Grief Center
Hands-on activities using memory beads and memory boxes help counselors connect with grieving children in ways that just words can't.
Give yourself time to:
- feel supported
- make decisions
- share
- believe
- laugh
A safe place for any person experiencing grief
Our services do not end with a death. For many people experiencing grief, it’s just the beginning. We know that the death of a loved one brings a flood of feelings: sorrow, loneliness, abandonment, confusion, helplessness, sometimes anger and guilt. These feelings make the task of mourning one of life’s most painful experiences.
Established in 1994, the Grief Center, the only one of its kind in Northern Illinois, is one way of helping friends and families learn how to understand and manage their grief. It is a safe place that helps them cope with death and grief, and provides them with professional support to create a bridge between the past and the future. It is available to all people experiencing grief, not just those who have benefited from our hospice services. Furthermore, it is not based upon ability to pay; no one is ever turned away.
Our Grief Center’s licensed clinical social workers and bereavement specialist offer services to the entire community that include:
Adult support groups
Our support groups for adults offer opportunities to share stories and feelings with others who have experienced similar losses.
Individual counseling
One-on-one counseling sessions are scheduled by appointment for those who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives.
Family counseling
We offer programs specially tuned to the unique needs of families working through the loss of a loved one.
Children & teens
Studies show that bereaved children have higher levels of depression and anxiety, increased health problems, poor school performance, and lower self-esteem. Experts find that children who are supported during their grief process are better able to adjust to life experiences.
Our support groups for children grades 1 – 8 (Trek) and high schoolers (Expedition) provide time to talk, ask questions, and help them discover they are not alone.
Trek and Expedition support groups:
- Give young people an outlet for their feelings and frustrations.
- Offer support from peers, professionals, and trained volunteers.
- Provide a time for sharing and listening to stories of loss.
- Answer questions young people may have about death.
- Allow young people time for laughter and therapeutic play.
Workplace
Grief in the workplace is a serious – and often neglected – issue that affects employee work habits, safety, attitudes, and the way they treat each other and themselves. There is substantiated proof that productivity (along with revenues) goes down when people are in mourning.
It’s no secret that businesses need healthy, productive employees to be successful. Our experienced grief counselors offer a variety of on-site programs designed to help your employees get back on track in the event of a death or to proactively prepare them for handling future grief-related issues.
Topics include:
- Ways to Support Each Other When a Co-Worker Dies
- Myths of Grief
- Attending to Your Grief Needs
- The ABCs of Children’s Grief
- How to Support a Friend/Co-worker who is Grieving
- Guidelines for Managers/Supervisors on Supporting Grieving
All workplace programs can be tailored to meet your needs. The fee depends on the length of the workshop and whether the workplace is a for-profit or non-profit entity.
How to get more information
Please contact Cindy Brown, Grief Center Director, John Gallagher, Social Worker, or Jennifer Stevens, Bereavement Specialist, for more information on any of our grief or bereavement programs.
Grief counseling:
Cindy Brown
Phone: 815-398-0500
Email: cbrown@northernillinoishospice.org
John Gallagher
Phone: 815-398-0500
Email: jgallagher@northernillinoishospice.org
Bereavement:
Jennifer Stevens
Phone: 815-398-0500
Email: jstevens@northernillinoishospice.org
