Spiritual Care at the Grace

Grief Support

'I cannot begin to heal until I give in. I cannot understand what is happening until I free my heart from the need to push away the reality. I turn my head and my heart toward my grief. There is something extraordinary in my capacity to survive. I must trust in the struggle.' Alan D. Wolfelt

'Surrendering to my grief means allowing myself to feel. It's about trusting in my capacity to come out on the other side of my overwhelming hurt. Instead of defending against my pain, I must release myself to the flow of experiencing it.' Alan D. Wolfelt

We understand that the loss of a loved one is perhaps the most difficult experience that we will ever encounter in our lives. When someone close to us dies, we can experience a multitude of feelings, some of which are unexpected. This unsettling time is called grief. It is a normal emotional process, and its effects can last for a long time. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no set pattern to grief. The experience of grief can last for weeks, months or even years. No matter what emotions you are experiencing, it is important for you to acknowledge and feel those feelings. Holding back or pretending that these feelings do not exist is not healthy for us, and it can lead to greater difficulty with our grieving.

You may experience periods of intense feelings like anger, sadness or you may experience a time where you are numb and feel nothing. You may feel depressed and tired, and you may not be interested in doing the things that normally give you pleasure. These are normal grief reactions and they usually pass with time.

Grieving is a painful process, but it doesn't mark the end of your life. Your life must go on. If you have lost a loved one at the Toronto Grace Health Centre, one of our chaplains will contact you approximately one month after the date of the person's death. This call is simply to offer you support. Our chaplains are available if you just need to talk to someone. You can reach us by using any of the methods listed on the 'Contact A Chaplain' page of this website. Every three months we offer a memorial service to honour those people who have died recently at this health centre. You will receive an invitation from the Spiritual Care Department to this service.

Perhaps the one thing that helps grieving people the most is talking about what they are feeling. It is important to talk about it and keep talking about it. This can be done with family, friends, spiritual leaders and counselors. Many people find that the best comfort comes from those who themselves are grieving or who have recently lost a loved one. For that reason, there are many community support groups that you can join. Below is a list of some of the support groups that are running in the Greater Toronto Area. For more information about these groups, contact the agency offering the group directly.

The following is a short list of community resources that provide bereavement counseling and support groups:

Adult Grief Support Program, East

Telephone: 416-926-0905 / 416-496-6431
A self support group sponsored by the Toronto East General Hospital and area funeral directors. This group is open to all residents of Toronto.

Adult Grief Support Program, West

Telephone: 416-515-0197
A self support group sponsored by the St. Joseph Health Centre and area funeral directors. This group is open to all residents of Toronto.

AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)

400 - 399 Church Street, Toronto, Ont.
Bereavement support for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one from AIDS.
Telephone: 416-340-2437
Fax: 416-340-8224
TT / TDD: 416-340-8224
E-mail: ask@actoronto.org
Web: http://www.actoronto.org

Arborcare Support Group

A support group offered by Lynett Funeral Home. Held at the Syme 55+ Centre, 33 Pritchard Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. Call (416)766-0388 or (416)767-1176 for more information.

Bereaved Adult Support Group

Telephone: 416-495-2535

Bereaved Jewish Families

A support group provided by Jewish Family & Child. Call Maureen Feder at 416-638-7800 ext. 202; Or Estelle Grader at 416-882-5114.

Bereavement Support Groups - The Dorothy Ley Hospice

This self-help group is open to all family members, care givers, friends or community members who have lost a loved one. Call 416-626-0116 to register.

Canadian Centre for Bereavement Education and Grief Counselling

49 Gloucester Street, Toronto, Ont.
Educates professionals who are working with the dying and the bereaved as well as providing counselling services and resources for those who grieve.
Telephone: 416-926-0905

Cardinal Funeral Homes

Bereavement Support Team
http://www.cardinalfuneralhomes.com/bereavement.shtml

C.O.P.E.S (Community Of People Extending Support)

A community support group run under the auspices of Turner and Porter Funeral Home.
http://www.turnerporter.ca/copes.htm

Grief Share

A grief support group provided two or three times a year by The Salvation Army Yorkminister Church.
Call 416-222-9110 to register.

Grief Share

A grief support group provided by The Salvation Army Scarborough Church.
Call 416-759-1721 to register.

Grief Support Group

A grief support group provided by The Scarborough Hospital. These groups are conducted three times a year at both the General and the Grace sites of the hospital. The groups at the General site are limited to those people who have lost a spouse. The groups at the Grace sit are open to adults grieving the loss of another adult. Call 416-495-2535 to register.

L.I.F.T. Group

A community support group offered under the auspices of Humphrey Miles Funeral Homes.
http://www.humphreymiles.com/bereav.html

Taylor Place Self-Help Recovery Group

Taylor Place Senior Adult Centre
1 Overland Drive
Toronto, Ont.
For widows over the age of 55.
Telephone: 416-447-7244