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Bereavement Support Groups Held by UT Medical Center

Published: Sunday, September 9, 2007

 

The loss of a loved one can be a terribly painful, stressful and confusing time for the survivors left behind. In addition, many people never have the chance to talk about the grief they’re experiencing.

To help the bereaved understand and live with the loss of a loved one, The University of Tennessee Medical Center is hosting a series of adult bereavement support group meetings. Beginning Friday, Sept. 21, the support group will meet a total of six times to help participants learn about the grief process and discuss what they’re going through with others who are experiencing similar situations.

All support groups will meet in the Executive Conference Room at UT Medical Center from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon on the following dates.

 

• Oct. 5
• Oct. 19
• Nov. 2
• Nov. 16
• Nov. 30
  

“The notion that there are phases or steps that all people go through in the exact same way and in the exact same time frame is totally wrong,” said Ron Russell, a chaplain at UT Medical Center and moderator of the support group discussions. “We understand that grief is a highly individualized process. It’s also a normal and necessary process. During our support group meetings, we allow each survivor the opportunity to address his or her own specific needs by bringing those individual emotions and concerns into the discussions about grief.”

 

Topics for the Adult Bereavement Support Group include the following.

• Understanding the Grief Process
• Normal Symptoms of Grief
• Learning Effective Ways to Manage Stress and Loss
• Expanding and Utilizing Support Networks
• Surviving Holidays and Special Days
• Recognizing Growth and Healing

 

The Adult Bereavement Support Group is one of many components of the pastoral care, hospice and special care services at UT Medical Center established to provide support to the patient and family through their illness, as well as assisting the survivors toward wholeness. In addition to bereavement support groups, the medical center provides bereavement assistance through support services, supportive correspondence and a memorial service.

For more information about bereavement support services, call the Pastoral Care Department at UT Medical Center at 865.544.9704.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center is a 581-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, which serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information about the University of Tennessee Medical Center, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.