Direct Client Services
We provide some services for no charge, and others on a sliding fee scale.
No one is turned away from The Healing Center due to an inability to pay.
For dates and times of these sessions, please see our calendar at
our news
and events page.
Adult Support Groups
We offer support groups for men and
women aged 20 - 60 who are grieving the death of their partner. The groups meet
informally every other week in the comfortable setting of the Healing Center's house
in Ravenna. The groups offer adults a chance to share their loss with others who
have also had a loved one die, discuss issues around grief, parenting, dating and any
other issue that stems from dealing with loss.
"I did not believe that other widows
and widowers would understand my pain...(but) the decision to participate in the
grief support group was the decision that saved me."
-- Diane B.
"I was 39 years old when my husband
of 17 years was killed instantly in a car accident... I found the support group sustaining
and fulfilling in a way that nothing else was." -- Kathryn P.
Early Group
This group is for men and women who have had a partner/spouse die and
who are in the early stages of grief. Most people attend this group
through the 1st year to year and a half of being widowed. These people
are usually in survival mode. They are usually trying to get through the
days as they begin to process the death of their spouse or partner. The
group offers a safe place for people to share their experiences with
others, to learn tools to cope with their grief, to have a place where
they feel heard and understood.
Transition Group
This group is for people who feel they have moved through the early
stages of grief. They are beginning to think about how to create a life
without the person who has died. They are also learning how to
incorporate the memory of their partner as they move forward. People in
this group are looking for tools to help them really live again, rather
than just get through the days. They continue to want a safe place where
they can express their grief as well as the daily struggles involved
with creating a new life following their loss.
Perspectives Group
People in this group are moving past the transition stage of their
grief. For people in this group the loss of their spouse/partner may no
longer be central to their daily lives, but they continue to appreciate
having support as they move into new avenues they hadn’t contemplated
before the loss of their spouse/partner. Grief is a continuum and this
place on the continuum is about living a new life that is being created.
They often are looking at what brings their life meaning, they want to
feel fully alive. People in this group understand that their lives are
forever changed by the death of their spouse/partner. They are able to
see the blessings as well as the sadness of their loss.
Adult Art Therapy
These classes are 6 week closed groups with our Art Therapist, Dani
Baker. The groups allow the participants to use artistic
self-expression to move toward healing, self-esteem and self-awareness.
Children's Groups
Young Adult Group is for adults 19-30 yrs. who find
themselves living apart from their support systems after the death of a
parent, friend or relative. This group meets twice a month on
Monday afternoons from 5-7 pm. Potluck dinner is included.
Teen Club is the name of our High School group, ages
13-18 yrs. This group meets twice a month on Monday afternoons
from 5-6:30 pm. Dinner is offered during the group time.
It’s hard to be a teen in today’s world. Add the loss of a parent,
friend or sibling and it can get pretty overwhelming. What we all
need when significant loss happens in our lives is information, safety,
support and to be around people who understand. Its even better
when those people are our own age.
Gigis II is the group for upper elementary students and
middle schoolers aged 10-12 yrs. Gigis II meets once per month,
usually on the first Wednesday afternoon from 4-6 pm. Pizza dinner
is served. This is a children only group facilitated by staff and
trained volunteers.
Gigis I is our younger elementary group for
children 6-9 yrs. This group also meets on a Wednesday afternoon
from 4-6 pm. Gigis I usually meets on the fourth Wednesday of the
month, also includes dinner and is a children only group.
Gigis offers children a safe and supportive environment in which they
can work through their grief. We try to honor each child’s
individuality in their process of dealing with the death of a parent,
sibling, or caregiver. Our group is one of support rather than
therapy, and we use a variety of mediums so each child can freely choose
what works best. Our many trained adult facilitators spend time
with the children, both individually and in groups, offering reflection
and support regarding their grief. Children share memories, bring
in pictures of their loved ones and talk about funerals and other family
changes. Our groups have themes that the children themselves often
ask to talk about, such as the remarriage of a parent or issues around
suicide. Our groups run once a month from October to June.
Play Dates usually happen on the second Wednesday of
the month. They are designed simply as a supervised time for our
elementary clients to come to the Center to play with other grieving
children. Play Dates assist children to build a supportive
community within the Healing Center framework.
Littles Group is our group for preschoolers aged
3-5 yrs. This group meets once per month, usually on the third
Wednesday, from 4-5:30 pm.
Our Littles group provides grief support for little ones who have lost a
parent, sibling or caregiver. This group is parent-child centered,
so the parent or caregiver stays and participates. During this 1 ½
hr. session, younger children begin to grasp the concept of death and,
through their adult, hear the story of what happened to their loved one.
In this group we hear things like, “My daddy died too, and so did my
kitty.” The children are free to explore the playrooms staffed
with trained facilitators, and play with play dough, blocks, puppets,
dollhouses, sand or whatever they choose. This is a very informal
group allowing caregivers to spend some time with others while their
child plays upstairs.
Other Services
Grief Mentoring/Counseling
We offer individual
counseling sessions for adults as well as children. People come to us with a variety
of losses, including death of a partner, parent, sibling, child or infant.
"I believe our job as counselors and
grief mentors is to meet the client where they are and support them on their own
grief journey. We all grieve differently and we aren't here to
fix people, but to walk with them along their own path to healing.
There is nothing so amazing as the resiliency of the human spirit.
At The Healing Center we encourage people to trust the process. We
help people acquire the tools they need to survive the early stages
of grief and to ultimately make the transition to a new way of life.
It takes time to bring meaning back into your life following a major
loss."
-- Kath McCormack
Retreats/Workshops
We offer week-end
retreats as well as workshops on a variety of subjects that support each person's
grief journey.
"I arrived Friday night with the grief
monkey weighing heavily on my back. I was angry, frustrated, hopeless and weak.
On Sunday, I left a new person...positive, energized, peaceful and strong."
-- Jolie W.
Home Visits
We offer home visits
free of charge to families who are recently bereaved. During that time we have a
chance to see the children and parent in their home environment. That first connection
is so important. We help families determine what services they may need from us
and what other services are available in their community.
Ceremony of Remembrance
We hold an annual
Ceremony of Remembrance to honor loved ones who have died.
Potlucks/Gatherings
We offer a variety
of gatherings each month where families can connect socially and support each other.
These include monthly potlucks and out to dinners, a holiday party, summer bar-b-ques,
pizza parties, boat trips and more.
For dates and times of these sessions, please see our calendar at
our news
and events page.