Introducing Our Grief Support Services for Communities

by Audrey Walls, M.Ed., M.F.A.

Here at Full Circle, we’re no strangers to the fact that grief and bereavement are multifaceted experiences. Sometimes, the loss of a loved one can feel intensely personal and isolating while other times, a loss can shake an entire group of people and leave them struggling to cope or understand the impact. It might be the loss of a colleague at work, or a member of a sports team or recreational league, or a leader of a community organization – but whatever the situation, the death creates a missing link, with the bereaved often at a loss as how to process their own emotions, as well as everyone around them.

The need for grief support for communities has always been an implicit part of our mission as a comprehensive bereavement resource. Since the beginning, we’ve received phone calls or e-mails from schools, faith communities, teams, corporations, and other nonprofit organizations after a death in their community, often asking the same question: “What do we do now?” While we’ve provided support in a number of ways over the years, we are proud to have finalized and organized our community grief support services in a way that makes our compassionate expertise in grief and bereavement both accessible and affordable.

Full Circle is now offering our grief support for communities in roughly three different formats: individual grief consultations, community grief consultations, and grief education workshops. These options allow us to tailor experiences to the needs of our clients or community partners in terms of size, scope, and breadth of service needed.

Our individual grief consultations are recommended for individuals, couples, or families who have experienced a sudden or traumatic loss and need short-term grief counseling services. The sudden or traumatic death of a loved one can leave individuals and families feeling shocked, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn for help. “Individuals need a safe space with knowledgeable professionals to process their loss while also obtaining resources and strategies that can be helpful during their acute grief, shock, and disbelief,” attests Full Circle’s Grief Services Director, Britt Cowart, LCSW. “Our support sessions allow for unfiltered processing in the presence of skilled, compassionate professionals,” she adds. Our goal is to meet each person where they are in their grief journey, offering a compassionate space to process a sudden loss while helping to connect them with resources that can sustain healing beyond the initial crisis. 

Similarly, our group grief consultations have many of the same components of our individual grief consultations, but are the best option for groups, teams, schools, coworkers, or other organizations that have experienced a loss and are in need of professional services. By offering a safe, supportive space for individuals to express initial reactions, emotions, and concerns following a sudden or traumatic death, Full Circle can provide a group grief consultation, a grief presentation, clinical office hours at the organization’s location, or short-term grief counseling for members of the group who may need additional support.

Finally, our grief education workshops work to equip adults with the knowledge, skills, and self-awareness necessary to help someone who is grieving, provide professionals or families with information and additional resources about children and the grieving process, or help adults become more comfortable talking about the death and dying process. This is a great opportunity for professional development or addressing concerns within an organization, with a variety of workshop topics and formats available. One of our community partners, ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation, brought Full Circle to their offices for a bereavement-focused workshop for their staff. “The training was so helpful, for it raised awareness of the many emotions related to grief, made the navigators feel supported and comforted with the feelings they were experiencing, and offered helpful ideas regarding self-care and other resources available in the community,” stated ASK’s Associate Director of Education, Alma Morgan, M.Ed. “I would highly recommend this training for caretakers and providers in the field of healthcare.”

However, it’s worth noting that potential clients or organizations may feel that they would be a good fit for one, none, or more than one of our service options. We’re still here to help. Creating a customized program for grief services is also available, in collaboration with members of our clinical team and the organization’s needs.

To learn more about our grief support services for communities, you can visit our Support for Communities website, read our individual flyers for each level of service, linked below, or view our downloadable brochure that outlines the basics about each offering. Additional questions or inquiries can be directed to Allyson England Drake, M.Ed., CT, FT, our Executive Director at Full Circle, as we begin to roll out these services to better support our community moving forward.

Resources

Individual Grief Consultations (Website)

Group Grief Consultations (Website)

Grief Education Workshops (Website)

Downloads