Purpose of the Group for Participants
- To understand their grief process
- To respond to their traumatic loss in more active/empowered ways
- To foster resilience
- To tell their stories in healing ways
- To improve overall health and daily functioning
- To learn from and support each other in the grief process
- To restore a sense of self
Objective: Grief and Trauma Response
The next two sessions will help participants better understand and deal with grief and trauma response. During these sessions, a trauma specialist in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will define what trauma is, how it manifests itself physically, emotionally, spiritually, similarly how grief shows and manifests itself and how to deal with trauma and grief when people are dealing with the aftermath of sudden, violent death. The presenter will provide psycho-education around the reaction and feelings related to the impact of loss of a loved one to violence. PSTD is only one of the reactions. Insight will be provided concerning how one might be impacted or respond to different situations.
| Component | Discussion | Tools / Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Topic | Grief and Trauma Response | |
| Introduction | Welcome participants and check-in. | Facilitator to bring candle and lighter. Risk Factors and Protectors identified last week to be given to participants to put in their binders. |
| Week Three Session | Trauma specialist to lead discussion to help participants better understand and deal with grief and trauma response. | |
| Refreshment Break | – 15 minute break – | |
| Week Three Session Continued | Trauma specialist to continue leading this discussion. | |
| Closing Activity | Introduce next week’s topic. Ask for feedback concerning what has been covered today and request priorities/suggestions for next week’s discussion based on the information provided so far;
Refer to the Evaluation Form at Tab 11 and encourage participants to complete appropriate sections while the information is fresh in their minds; Next week’s closing activity to be decided upon; Facilitators to lead calming period exercise. |
Refer to Outline for Grief, Trauma and Recovery Sessions; What We Need During Grief; Grow Your Brain with These 9 Tips; Grief an Expression of Deep Love; and the Self-Care Checklist. |
Adapted from the B.C. Victims of Homicide Resource Guide for Facilitators of Homicide Loss Support Group (March 2014) and Canadian Parents Of Murdered Children’s Rebuilding Shattered Lives pilot project (March – April 2016).