The holidays are not always a joyful time. After the death of a family member or friend, holiday traditions and the sense of togetherness is changed forever. For the one grieving, family and religious gatherings may spark feelings of sadness and loneliness in a room full of happy people. These feelings can be difficult to process.

If this is how you feel, or you know someone who may be suffering this time of year, Heartlinks offers grief support during the holidays. Heartlinks’ bereavement support staff can talk to you or meet with you to help navigate the holidays and other special times of the year.

Anyone grieving the death of a loved one is invited to attend the Heartlinks’ Grief in the Holidays Workshops. These 90-minute workshops will provide validation of your feelings and valuable tools to help you get through the holiday events.

At the workshop, you’ll get answers to questions such as,

“What holiday events would be best for me to attend this year?”

“Should I start new traditions without my loved one?”

Monthly support groups are also a valuable and simple way to feel appreciated, understood and accepted. You may attend Heartlinks monthly support groups whether or not your loved one was served by Heartlinks. Heartlinks’ support groups are open to the public, so invite a friend to join you at one of these meetings.

An RSVP is not required to attend any of Heartlinks’ support groups and workshops. The Heartlinks grief support team is here for you. If you have questions, please call 509-837-1676.