Adult Bereavement Programs

Grief: A Personal Journey

The death of a loved one can be the most stressful event in a person’s life. A wide array of emotions can be experienced, such as sadness, anger, anxiety, and despair. Changes in sleep patterns and appetite can occur, as well as physical illness. These are all natural parts of grieving and the feelings can ebb and flow over time.

There is “no right way”, “wrong way”, or time limit to grieve. Each person experiences grief in his or her own way, partly based on religious, cultural, social and personal beliefs and partly because of the relationship with the person who died. Bereavement has four basic phases which typically occur:

• Numbness and shock: usually occurs in the beginning and may last for a brief period. It is useful in helping people function through the initial funeral time period.
• Feeling of separation: when the feeling of loss or missing the loved one starts to occur.
• Disorganization: time period when the bereaved is easily distracted and might have difficulty concentrating or may feel restless.
• Reorganization: toward the end of the bereavement period when the person has begun to adjust to life without the loved one.

It is very important to seek out people who may understand your loss: friends, family, therapists, clergy or hospice staff and volunteers. It may take a long time to complete the grieving process, so you need to be patient to allow yourself the chance to grieve.

The Adult Bereavement Program provides support to people impacted by the death of a significant person in their lives, regardless of how those deaths have occurred.  (illness, sudden deaths such as accidents, suicide, substance use or homicide)

We also provide support services to those experiencing anticipatory grief of a significant persons expected death.

Program Services for Bereaved Adults

• One to One Support
• 10 week Bereavement support groups
• 10 week Support Group for Parents Who Have Lost their Children to Substance Use and Suicide
• Coffee Morning for Moms who Have Lost an Adult Child
• Supportive Steps Walking Group
• Coffee Mornings
• Cooking Together Evenings
• Young Peoples Dinner Evenings
• Yoga
• Seasonal Workshops
• Adult Bereavement Volunteer Training

Our Bereavement Support Services are:

• Confidential
• Free of charge
• Professional and/or peer-led
• Open to children, teens and adults
• Adjusted to the unique needs of each client

For more information or to schedule an intake appointment, please contact the Bereavement Support Coordinator at the Langley Hospice Society at or 604 530 1115

LHS Adult Bereavement Programs Brochure