Grief Support Group - next session begins on October 16, 2010 for 6 weeks.

Grief Support Group

All that we can know about those we have loved and lost is that they would wish us to remember them with a more intensified realization of their reality. What is essential does not die, but clarifies. The highest tribute to the dead is not grief, but gratitude.
Thornton Wilder
 

 

Background on the Grief Support Group
The Holy Trinity Grief Support Group meets twice a year, in February and October, for two hours on Saturday mornings for six consecutive weeks.  The intent of these meetings is to support one another and gain a greater understanding of the grief process. Being a part of a grief group is a way of helping others which can contribute to our own healing.
 
Some of the things that we learn in a grief support group are that the death of a loved one is the most traumatic loss we can experience.  Mourning is the grieving that follows a loss and comes in many different forms, depending on individual personalities, cultural traditions, the nature of the death, and the intimacy of the relationship.
 
In the Grief Support Group, we stress confidentiality and mutual support.  There are no "should’s" in grief.  We allow others who have gone through the grief process help us understand and deal with our grief.  We learn suggestions for helping ourselves move through grief.  We learn to be patient and gentle with ourselves by not rushing the process.  Our body, mind and heart need energy to mend. We learn to ask for and accept help.  So much hurt and pain goes unheeded during grief because we do not want to bother others with our problems.  Coming to terms with grief takes time.  Unrealistic expectations of how long the grief process takes undermine the healing process.
 
Schedule and Points of Contact
The schedule and location for the next series of Grief Support Group meetings will be published in the Parish Bulletin beginning at least three weeks before their start.  For further information on the Grief Support Group and to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to contact Maureen Leventhal (202-537-8083), or Richard Shullaw (703-548-6735).
 
The next session is on six consecutive Saturdays beginning on October 16th 2010.
If you need to speak to someone immediately, please use the Clergy Emergency Number:
202-360-5412