Growing With Grief - Yorktown Family Services

Growing With Grief

maureenr@yorktownfamilyservices.com

General Information

Fees:

Free

Service Delivery Format:
  • In Person:
    • Virtual and in-person appointments available
    • Groups are offered in person at this time
Eligibility:

Groups: To participate in group programming, children/youth must be aware of the cause of death prior to starting the group. Group facilitators may be available to support with a disclosure conversation prior to group depending on availability and the amount of time before group begins. Please let us know if this is something you’d like support with.

Additionally, children/youth must be available to attend every group session, as registration closes after the first session of each group.

Family Relationship: Grief related to the death or dying of a parent, sibling, or in-home custodial caregiver.

Age: Children, youth, and families ages 0 – 21 (with limited spots available up to age 29).

Geographic Catchment: The city of Toronto (Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, and North York). Bereavement Referrals: Services are offered regardless of the cause of death or time since the death.

Referral:

Accepted from any source, including self-referrals. For a referral form, email Danielle at: DanielleC@yorktownfamilyservices.com

Next Session Dates:

Grief and Bereavement Counselling Intakes completed on an ongoing basis

Middles Group: Starting  November 7th , 2023

Contact :

Danielle at DanielleC@yorktownfamilyservices.com

or

Paul at PaulK@yorktownfamilyservices.com

Sessions Per Year:

52 weeks per year

Service Duration:

Bereavement Program – up to 8 sessions
Groups – 8-10 sessions

Languages offered:
  • English
  • Translation Services Available
Hours:
  • Weekdays
  • Evenings
Contact:

Maureen Ringlein
416-394-2424 Ext:272
maureenr@yorktownfamilyservices.com

Clinical Services

Individual and Family Counselling

Bereavement Program provides counselling support after a death to process and normalize grief, encourage emotional expression and communication, cultivate and enhance resiliency, explore helpful coping strategies, and support continuing bonds.

heart etched into the trunk of a tree

Child and Youth Group Programming

Our support groups for bereaved children and youth are offered throughout the year. The goal of the program is to create a supportive environment where grieving children and adolescents have the opportunity to connect with similar-aged peers, express themselves, share their grief experiences, and explore their relationship with grief through the outdoors, art, and play.  The outdoors provides a context for self-reflection, connection with others, and the natural world. Concurrent caregiver groups may be offered to support caregivers navigating the unique challenges of parenting grieving children and youth.

Family Support Program

Our Family Support Program provides opportunities connect with a community of grievers who have experienced the death of an immediate family member through ‘Family Events’.  These events are developed for children, youth and their parents or caregivers to decrease isolation through strengthening family & peer-relationships, practicing of self-expression, and honouring & remembering the person in their life who died.

Growing with Grief is hosting a family Winter Break Scrapbooking Event

December 13th, from 5:45-7:45PM.

The winter break can be especially difficult for grievers. As a caregiver you may be wondering how you can support the grief of the children in your home during this time. What rituals should you maintain in your home? What might be too much? As caregivers, it may be hard to know. As young people, it may be hard to say. At this event our goal is to help you plan a connected, meaningful winter break that feels good for the various members of your household, and makes space for their grief feelings and creativity.

This is an all-ages event for young people (age 0-29), and their families, who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or custodial caregiver

Please register on Eventbrite or by reaching out to chantalf@yorktownfamilyservices.com by 10pm on December 10th.