Staff at Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss Attend Workshop with Dr. Alan Wolfelt

Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss offers free peer support groups for children, teens, young adults and caregivers who are grieving the death of someone close to them. The staff at Imagine know that those who are grieving deserve to be in community with others who share that experience and be given opportunities to talk and share their stories with one another. Imagine’s staff and their amazing team of over 130 volunteer facilitators follow the Companioning Model for grief support created by Dr. Alan Wolfelt of the Center for Loss and Life Transition based in Fort Collins, CO. Recently, Imagine’s staff had an opportunity to attend a workshop led by Dr. Wolfelt and hosted by Stephy’s Place in Redbank, New Jersey. Stephy’s Place is one of the five partners of Imagine for the newly formed NJ Grief Collaborative. The topic of the workshop was: The Art of “Companioning” the Mourner: Caring vs. Curing.

Dr. Wolfelt spoke of the need for “sacred spaces for story sharing” for those who are grieving and learning to sit in what he coined “sacred silence.” He also reviewed his Tenets of Companioning the Bereaved that are practiced at Imagine, including: Companioning is about being present to another person’s pain; it isn’t about taking away the pain and Companioning is about walking alongside; it is not about leading. Imagine’s staff and volunteers serve as companions for their group members, walking alongside them on their grief journey without trying to fix anything or give advice. Grief is a natural and normal reaction to loss. Grief is not meant to be fixed; it is meant to be felt. Imagine’s volunteers open doors to create opportunities for conversation and connection in their groups.

As Imagine continues to grow in their effort to support community members on their grief journeys, the staff believe it’s important to remain connected to the model that’s at the center of their vision for creating opportunities for connection and support. They’re grateful to have participated in Dr. Wolfelt’s workshop.

If you’re interested in learning more about Imagine’s free peer support group program for children, teens, young adults and caregivers who are grieving, please visit their website at www.imaginenj.org or call 908-264-3100.

Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss is a 501c3 that offers grief and loss education and training to the community and free year-round grief support groups for children ages 3-18 and young adults 19-30 who are coping with a loss due to death. Concurrently, support groups are available for the parents and guardians of the children in the groups and offered in English and Spanish. For more information, please contact Imagine at 908-264-3100 or info@imaginenj.org or visit our website at www.imaginenj.org.