UCC Canton to host free bereavement group

Diane Christopherson draws on her life experience and coursework in pastoral care when she works with people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. A bereavement coordinator with Beacon Hospice, she will lead a bereavement group for eight weeks beginning January 31 at the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Canton for people who are finding anniversaries and certain times of the year difficult.

In her work, Christopherson plans grief support groups, services of remembrance in nursing homes, community workshops on grief and loss, and meets with individuals who would like to have one-on-one conversations.

“I meet with people and listen and provide support, if they desire, as they work through their grief,” she said.

A UCC minister, Christopherson arrived in the Boston area last summer and sent an email to her clergy colleagues asking if anyone knew of a place where she could hold a bereavement group. UCC Canton’s interim pastor, Rev. Stephen Washburn, responded with the offer of free space at the church.

During a typical meeting, Christopherson may gather group members in a circle of chairs and start with a ritual, such as passing around small stones to each person. She uses the stones as a way to check in with each individual and to help them focus.

“I tend in the first meeting to go around the circle to create a faith space,” she said. “Typically, a person says, ‘I’m not going to say much. I’m just going to go and listen.’ I think, ‘Aha! That’s what you think.’”

Christopherson determines the course the group will take as the participants become more comfortable with themselves and one another.

“We do a lot of facilitated sharing,” she explained. “I want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak. We will listen with respect and compassion and non-judgment in an atmosphere of confidentiality and support.”

Christopherson said that she has witnessed changes in people who have taken part in bereavement groups. They have clearer ideas of changes or decisions they need to make. They feel more confident about setting boundaries with family members and friends who want to help them. And they realize the importance of taking care of themselves.

Christopherson said she keeps a quote from Lorraine Hedtke, LCSW, PhD, in mind as she works with those who are grieving: “My belief is that when a person dies, a relationship does not die. When we experience death not as a finality but as an invitation to a new relationship with our … loved one, we are breaking from a modernist approach that dictates we must ‘get over’ our grief and ‘move on’ in life.”

The United Church of Christ is located at 1541 Washington Street. The bereavement group will meet every Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. from January 31 to March 27, except February 14. There is no charge for the group, but pre-registration is required. Contact Christopherson at 857-294-0052 or diane.christopherson@beaconhospice.com.

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Jan 5 2012. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.