Free Half-Day Retreat Helps Grieving Teens by Uniting Them with Peers

Bridges of Courage, a free half-day retreat, provides support to grieving teens coping with the loss of someone special.

Are you aware of a young person who could use support on his or her grief journey? “Bridges of Courage,” a free half-day retreat for teens, ages 14 to 17, provides support to adolescents who have experienced the death of a loved one by uniting them with peers who are also experiencing the death of a loved one. The retreat will take place at the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center, located on Hospice of the Western Reserve’s Lakeshore Campus, 300 East 185th Street, Cleveland, on Saturday, April 11, 2015 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. A dinner of pizza and salad will be provided. Space is limited, so early reservations are recommended. To register, contact Dominique Butler at 216.486.6287. (Registration cutoff date is April 6.)

“Teens often have special needs when coping with the death of a loved one, and may process their grief far differently than adults,” explained Dominique Butler, school liaison, Hospice of the Western Reserve. “The retreat provides an opportunity for them to express their feelings, learn ways to cope, remember their special person who died, and meet others in their same age group who have also experienced loss.”

Butler said activities are led by trained grief counselors who will help participants in a supported environment of peers who are experiencing the same pain. “A variety of activities - such as a drumming circle to explore and express feelings, yoga to help with the healing process and stories from a teen advocate, who will discuss living life fully following a loss – will encourage memories, coping skills and self-expression, and provide a way for teens to memorialize and honor their loved ones,” she added. The retreat will end with a circle of support around a bonfire.