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: October 17 – December 12, 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.

Registration is now open for the ‘Middles’ bereavement support group for ages 10-13 at Growing With Grief.  Middles Group will run on Tuesday evenings between 6pm-7:45pm from October 17th until December 12th (no session on Halloween). 

This is an 8 week mixed indoor/outdoor program for bereaved young people.  “Middles” participate in expressive arts and nature-based activities to explore grief feelings, build connections, learn coping strategies and ways to continue their bond with the person in their life who has died.

For more information and to begin the registration process please contact Danielle: DanielleC@yorktownfamilyservices.com or Paul: PaulK@yorktownfamilyservices.com