Spring can be a season of renewal, but for those who are grieving, it can also bring tender reminders of loss. Chesapeake Life Center offers a variety of workshops and support groups designed to provide connection, comfort and hope during this time of healing.
From creative art experiences and nature-inspired programs to skill-building workshops and supportive community groups, these offerings create gentle spaces to honor loved ones, share experiences and reflect on the many emotions that come with grief. And a few of them, like Hope After Hours, are even a bit playful.
With options available both in person and virtually, the grief experts at Hospice of the Chesapeake are committed to supporting individuals in the community as they navigate loss with compassion and opportunities for healing.
WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS
- Sprouting Hope: A Springtime Workshop for Remembrance and Release – Welcome spring with this nature-based activity to honor your grief. Write a letter in honor of loved ones lost or something you wish to let go of in your life and bury it with symbolic seeds to release any difficult feelings into the earth. Finish with a garden-walking meditation and burial ceremony for centering and connecting to healing. This workshop will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
- Creating Hope: Therapeutic Art Exercises in Griefwork for Teens and Adults – Creating can help us express things we have no words for, discover more about ourselves and glean beauty through our sorrow. In this workshop, people can participate in a therapeutic art project to help with personal grief work and connect. This workshop is open to teens, as well as adults. Supplies are provided. No art skills are required. It will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Burnett Center for Hope and Healing, 4559 Sixes Road, Prince Frederick, Maryland. The cost is $10 per session, which pays for supplies.
- Heart & Soul Grief Support Group – Join a Chesapeake Life Center grief counselor for this grief support group that allows adults to reflect on loss, explore self-care and find meaning in their grief. Each monthly session includes guided conversation, a meaningful activity and a discussion exploring community resources and support. The group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, April 14, May 12 and June 9, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
- Pet Loss Workshop – The loss of a beloved companion animal brings a deep grief that is often only minimally acknowledged by others. Join Chesapeake Life Center grief counselors for a workshop where you are invited to share and reflect on your loss, as well as find meaningful ways to honor your pet and cope with your grief. Adult grievers experiencing the loss of any kind of pet are welcome. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Perfect Pet Resort, 840 West Bay Front Rd., Lothian, Maryland. The cost is free.
- Hope After Hours – This workshop offers a relaxed, welcoming space for people navigating loss together. Come as you are, raise a glass to the ones you love, and find connection and understanding in community space. Both wine and non-alcoholic drinks will be available. Though individuals ages 18 and older are welcome, those wishing to consume alcohol must be age 21 or older and provide a valid ID. This will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Thursday, April 30, in the Hope & Healing Center on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10.
- Nature’s Healing Power: A Grief Support Group Series – This free, nature-informed program that will include immersive walks in nature, time spent focusing on the cycle of the seasons and working with natural objects to contain and express the grief experience. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays, May 21 and 28, and June 11 and 18, at Greenbelt Park, 6565 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland.
- One Day Grief Retreat – Save Saturday, June 13, for a day of healing and self-care at our lovely Burnett Center for Hope & Healing at the Burnett Center for Hope and Healing, 4559 Sixes Road, Prince Frederick. Connect with other adults who are grieving or caregiving as we explore how to honor our loved ones, practice caring for ourselves and lean forward into the journey. Sessions will include mindfulness, self-care, eating for health, flower pressing, music therapy and others. Time and further details will be announced.
VIRTUAL GRIEF SUPPORT
- ‘The Pilot’s Wife’ – A Virtual Book Club Series – Join other grievers led by a grief expert via Zoom to explore grief through literature. In this four-session group, you will read “The Pilot’s Wife” by Anita Shreve and explore the many layers and aspects of grief through the experiences of the novel’s characters. Using storytelling and discussion, you can reflect on how the experiences of fictional characters can mirror our own journeys through loss. The book will be discussed in manageable sections to allow plenty of time for meaningful conversations. Participants should read four chapters before each session to help prepare for open discussion. You can attend any or all of the sessions. It will meet on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. April 1 and 22 and May 6 and 20 via Zoom. The cost is free.
- SoulCollage Virtual Support Group for Loss and Transition – This is a free group with participants creating collages to commemorate lost loved ones and visually journal the grief process. It is a time to virtually share and process unique collages reflecting and expressing the journey through life. The group will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 6, via Zoom.
- Loss of Life Partner/Spouse Virtual Group – This is a free group for individuals grieving the death of a spouse or life partner. It will meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesdays, April 14, May 12 and June 9, via Zoom.
MONTHLY GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS:
- Drop-In Grief Support Groups are open to anyone grieving. Groups offer participants an opportunity to share their feelings and obtain support from others who are experiencing loss. There is no fee. These groups will meet in Calvert County as follows:
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- North Beach Senior Center, 9010 Chesapeake Ave., North Beach, Maryland, from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, April 1, May 6 and June 3.
- Southern Pines Senior Center, 20 Appeal Lane, Lusby, Maryland, from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, April 14, May 12 and June 9.
- Calvert Pines Senior Center, 450 W. Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, April 21, May 19 and June 16.
- SoulCollage Studio – Join others for a time to create unique collages reflecting and expressing loss and the journey through life. The group will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. on Mondays, May 4 and June 1, at 9500 Medical Center Drive, Suite 250, Largo, Maryland. The supply fee is $10.
- Loss of Parent or Parental Figure Support Group – This group provides space for adults ages 18 and older grieving the loss of a parent or parental figure to come together to feel supported in their grief. The group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, April 9, and 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 7, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
- Loss of Life Partner Evening Group – This support group is for individuals grieving the loss of a spouse or life partner that happened more than 13 months ago. It offers a safe space for individuals to connect with others experiencing a similar loss. It will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, April 14, May 12 and June 9, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
- Child Loss Support Group – This group is for parents grieving the death of a child, regardless of age or circumstance. It will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, April 27 and May 18, in the Center for Hope & Healing on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
Unless noted, groups and workshops are intended for adults ages 18 and older. Except for drop-in groups, registration is required and can be completed by calling 888-501-7077 or emailing [email protected]. Visit www.hospicechesapeake.org/events for a complete listing of in-person and virtual groups and workshops for adults and children.
