the good grief program

 The new Solace Tree Good Grief program provides support to children and teens, ages 5 to 18, who are dealing with loss.  It’s an opportunity to help them cope with Family (divorce, alcoholism, stepfamilies and incarceration); Personal (stress, anger and low self-esteem); and Social (peer acceptance, conflict and all loss) problems and issues in their day-to-day lives.

Specific topics could include:

• Living in a single parent home
• Living with someone who is an alcoholic or drug user
• Living with abuse
• Having an incarcerated parent
• Dealing with bullies in school, home or the neighborhood
• Managing anger responsibly
• Resolving conflict peacefully
• Coping with loss and grief
• Living, learning and growing through diversity

Participating children can benefit from learning how to self-manage more effectively in such areas of self-esteem, stress management, and social skills development.  Children also learn about themselves and others; address their needs; formulate their thoughts, feelings, and actions as members of the Good Grief Club. As children experiences these challenges, what really matters is not that they start but how they finish – as the groups get bigger with more diverse children joining each week.

Blueprint for Success – With more than ten years of helping children and teens deal with loss from death, the Solace Tree staff and volunteers are well-prepared to help families dealing with the emotional strife caused by divorce, moving, visitation rights, loss of belonging(s), and remarriage, just to name a few.

Through this program, children will:

• Better understand their current life situations, as well as find communality and normalcy
• Develop coping strengths
• Feel safe within their group
• Express feelings, thoughts and diverse points of view
• Experience constructive and non-judgmental feedback
• Apply new learning situations in life at home and school

For more information, email info@solacetree.org or call 775.324.7723.