Press Release
A nine-week program to help recover from grief and loss is scheduled to begin Sept. 7 and run each Monday until Nov. 2.
Grief is the normal and natural reaction to a loss of any kind. The problem is that we all have been socialized to believe that these feelings are abnormal and unnatural.
It is often uncomfortable for other people to witness our grief because they do not really know what yo say or how to support the griever.
Grief not only follows the loss of someone we love through death, but also follows situations including the loss of a partner through separation or divorce, loss of a job, lost of prized possessions such as a home and contents from fire, loss of a pet, empty nest, end of an addiction, or childhood issues.
Typically, when we experience a death or loss of any kind, others really do not understand or know how to support the depth of our sadness.
We are often told that “times heals all wounds,” do not cry, be strong, that we have to adopt a “stiff upper lip” attitude, or that we should cry in private.
Seldom do we feel truly supported or know how to process our own grief, but recovery from grief is possible by following a series of small, specific steps.
Recovery means feeling better and requires courage and willingness to address our pain.
Mary Elder and Harold Tookenay are both mental health consultants with 30 years’ experience in adult and children’s counselling.
They are certified grief counselors through the Grief Recovery Institute, and have delivered grief recovery programs over the past few years to a select group of participants.
Starting Sept. 7 and ending Nov. 2, Tookenay and Elder are offering a grief recovery program each Monday from 7-9 p.m. at 824 Victoria Ave.
The cost of this program is $250, with an initial deposit of $100 to reserve your seat and $30 per week over the next five weeks.
To register, call 274-2779 or e-mail haroldtookenay@hotmail.com
