Young people experience physical, emotional and spiritual reactions to grief and grieve differently than adults. As a result, their unique needs may go unnoticed or their actions can be misunderstood by the adults in their lives who are also grieving. This can increase their feelings of isolation and despair.
Hope Hospice now offers a Children and Teen Grief Support program to help address these issues. Being in a support group with others their own age who have lost someone important to them helps them know they are not alone.
The groups are led by trained facilitators and grief support counselors who, through the use of play therapy and creative arts, help children and their caregivers process grief related to the death of a loved one.
The grief support groups meet in the evenings, twice a month during the school year. Each session is 90 minutes in length. They are divided into:
Children – ages 5 to 10
Adolescents – ages 11 to 13
Teens – ages 13 to 18
Pre-registration is required prior to attending the first session. To register or learn more about grief support programs, call (925) 829-8770 or visit our Grief Support page on this site.
Hope Hospice’s grief support services are provided free of charge to all community members in need. However, donations are greatly appreciated. Hope Hospice is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of the community we serve. In addition to grief support services, Hope offers presentations and educational workshops to school counselors, teachers and other members of the community interested in supporting children who grieve and their reactions to grief.
