Fall and holiday season workshops and support groups foster healing after loss

As autumn leaves change and holiday gatherings approach, the season can bring a mix of nostalgia, stress and heightened grief for those who have lost a loved one. Chesapeake Life Center offers a variety of workshops, support groups and special events throughout the fall and into winter designed to provide connection, comfort and meaningful opportunities for healing.

From nature-based experiences and creative expression to support groups, holiday-focused programming and community gatherings, these offerings help participants navigate grief while connecting with others who understand. Programs such as the Memory Pillow Making Workshop, which turns a loved one’s clothing into a lasting keepsake and A Blue Christmas Family Karaoke, a night of music and remembrance during the holidays, join favorites like Paws, Poses and Peace and SoulCollage Studio.

With both in-person and virtual options available, the center’s grief professionals are committed to helping individuals and families find hope, resilience and connection as they move through their grief journeys, especially during a season that can make loss feel even more present.

WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

• Creating Hope: Therapeutic Art Exercises in Grief Work – Open to teens and adults, this session uses art therapy techniques to help participants remember loved ones, process grief and build coping strategies. Participants will take part in a garden journaling exercise, using natural elements including pressed flowers to create a window box card. They will be exploring what’s growing, fading, blooming and in need of pruning or nurturing in their lives. It will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Burnett Center for Hope and Healing, 4559 Sixes Road, Prince Frederick, Maryland. The cost is $10.
• Self-Care While Grieving: Chunky Blanket Edition – Grief can feel especially heavy in the fall, making it an important time to slow down, create and care for yourself. Take part in a comforting, hands-on experience making a chunky blanket while connecting with others who understand the grief journey. No experience is needed. It will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $40.
• The Healing Power of Nature — Come together with others experiencing loss and pot plants to take home while reflecting on the life lost to each of us as we honor the life that continues to grow. Planting supplies will be provided. This event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
• Little Pumpkins, Big Feelings – Children ages 6 to 18 can gather for a cozy fall evening designed to help them explore feelings, creativity and connection! First there will be a special screening of a favorite seasonal movie. Then all will enjoy some pumpkin painting before heading outside for a nature walk to take in the sights and sounds of the season. Through play, creativity and time outdoors, children will have an opportunity to talk about big feelings, practice healthy ways to express themselves and simply enjoy being together. This event will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
• Handling the Holidays: A Workshop for Those Living with Loss – After a loss, celebrations hit different. This workshop explores what to expect from grief and strategies to manage holiday stress, schedules, invitations, interactions and traditions. There will also be an opportunity to honor memories. Separate sessions are available for adults and for children ages 6 and older. It will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Burnett Center for Hope and Healing, 4559 Sixes Road, Prince Frederick. The cost is $10 per person or $20 per household. Registration is required by Oct. 19.
• Memory Pillow Making Workshop – Using a button-down shirt or T-shirt belonging to a loved one, participants will receive step-by-step support to transform it into a keepsake pillow. No sewing experience is required. This workshop is limited to 10 participants and registration is required. It will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 24, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $10.
• Lessons from Nature: Carrying Love Through the Seasons – This quarterly children’s nature event is a seasonal, nature-informed gathering designed to help children and teens ages 6 to 18 express emotions and honor loved ones through expressive arts, gentle outdoor experiences and guided reflection. Facilitated by Marie Burgess, a grief therapist, nature-informed therapist and hospice volunteer, it will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 7, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. Light snacks will be provided. The cost is free.
• Paws, Poses and Peace: Yoga and Therapy Dogs – This event features guided meditation, soothing breathing exercises, gentle yoga postures and cuddle time with therapy dogs. No experience, special ability or specific reason is required and people of all ages are welcome. Some mats will be available for use. It will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is $5.
• SoulCollage Studio – Join others for a time to create unique collages reflecting and expressing loss and the journey through life. It will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Hospice of the Chesapeake offices at 1221 Caraway Court, Largo, Maryland. The supply fee is $10.
• Living with Loss Through the Holidays – This workshop offers guidance on coping with the holiday season while grieving. Designed for adults ages 18 and older, it will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Hospice of the Chesapeake offices at 1221 Caraway Court, Largo. The cost is $10 to cover supplies.
• Loss of Life Partner/Spouse Workshop – This support group is for those who have experienced the recent loss of a life partner or spouse within the last year. It will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, at Hospice of the Chesapeake’s offices at 2505 Davis Road in Waldorf. The cost is free.
• A Blue Christmas Family Karaoke – Join in on a night of music and karaoke alongside a music therapist to honor loved ones by singing songs they loved or shared together, solo or as a group. All ages are welcome to participate and find connection with others navigating loss during the holidays. It will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Hope and Healing Center on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.

VIRTUAL SUPPORT

• Loss of Life Partner Virtual Support Group – This online support group is for those who have lost a life partner or spouse. It will meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 via Zoom. The cost is free.
• Caring for the Caregiver – This support group is available for family caregivers of any Chesapeake Supportive Care or Hospice of the Chesapeake and affiliates’ patients. Topics include the importance of self-care, effective coping skills and how to access local supportive resources. It will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10 via Zoom. The cost is free.
• Holding Steady While the Floor is Gone: A Workshop on Parenting While Grieving – This virtual gathering offers guidance for those parenting while grieving, including self-care strategies for grieving parents and caregivers and ways to help children in their care navigate loss. It will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, via Zoom. The cost is free.

IN-PERSON GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

• Drop-In Grief Support Groups are open to anyone grieving. Groups offer participants an opportunity to share their feelings and obtain support from others who are experiencing loss. There is no fee. These groups will meet in Calvert County as follows:

• North Beach Senior Center, 9010 Chesapeake Ave., North Beach, Maryland, from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2.
• Southern Pines Senior Center, 20 Appeal Lane, Lusby, Maryland, from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8.
• Calvert Pines Senior Center, 450 W. Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.

• Loss of Parent or Parental Figure Support Group – This group provides space for adults ages 18 and older grieving the loss of a parent or parental figure to come together to feel supported in their grief, share their feelings and obtain support from peers and a licensed counselor. It will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9, on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.
• Child Loss Support Group – This group is for parents grieving the death of a child, regardless of age or circumstance. It will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 and Nov. 16, at the Hope and Healing Center on the John & Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena. The cost is free.

Unless noted, groups and workshops are intended for adults ages 18 and older. Registration is required for most programs and can be completed by calling 1-888-501-7077 or emailing griefinfo@chesapeakelifecenter.org. Visit www.hospicechesapeake.org/events for a complete listing of in-person and virtual groups and workshops for adults and children.

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Chesapeake Life Center, a program service of Hospice of the Chesapeake, serves hospice family members and the community with bereavement services and activities aimed at enhancing the quality of life for those grieving the loss of a loved one. For details, visit www.chesapeakelifecenter.org.