Support Groups

 

One the great benefits of group work is undoing the aloneness people often experience in grief and for many years, a passion of mine has been to facilitate support groups to both ease isolation and gain resources to better cope with loss. At every meeting, members will be invited to share about their ongoing process, I will provide education on a particular theme related to your groups’ unique loss and there will be time to support one another as a community. These are typically 8-week groups consisting of 6-10 members who meet weekly for 90 minutes.  Each group member will complete an interview with me prior to the beginning of the group to ensure a good fit.  I offer these groups throughout the year; please contact me if you’d like to learn more about any of these groups or have an interest in participating.

Spousal and Partner Loss
This group addresses unique topics and challenges you experience following the death of a spouse or partner such as education about grief, coping skills, self-care, unfinished business, tasks of grief, shifting roles and revisioning life after loss.  Read More 
Healing after Uncoupling
The end of a relationship evokes many thoughts and feelings:  grief, relief, anger, confusion, despair, longing, loneliness, fear and more. This group provides an opportunity to explore your feelings, develop healthy self-care practices, address unresolved grief and nurture your hopes and dreams for the future. Read More 
Grief and Recovery
Did you know that grief is the primary cause for relapse during recovery? We will address risks of untended grief, constructing new coping skills to manage emotional weather and provide a safe place to support your freedom from addiction. Read More 
Parental Loss
When a parent dies (suddenly or over time) a part of us and our personal history dies as well.  Whether your relationship was close or challenging you often experience strong feelings (numbness, sadness, confusion, fear, guilt, anger, relief) at the time of their death. This group provides an opportunity to explore your feelings about your relationship, the impacts on changing family dynamics, sharing memories, making meaning of your loss and caring for your grieving self. Read More 
Loss in Later Life
As we age, it seems losses occur more often; in addition to death related losses, you may also experience loss of a job, home, health, body part or impaired mobility, privacy, independence or community. This group focuses on recognizing these losses as significant, learning how to cope with change and receiving support from others in the group Read More 
Death of an Adult Child
Parents grieving the death of an adult child are often overlooked and comfort is typically focused on the adult child’s spouse and family. Sometimes referred to as a death “out of time,” you don’t expect your children to die before you. Your relationship with your adult child may have been close, distant or even estranged. Nevertheless you will experience grief. This group explores issues unique to adult child loss and provides support and skills for being with your loss. Read More 
Sibling Loss
Our siblings are often the one thread of continuity throughout our lives – past, present and future. The death of a sibling includes grieving for a future without their physical presence. If your parents are alive, you may be focused on their grief rather than your own. This group provides a safe place to share about relationship with your sibling and discover meaning for your loss engaging different mediums such as art, music, writing, guided imagery, physical movement and rituals to invite healing. Read More
Pet Loss
Author Amy Sedaris notes, “Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing a human because in the case of a pet, you were not pretending to love it.”  Our pet companions provide pure, uncomplicated love and this is why grieving the death of a pet can feel exquisitely painful. Often well-meaning friends make unhelpful suggestions (“get another dog and you’ll feel better”) that may deepen your sense of loss and aloneness. This group provides a safe and nurturing forum to share stories about your pet relationship, learn healthy ways to tend to your heartache and integrate your loss into the fabric of your being. Read More
Continuing Bonds

When a loved one dies we may erroneously believe that we have to put them in the past, compartmentalize their memory and get on with life. In this group, we create and adopt a healthier paradigm in which you redefine your relationship with the deceased and maintain continuing ties. Rather than efforting to detach from our loved one, we explore the ways that normal human attachment bonds continue even after death.  This group can is for anyone who’s completed one of the other loss groups at A Place for Grief. Read More 

Successful Relocation

If you’ve recently moved to Asheville or are thinking about moving elsewhere, this group will support you in developing skills and gathering information about surviving and thriving in your new location. Gleaned from my experiences moving domestically and internationally twelve times in 25 years, I provide insight, resources and support for your transition. Read More 

My Life in Review
How have you lived your life?  Who were you before you thought you had to become someone else? Am I living my life with meaning and purpose?  This contemplative group will explore these and many other questions through discussion, writing, art, guided imagery and rituals. Read More
Finding Center Grounding in Hard Times
Any loss upsets our life’s balance. This group provides a place to explore your loss, gain skills and practices to navigate symptoms such as anxiety, grief, anger, overwhelm, disorientation, confusion or distress.  We’ll call upon different mediums such as art, music, writing, guided imagery, physical movement and rituals to invite healing and restoration. Read More