This is where you will find all the latest and greatest information and news on anticipatory grief and bereavement. If you come across an article or a bit of news that you think should be included, please e-mail me at
Diana@GriefGirlfriend.com.
Monthly Free Teleclass Series: July 20th - 8:00 p.m. CDT
(Save The Date)
For anyone who is a new subscriber to the Heartache to Healing site, we offer a free monthly teleclass series. Please send your suggestions for an upcoming class anytime to: joanne@heartachetohealing.com
This months teleclass features an interview with Michele DeVille, best selling author of "The Path To Forgiveness." We will be talking about the importance of forgiveness in Grief
Forgiveness can be so often misunderstood when mourning the death of someone you loved. Maybe you're angry your beloved died, maybe you're angry and filled with despair as to the manner in which they died or perhaps there is some guilt of shame attached to the death of your beloved. We will be talking about;
- How forgiveness impacts the healing process
- How should you recognize if you have forgiveness issues
- Confronting guilt and shame
- Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting
- Why forgives is so important in moving forward
- How to forgive - and maybe its YOU that needs forgiving
- Benefits of learning to forgive yourself and others
You must register to receive the call in number, and to receive the replay information
The replay is available for a limited time
to those who were not able to make the date and time.
Have you missed the earlier classes this year?
We have now made this mp3 download available in our store. You can easily
download them to your computer or Ipod to listen to whenever you want.
CLICK HERE to get the downloads. Each recording has a complete description.
Children's Art Bereavement Program: If you are in the North Jersey area, you may be interested in the summer session of this special program for bereaved children between the ages of 6 and 12 offered through Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice and the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center. All sessions will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Newton, High Street, Newton, NJ 07860. Dates: Monday, July 19, 2010; Wednesday, July 21, 2010; Monday, July 26, 2010 and Wednesday, July 28, 2010. Times: all sessions are from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and there is a concurrent parent/guardian support group that meets during this time. Registration is $60.00 per child and scholarships are available upon request. To register or for more information, call 973-383-0115 and ask for Jennifer Smetana or Lorri Opitz.
Movie Night: If you are in the North Jersey area, you may be interested in a different type of bereavement support group offered by The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center. The next event is scheduled for Monday, August 2nd from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice Administrative Offices, 99 Sparta Avenue, Newton, NJ 07860. The cost of the movie is $5.00 and includes popcorn, candy and soda (or water for the health conscious) and the support group that follows. To register, or to get more information, call 973-383-0115 and ask for Lorri Opitz.
Memorial Service: If you are in the North Jersey area, you are invited to participate in the annual Sussex County Memorial Service, offered by the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center and the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, on Monday, September 20th at 7:30 p.m. You can call 973-383-0115 to get more information, rsvp, and to have a loved one's name printed in the memorial bulletin and read at the service. As you hear your loved one's name called, you are invited to come up to the alter and light a candle. It's a beautiful service with a lovely dessert reception offered after the ceremony.
Using Social Media for Grief Support: This information comes from JoAnne Funch of Heartache to Healing -
"Dear Friends, This month I have connected with so many new people on Facebook and I thank everyone reading this for being my friend. I'm finding Facebook is a great vehicle for reaching out to others who walk this journey in grief. I for one am letting people know they are not alone and Yes you might not see me face to face but I try to connect as personally as possible and make the experience of communication meaningful.
I post new articles to the blog every week, with the intent of providing interesting, helpful and inspiring information. This month I connected with my new friend Keith Elliott who lives in South Africa. Keith and his sister started a Facebook App and blog called "Good Grief." They have built an on-line memorial site where you can create a memorial with photos and a dedication to anyone you have lost. You can then share that memorial with anyone online. Keith has shared his thoughts about
Grieving In The 21st Century, which I have included below (
you can find this on JoAnne's blog http://heartachetohealing.com)
As always, please let me know how I can support you and what topics you would be interested in hearing more about.
With love, hope & inspiration, JoAnne Funch"
Using Art to Help Heal Grief: Frances Shani Parker shares the following:
" 'Expressing Grief Through Art'
Grace Graupe Pillard drew pictures of her dying mother every time she visited her bedside. She says she and her mother had a rocky, but affectionate, relationship. Her mother, a refugee from Nazi Germany, was receiving hospice care at the time. While drawing, Grace began to experience her mother in an objective way for the first time. An intimacy evolved between them that she had not known before. Her mother knew she was being drawn. In spite of their turbulent differences their similarities surfaced. In the last picture of this visual diary, her mother's mouth is open.
After studying scanned pictures of her mother, Grace noticed clearly in the flow of the lines the different emotions she had felt while drawing. She says her artistic involvement in her mother's dying helped her to process the grief of losing someone who was such an important part of her life. Grace created an exhibition of her drawings in a show titled 'Stop Stealing My face.'
This video showcases an interview with Grace Graupe Pillard and displays of her artwork: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ-RwoFRPJ4
Frances Shani Parker
'Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog'
http://hospiceandnursinghomes.blogspot.com "