Providing a safe place to grieve and learn how to deal with grief is the goal of a new program set to start next month at Delta Hospice.
The Ladner-based Delta Hospice Society will offer Kids Grieve Too, a bereavement group designed to support children ages seven to 12. The six-session course will be led by new grief counsellor Teresa Palylyk on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. from April 5 to May 10 at the Centre for Supportive Care.
“Often children are misunderstood in the world of grief. Grief is not often recognized in them,” said Palylyk. “Parents don’t feel adequately equipped to know how to help their children through the real difficult situation of the death of a loved one, so one way to support kids is by doing these group sessions. Kids feel really connected and that they are not alone. You can do a lot more things in a group than you can individually like games and sharing and learning from each other.”
Palylyk said right now the focus of the program is on children ages seven to 12, but other age groups will be considered in the future depending on how the first session goes.
There will be snacks, games, stories and some information about grief, reducing anxiety, and keepsakes and ways of remembering.
“It’s for children who have lost a friend or a loved one preferably after three months. A lot of it depends on the nature of the loss and the nature of the relationship between the child and the one they have lost,” Palylyk said. “The goal is to give kids an opportunity to share in a safe environment and know that they will be heard.
“Grief comes out in different ways in kids, so depending on the age and the developmental level of children, it can be spotty.”
The sessions will be for children only. Those families interested in pursuing the complimentary program can contact Palylyk at 604-948-0660.
