A bereavement support group called Life After Loss is organizing on February 4th to aid people in recovery from losses of all sorts.  

“We’re actually addressing all types of loss. It’s not just the death of a family member. It’s all types of loss even retirement loss. People can actually go through a grieving process through that or even a change in job,” said Wanda Johnson, Organizer, and Registered Family Therapist. 

Johnson says people experience loss for a variety of reasons which is including but not limited to the following: 

  • Death
  • Divorce
  • Retirement
  • Moving
  • Pet loss
  • Financial Issues
  • Health issues 

She welcomes anyone experiencing a loss of any sort who is in need of support. 

In the program, the group will go through some of the common myths of grieving which often comes as the advice of family members and friends which may not always be healthy coping mechanisms. 

“They learned some of these myths like ‘Oh, well just get over it and move on with life,’ and it just doesn’t work that way. Another one of the difficulties is that family and friends are uncomfortable with watching me grieve,” said Johnson. 

Although it may be difficult for friends and family to understand the grieving process, Johnson believes moving through the pain is a necessary part of bereavement and it is totally normal to feel strange or different. 

'Time heals all wounds' is another common myth that Johnson believes can be problematic for healing.  

“The longer that the pain is left undealt with the deeper the wound can become, to the point where it can actually consume your whole life. Whereas, if you actually deal with it, work it through it, allow yourself to grieve in a healthy way, and get to the place where you have hope again, you can function normally and be happy again. That doesn’t mean the loss has been negated. It just means that you’ve recognized that loss and that loss is always going to be there,” said Johnson. 

Through the program, Johnson hopes to remind those attending that happiness and purpose are still accessible even after experiencing a loss.

“Moving through all that to the point that they realize ‘You know I still have a purpose in this world,’ and being able to actually move into what is that purpose,” said Johnson. 

One thing to keep in mind about the free support group is that those attending should be prepared to make a commitment. With sensitive information being shared, occasional visits, or drop-ins are not exactly respectful to the privacy and safety of others attending. 

The only cost of attending the program will be the book, The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman.

The program will run on Tuesdays from February 4th to March 24th at the Burman University Gym in Room 213, from 7:00 PM-9:00 PM.