo, Maryland. The cost is free.
Registration is required for all programs 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.
