"The day our child dies by suicide is the beginning of a lifetime of grieving."
The collateral damage to ourselves and families is immeasurable. We have experienced a deep loss that feels unbearable and unrepairable.
It's from this experience that we have created a beautiful therapeutic program of hope and healing – Healing to The Max for Parent, Guardian and Grandparent Survivors of Loss by Suicide.
This 12 week intensive group program is the ONLY therapeutic support group offered specifically to support parents bereaved due to a tragic loss by suicide. It has been collaboratively designed by fellow survivors and clinical counsellors with more than 23 years of experience in group therapy.
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This program is specifically designed to support parents, guardians and grandparents through the complex, and traumatic aspects of losing a beloved child by suicide.
Each week, new topics are introduced and together with the support of our trained facilitators, participants will begin their individual journeys of healing through a series of guided journaling questions, short answer questions, therapeutic art projects, and discussions.
Weekly work manuals are provided, and participants are guided through each exercise with examples from our team.
The connection continues with a private group messenger, where participants can keep in touch with one another and the facilitators throughout the 12 weeks and beyond. This is a closed group, which means no new participants are able to join following the second session.
Our intensive programs are offered via Zoom, with an optional in-person healing retreat offered at the end. Each cohort welcomes a maximum of 12 participants, with 4-5 facilitators in each session.
Once registered, you'll receive more information on the next start date.
COST: $249 CAD per person, with the option to include a partner or spouse at no additional cost. If cost is a barrier, your registration will be covered through our private donation program. No one in need of support will be turned away. Please email us to inquire.
Our programs of hope and healing are the first of their kind, having been written by a combination of professionals and survivors of a traumatic loss by suicide.
Healing to The Max is based on a strong foundation of Narrative Therapy, which is easily modified to allow for all cultural nuances to be adapted.
It moves away from the traditional belief that you must achieve closure to heal, and instead, invites you to practice the art of "Saying Hello, Again".
We keep the connection going far beyond the structured programs and offer our participants a comprehensive healing experience. We are passionate about helping our participants learn ways to cope with their grief in healthy ways, in an empathetic community, while they learn to live with their grief and joy, hand in hand.
Survivor’s guilt is tremendous for parents. On top of that, there comes a point in your grieving process where you realize that you have to save yourself from the same thing that killed your child and that is incredibly difficult to do alone.
In addition to that, 73 per cent of parent survivors who don’t get help will also die by suicide and only about 13 per cent of marriages survive after the suicide of a child.
This is why it is so important to incorporate coping techniques alongside ways to deal with issues like parenting a child who is grieving the loss of their sibling while in crisis mode yourself and helping parents navigate their grief together to strengthen their partnership.
Our Programs and Support Groups are designed to provide you with the community and resources you need to heal and grieve in a healthy way.
Please reach out if you need further support.
PROGRAM FACILITATORS
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Jill Cowan
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Anjeanette Corbeil | MSW, RSW (SK)
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Brian Cowan
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Barb Clark
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Lauren Kovarsky
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Wayne Avery
For Survivors of a Loss by Suicide & Suicide Prevention & Awareness
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