This coming Sunday is National Grief Awareness Day, dedicated to helping people understand the process of grieving. If you're navigating the pain of loss, remember that it’s OK to seek support from others. Upcoming holidays like Labor Day that focus on togetherness can be especially difficult after experiencing a loss.

“Everyone grieves differently; there is no right or wrong way,” said Monica Zimmerman-Miller, social worker and grief counselor with Aultman Hospice and Palliative Care. “There is no time limit on grief. Grief means that you feel deep love and have wonderful memories of the person you’ve lost.”

Aultman Grief Services helps those who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. Services range from counseling to support groups and special workshops.

“Many people are able to work through grief with the support of family, friends and faith communities, but others may need additional support,” Zimmerman-Miller said. “That’s why we offer many different resources for those who’ve suffered a loss.”

Grief 101

About every two months, Aultman Grief Services begins a new session of Grief 101, a six-week workshop that meets once per week in the Compassionate Care Center at Aultman Woodlawn. A certified grief counselor leads the group in discussing strategies for navigating their grief journey.

With the use of a guided workbook, Grief 101 participants are invited to explore personal ways of coping with grief, responding to loneliness and sadness, maintaining relationships, finding hope and developing resilience.

People who have attended Grief 101 are grateful for the difference it has made in their lives.

“In our post-workshop surveys, people tell us that they appreciate being with others who have experienced a significant loss,” said Traci Hocking, director of Aultman Hospice and Palliative Care. “Sometimes, you might feel very isolated with grief and then learn that others feel the same way, and it’s perfectly normal. Or people in the group might give you hope that over time, you’ll feel better.”

Additional Support

A support group for men and women meets at Aultman Alliance Community Hospital on the first Tuesday of each month. There’s even a “lunch bunch” of friends who’ve met through Aultman grief programs who get together on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. And this is an open group and members can join at any time.

“Each of these groups helps you realize you’re not alone in your grief,” Hocking said. “Everyone in the group learns coping skills from one another, and you can share your story when you need to talk.”

As Thanksgiving, Christmas and other winter holidays approach, Aultman Grief Services offers special workshops for coping with grief during a season where it can seem like everyone else is celebrating with wholehearted joy.

And each May, loved ones are invited to gather for memorial services in Canton and Alliance honoring those they’ve lost.

For more information on Aultman Grief Services and how we can support you in your time of loss, please call 330-479-7450 or visit aultman.org/grief.