One often overlooked part of bereavement over the loss of a loved one is how it affects the whole family. Grief can be isolating for each family member, and left without mutual care, the grieving process can feel insurmountable and lead to emotional and physical reactions that can affect one’s health.
When Compass holds its annual New Dawn grief camp every August at Camp Pecometh near Centreville, parents and guardians of children in attendance are an integral part of the three-day weekend. One 24-hour day is devoted to the adults while the children participate in group discussions and activities throughout the weekend, learning coping skills in a camp environment.
With the help of Compass grief counselors, parents and guardians have time to relax, share, and contemplate their loss and learn the emotional language of healing to share with their children.
The following day, parents, guardians and children are reunited to begin sharing their feelings and learning to understand each other’s unique way of handling grief as they move forward.
The Spy recently returned to Camp New Dawn to talk with grief counselors Penny Greeley (LC SW-C) and Sherrie Young (LCPC, NCC, CFC) about Compass’ commitment to parents and guardians and their counsling to help adults share the grieving process with their children.
For more about Compass, go here.
This video is approximately five minutes in length.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.