2025 January to March Program Guide
Click here to register for support groups and workshops.
Chesapeake Life Center’s grief support is available to anyone in our community who is grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of their relationship to hospice or the type of loss. While grief is a universal experience, the experience of loss is unique for each person. Even when two people are grieving for the same person, the way they feel and act out their grief can be very different. Although sometimes folks feel like they are “going crazy” when they are grieving, most are grieving quite normally and just need some support and a listening ear to reassure them that they are going to be okay. Click on family resources to find books and websites with helpful information to assist in coping.
“Let grief find the freedom to be expressed. Let grief find the right to be understood.” — Kei Gilbert
Grief Counseling
Our professional team of licensed social workers, counselors and masters level interns specialize in grief, loss and transition for adults, children, teens, couples and families.
- Reducing feelings of distress and isolation.
- Managing anxiety and stress.
- Developing coping strategies.
- Increasing personal awareness and insight.
Hospice of the Chesapeake family members may receive short-term grief counseling (up to 10 sessions) and attend support groups at no charge for up to 13 months after the death of a loved one. Click here to hear from a family member who experienced the support provided by the Chesapeake Life Center.
We also offer services to community members whose loved one was not cared for by Hospice of the Chesapeake. For these community members, counseling is offered on a sliding fee scale. We do not bill to or participate in any insurance plans directly, but can provide you with an invoice to submit to your insurance or health savings plan.
Chesapeake Life Center Brochure – Living With Loss
Initial Client Forms for Adults
Initial Client Forms for Families
Grief Bibliography
Grief Support Groups, Workshops, and Special Events
The Chesapeake Life Center offers a variety of support groups, workshops, and special events throughout the year to support grieving children, adults, and families. For a listing of group dates and details, view our current program guide at the top of this page.
Registration is required for all groups. To register, please call 888-501-7077. For group dates and details, visit our event calendar.
Bereavement Camps
Join us for a full weekend overnight camp experience for children and teens ages 6 to 18 who have experienced the death of a loved one. With a full team of counselors and trained volunteers, campers will participate in activities focused on memorializing their loved ones, learning coping skills in small groups, and using integrative arts to help kids express their grief. Of course, this also will include fun camp activities, like swimming, field games, ropes course and more.
August 9-11, 2024
Cost: $100 (Scholarships Available)
Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
975 Indian Landing Rd
Millersville, MD 21108
Registration is required. Please fill out the Camper Interest Form linked below to start the registration process.
We are also in need of volunteers to help make Camp Nabi a success! If you’re interested, please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form linked below or reach out to us with questions.
Questions? Please contact us at 888-501-7077 or griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org.
SoulCollage® and Grief: A Primer for Grievers
This two-hour online recorded workshop is presented by Chesapeake Life Center Bereavement Counselor, Roberta Rook, LCPC. The workshop will introduce you to SoulCollage®, an interactive and dynamic technique using collage-making to explore aspects of yourself, important relationships with others, life patterns/directions, and the spiritual imagery/guides we may use to derive meaning from life experience. No artistic experience is needed to create using the SoulCollage® process. It can provide an especially meaningful way for you to process grief, and to remember and illustrate connection with loved ones who have died.
To locate a hospice bereavement service provider in your area, contact the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
John & Cathy Belcher Institute for Thought Leadership – Turning Innovative Ideas into Strategic Solutions
“The Challenge John and Cathy Belcher gave us with their gift was to think about healthcare delivery differently. Thought leadership at the Belcher Institute includes every Hospice of the Chesapeake employee and the teaching they impart to caregivers as part of their work. It also includes our interns who are doing research on the latest trends in care, our physicians and the trends they see in the field, policy makers at all levels and, most importantly, our patients. We want to hear and learn from our patients and families in a great way. We want to be intentional and thoughtful in walking the journey together.” — Ben Marcantonio, President & CEO, Hospice of the Chesapeake
Courageous Conversations is a series of community-based conversations about end-of-life decision making and caring for loved ones with chronic diseases.
Contact Us
Chesapeake Life Center serves the bereavement needs of Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and Prince George’s counties.
General information for clients and families:
Email: griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org
Toll free: 888-501-7077
Chesapeake Life Center is not a crisis center. Our phone is not staffed 24-hours a day. If you feel you need immediate intervention or are at risk of self-harm please call:
410-768-5522 — Anne Arundel County Crisis Response
301-645-3336 — Charles County Crisis Hotline
301-429-2185 — Prince George’s County Crisis Response
301-864-7130 — Prince George’s County Suicide Hotline
