YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Many people experience grief, loss and mental health difficulties, but few speak openly about their problems. You may feel like you are the only one struggling but you’re not. It can be a relief to hear others discuss what they are going through and realize you’re not alone.
Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but groups provide many benefits that individual grief counselling may not. Group members are almost always surprised by how rewarding the group experience can be, how rich the relationships and how lasting the internal changes.
Groups create safe nests for support and sharing. Groups heal us by creating belonging — that shared sense of being welcomed and cared for by people who understand. I remind all my group participants that it isn’t the talking, but rather the being listened to that opens us up inside. The community developed in group helps us learn what we need and what we are needed for…
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
I lead groups of roughly 5 to 15 people. Groups can vary in length (ten weeks to a year) meeting weekly, bi-weekly or monthly depending on group design. All of my groups are closed, meaning that sign-up is available only until the group starts; at that point no further participants may join. Some people attend individual therapy in addition to groups, while others participate in group only.
Some groups are designed to target a specific problem (like grief or divorce) while others are more growth oriented, which help people work on different issues and personal goals.
GROUPS OFFERED
GRIEF GROUPS
Eight to ten-week Grief Therapy & Support Groups are for adult individuals who have lost an adult loved-one. These groups are not appropriate for those grieving children 18 years of age or younger. Grief can devastate our sense of safety and security in the world. The end of a beloved relationship can leave us throbbing with pain that feels unacceptable, impossible, and intolerable. These groups offer a safe environment to share and listen, provides education about death, dying, grief, associated losses and collaborating with our emotions. To foster group cohesion and trust, participants are asked to commit to the full set length of the program.
GROWTH GROUPS
Nine-month Growth Groups are for people ready to dig into their lives and grow while being supported by a circle of caring others. We all get bogged down in ourselves sometimes, reach our limits and feel like things are falling apart. It’s so easy to be self-critical and hard on ourselves. Sometime we end up coping in unhelpful ways, and suddenly we have another problem on our hands, making the challenges deeper and wider. Growth Group is a great way to slow down the self-defeating habits and learn again about the deep core loving-kindness that is our birthright. Growth groups generally run every two weeks, with some breaks for holidays.
IS GROUP THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?
Groups are about Sharing:
I tend to run sharing groups, which emphasize interpersonal relationships, self-compassion and emotional authenticity. Experience has taught me that groups work best when the participants are free to bring in the events, issues, conversations, dreams or relational challenges important to them today. We work with this material and allow the teaching and growth to arise naturally from our collective dialogue.
Groups are challenging:
Groups are both challenging and rewarding. They are not necessarily pain removers. For many, the first few weeks can be tough. Talking about our deepest pains and repressed feelings can leave us feeling hurt inside, especially those of us who avoid negative feelings. But here’s the good news: when group is finished, most participants report not wanting the experience to come to an end. Hang in there and group will prove to be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
Groups require commitment:
Groups work when everyone shows up week after week, start to finish. Groups bond on day one. When people start dropping out, group gets interrupted and has to reorient itself. Participants who sign up are asked to commit to the whole group process, to be present each week and to arrive on time. We ask you to prioritize group. During the duration of group, we ask you not to schedule a vacation, make doctor or dentist appointments or non-emergency plans. Sickness, emergencies, family issues and poor weather are the usual reasons people cannot make it to group.
GROUP GOALS
Belonging:
Group work provides participants with an experience of connection and commiseration which together are the antidote to the isolation and loneliness at the heart of suffering. Group work also can assist us in healing from our interpersonal wounds.
Coping:
Participants will be introduced to mindfulness, relational skills, embodiment, anxiety reduction, and various methods for dealing with guilt, shame, anger and avoidance.
Self-compassion:
Being kind to ourselves takes practice. Self-love is not automatic, it is a discipline. The feelings of security and self-worth provided by self-compassion are highly stable. Self-compassion steps in precisely when we fall down, allowing us to get up and try again. I live and teach this.
NourishING Self-awareness:
Inner growth and a new self-understanding are often by-products of emotional suffering. Awareness develops incrementally, so changes are small and easy to miss. We take time to stop and recognize these new tender shoots of life and growth.