EveryStep Hospice, in partnership with Kale Funeral Home, is offering a free, educational grief support group, “Understanding Your Grief,” starting Monday, March 23. The group will be using material from Dr. Alan Wolfelt and the Center for Loss and Life Transition. It will meet at Homestead Assisted Living Center, in the “Café’ Room,” at 334 N. West View Dr. in Osceola, from 3 -4:30 p.m. each Monday for eight weeks, ending May 11.
Participants will receive copies of Dr. Wolfelt’s book “Understanding Your Grief.” Groups will learn about Dr. Wolfelt’s Ten Essential Touchstones for finding hope and healing through loss.
“Dr. Alan Wolfelt is one of the premier experts in grief. The book, “Understanding Your Grief” provides a trail guide for one’s journey to healing in grief and allows participants to explore their grief and begin to process what the loss means for them,” said Mike Albert, EveryStep Hospice Spiritual Care Councelor.
These touchstones include Dispelling the Misconceptions about Grief, Embracing the Uniqueness of Your Grief and Understanding the Six Needs of Mourning.
This group is meant as a safe place to express feelings and receive support and understanding from others who are also mourning.
Below are some testimonials from past participants.
“I am more able to accept the fact that she is gone and to express my feelings without falling apart” … “I don’t feel so alone in my journey” … “There is a bond in shared critical experiences of life’s journey. The trust and sharing of this group has left a profound impact on me,” … “A positive impact; the feelings of hope, the loss and heartache soften but does not go away.”
Even for those who are not grieving the death of someone can benefit from this group as it will help them understand grief and how to be a supportive companion to those you know who are grieving.
“Through this group we deal with the misconceptions of grief and help people understand that their feelings are normal and they are not going crazy,” said Albert. “You either deal with your grief or it will deal with you. Time does not heal all wounds, we have to face the pain of our loss in order to heal.”
While EveryStep offers a number of grief support resources, including one-on-one meetings and monthly group sessions, Understanding Your Grief is an eight-week education program focusing on the basic skills needed to use grief as an opportunity for growth.
During the support group, an EveryStep bereavement and spiritual care counselor will provide insight, understanding and helpful information for participants.
EveryStep Hospice offers the Understanding Your Grief support group several times a year, providing a safe and supportive space for those grieving the loss of a loved one. For the past five years, EveryStep has offered the program three or more times a year in Osceola.
Albert receives continuous training in facilitating grief support groups and providing support to those in grief.
This spring, EveryStep and Kale Funeral Home partnered to reach more community members who may be struggling with and searching for resources to handle their grief.
EveryStep Hospice and Kale Funeral Home have long partnered to bring resources to those in the Osceola community who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
This past holiday season, the two organizations joined forced to host a memorial gathering for anyone in the community who had lost a loved one. Guests attending the event were encouraged to remember and honor their loved one by bringing a photo and sharing stories.
The Understanding Your Grief support group is free and open to the public; however space is limited. Therefore, pre-registration is required. Contact EveryStep Hospice’s local bereavement counselor, Mike Albert, at 641-342-2888 or 641-216-3627 or malbert@everystep.org for more information or to register.
