| Print | EmailHope for the Holidays grief and coping program is Nov. 18 |
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| Thursday, October 29, 2009 |
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 Coping with the death of a loved one is always difficult. The holiday season can be particularly challenging for those grieving the loss of a family member or other individual with whom they were close. The University of Tennessee Medical Center is hosting a special program to help bring hope to those who are grieving.
Certified through the Association of Death Education and Counseling, Ron Russell, a chaplain with UT Hospice, will hold Hope for the Holidays, a special bereavement support meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in the education room of UT Medical Center’s Heart Lung Vascular Institute (Suite E-170).
“Our goal is for those grieving the loss of a loved one to be able to celebrate the holidays rather than to fear them,” Russell said. “Celebrating involves the person who has died. Death ends a life, but not a relationship.”
During the program, Russell will discuss various aspects of grief. He’ll convey that grief is highly individualized, based on elements such as the personality of the griever and the nature of the relationship that person had with her or her loved one. Russell will let participants know that it’s perfectly normal to have feelings of grief and will explain how they can plan their holiday season in order to best cope with the loss.
“I recommend that people make the deceased part of their celebration in order to bring it out into the open and deal with the emotions,” Russell said. “Dealing with something like this is always much more healthy than avoidance.”
The program is free and open to all. For more information, call UT Hospice at 865.544.6222.
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