Grief Support Services Available at Lightways Hospice/Serious Illness Care
Wide variety of meetings, workshops, and counseling services help individual grief process.
Just as everyone experiences grief in a unique way, Lightways Hospice and Serious Illness Care has worked to create a variety of free grief support services to help anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a loved one.
“Although most of our clients meet individually with a grief counselor, we also make sure to have group meetings, workshops, and events for those who don’t feel the need for individual grief counseling” said Patrice Martin, director of Grief Support. “A support group meeting works well for someone who is interested in meeting others who are grieving. Many people who attend realize they are not alone in their experience, and this helps them to become aware that what they are feeling is quite common. Group meetings are designed to allow people to participate as much as they want and are offered both online and in person.”
Martin said that in addition to a general loss support group, there are support groups for people who have experienced similar losses, including the loss of a spouse/partner, the loss of a child, and those who are parenting while grieving. She said the creation of the Grieving the Loss of a Child support group was created during the COVID pandemic, meeting online, and includes participants from all over the Chicagoland area. This group remains available online and now also meets in person at their Joliet office.
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Lightways Grief Support Services
There is a paradox about grief. Even though it is universal, it can still cause feelings of isolation. Many of our grievers describe the moment after their loved one dies as the moment when “my world stopped, and the rest of the world kept moving.” It can be very disorienting, disruptive, and overwhelming for many. In a world where there is so much discomfort in talking about death and dying, some feel unsupported and unacknowledged in their grief. Lightways is dedicated to ensuring that no one must grieve alone.