SUPPORT GROUPS
CHILDREN'S GROUPS
Little Kids Group: 3-7 years
Middle Kids Group: 8-9 years
Big Kids Group 10-12 years
Children do group activities such as arts and crafts, music, and games to express themselves and remember their loved one.
TEEN GROUPS
Teenagers 13-18 years
Teenagers form new friendships with other teens who understand what they are going through. Our teen group is heavily discussion based but every group also incorporates a project/theme to connect our kids and discuss their grief/loss.
YOUNG WIDOW & WIDOWERS
Adults
A Young Widow and Widowers group is held twice a month. There is a unique bond in this group, all of whom understand what it is like to have a young spouse die.
Members are typically between the ages of 25-45. Being over 45 does not disqualify one from joining. As every persons situation is unique, it is best to give us a call. If our group is not a good fit, we can share about other support services in the area. Please reach out to us.
Mary’s Place offers a unique home-like setting in which ongoing peer support groups for children ages 3-12, teens, and young widow and widowers are held. We do not provide therapy or counseling. Upon request we can provide information that may be helpful when selecting a therapist.
There is no cost to families participating in our services. Families are welcome to make donations, but no family is ever charged a fee or turned away because they can not contribute financially.
All of our groups are ongoing and meet twice a month. The groups are available to children and teens who have experienced the death of a parent, primary caregiver, sibling, or in the case of the teen group, a best friend.
Mary’s Place thereby provides a safe, nurturing environment which is appropriate to each participant’s developmental stage. Through the use of such tools as art, music, puppets, story telling, volcano room activities and sharing stories and memories, a lively and fun atmosphere is created where children can not only express their feelings, but can learn coping skills.
HOW DO I JOIN A GROUP?
Registration Required
To begin the process of joining a group, please contact us at 860-688-9621 to speak with our executive director. After the initial call and we determine our program is a good fit for you/your child, a packet of information will be sent to you along with an application for your child. Once the application is returned to us, a welcome meeting will be scheduled with our program director at our center. This gives us an opportunity to meet you and your children and to explain what a typical session looks like. It also gives your children an opportunity to become familiar with the Center.
IS THERE A COST?
Recognizing that after a death families may experience financial concerns, Mary’s Place does not charge a fee for its services nor do we receive any state or federal funding. All programs are supported solely through donations from individuals, foundations or companies.
HOW LONG CAN I ATTEND?
Because we believe each person and family grieves differently and the family is the best judge of when they are comfortable to discuss their feelings and loss in a support group, we let you decide when you would like to start attending a group and when you feel you are ready to leave your group. Length of participation varies greatly from a few sessions to 2 or 3 years or more.