Grief: “Is reaching out for someone who’s always been there, only to find when you need them the most, one last time, they’re gone.”
Feb 7, 14, 21, 28
PART I & PART II - Mondays 6-7:30pm

The death of a loved one is life’s most painful event. People’s reactions to death remain one of society’s least understood and most off-limits topics for discussion. Oftentimes, grievers are left totally alone in dealing with their pain, loneliness, and isolation.
Grief is a natural emotion that follows death. It hurts. Sadness, denial, guilt, physical discomfort, and sleeplessness are some of the symptoms of grief. It is like an open wound that must become healed. At times, it seems as if this healing will never happen. While some of life’s spontaneity begins to return, it never seems to get back to the way it was. It is still incomplete. We know, however, that these feelings of being incomplete can disappear.
Healing is a process of allowing ourselves to feel, experience, and accept the pain. In other words, we give ourselves permission to heal. Allowing ourselves to accept these feelings is the beginning of that process.
The healing process can take much less time than we have been led to believe. There are two missing parts. One is a safe, loving, professionally guided atmosphere in which to express our feelings; the other is knowing how and what to communicate.
Group 1 Title: Grief and Loss

PART I - 4 sessions

Time: 90 minutes

Frequency: 1x a week

Closed group

Session 1: Introduction and group guidelines
· Interpersonal Inventory
· Understanding of social support network
· Definition of grief and loss
· Review group treatment agreement and rules

Objective: Members share their individual experiences of grief and loss; to feel less isolated and more understood by others in the group.

Session 2: Grief and loss

Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members about their common experience with feelings of depression.


Session 3: Role Transitions

Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members about their common experiences whenever they experience role transitions due to grief and loss.

· Discuss role transitions
· Identify similarities and differences between members

Session 4: Timeline

Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members to develop their own interpersonal timelines

· Help members identify what has happened and what they need.
· Members practice telling their story of transition to others.


PART II - 5 Sessions

Session 5: Disputes

To educate and collaboratively engage members about their common experiences of interpersonal disputes

· Members identify their internal disputes about what has happened and discussions with others.
· Members discuss disputes they’ve had with others

Session 6: Asking others for help

Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members in asking for help, communication, and problem-solving.
· Members discuss what is the problem, what kind of help is needed, who can help, and how can they be asked graciously

Session 7: Depression
Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members about their common experience with feelings of depression.

Session 8: Feelings continued, preparation to end group
Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members about their common experiences with varying feelings. Prepare for the conclusion of the program.

· Continue general discussion of grief and loss, feelings, interpersonal experiences.
· Discussion and planning for the conclusion

Session 9: Conclusion

Objective: To educate and collaboratively engage members about concluding the program. Identifying next steps for members.