Grief & Bereavement Support

Support For Adults - Drop In Groups

Please note registration is mandatory to ensure each group is the right fit for you. Please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

All programs are offered at no cost and no previous affiliation with the hospice is required. One-to-one counselling is available (in person if it is safe to do so, or by phone or virtual program).

Creating Mindfully

Mindfulness is a tool which can help bring clarity, feelings of groundedness, and increased feelings of calm. Some people find that engaging with deep breathing can be enough to bring them back to present moment, and is enough to move them through the rest of their day. For others, deep breathing is tool that works only when coupled with other mindfulness or grounding activities.

This group has been developed to provide you with additional tactile tools to engage with your life and grief in mindful ways. The goal of Creating Mindfully is to support participants in learning grounding techniques, and also create their own tangible box of tools which can be used to help manage emotions and feelings when things start to feel more difficult.

Join us as we create together, share our grief, and practice mindfulness. Each session will have a theme where we take time to create a tool to help us practice mindfulness while we navigate the ever-changing moments of our grief. You will receive a box of the supplies needed to fully participate in this program. Therefore, pre-registration is required. Please RSVP by one week before the group is set to run.

This group will only run if we can safely gather in person, pending COVID-19 restrictions determined by Public Health.

Creating Mindfully will be held on Thursdays virtually by zoom from 6:30-8:00pm on the following dates:

August 19 – Into the Future – Worry dolls and 5 senses key-chains

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Express Your Grief: An Arts-Based Grief Group

It can be difficult to find the words sometimes. And sometimes we just don’t feel like talking anymore. This is a group for people who want to explore and create space for their grief while doing an activity at the same time. While talking, retelling stories, and verbally remembering our special people can be helpful and healing, there is also opportunity to experience growth through other means, such as art. We are excited to welcome back local artist Nikki Kingsmill to lead our art therapy group of watercolour painting. No previous experience with watercolours required.

Express Your Grief will be held on Wednesdays from 12:00pm – 1:00pm via Zoom.

August 11 – Exploring the Wilderness of Your Grief

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Walking Through Grief

Join certified herbalists Taylor Jeffery and Chris Lamont for a monthly hike at Lowville Park. We will explore this accessible trail which is part of the Bruce Trail by foot, learning about plants growing naturally around us. As we hike, there will be opportunity to share details about your own losses, learn about the season of grief and how this is naturally reflected in the world around us. You will have the chance to connect with the Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice Supportive Care Team, but also with each other in peer to peer conversation. We are excited to offer this program, knowing the deep healing that can come from being in nature together. This hike is designed for any adult who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

This group will only run if we can safely gather in person, pending COVID-19 restrictions determined by Public Health.

Walking Through Grief will be held on the following dates from 9:30am – 1130am

August 21st

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

When Grief Comes to Work: A Frontline Worker Support Group

Grief isn’t something we can take off like a uniform. When working in a field that exposes us to grief and loss, the deaths of those we serve and support can feel difficult to navigate. The Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice presents a monthly group designed for those employed as a frontline worker or in roles that include navigating the grief and loss surrounding clients, patients, or service users.

This group will take place on the first Wednesday of the month, with the option of two group times to best meet the needs of frontline workers. We ask individuals to please RSVP to one of two time slots each month.

Sessions will be held the first Wednesday of the month from 12:00-1:00pm and 7:00-8:00pm on the following dates:

September 1
October 6
November 3
December 1

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Across the Wires: A podcast Club About Grief

Across the Wires is our virtual version of a book club. Instead of reading a book together, each week we will be listening to a different podcast that relates to the week’s theme. On Thursday afternoons we will come together to share about our listening experiences, and how these stories may connect with our own. The group space is a confidential setting, where participation in the discussion is voluntary.

Held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 4:00-5:30pm. Our Fall Dates for Across the Wires is as follows:

September 7
September 21
October 5
October 19
November 2
November 16
December 7
December 21

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Connecting Over Coffee

Join us the 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month for Connecting Over Coffee, a new virtual-based drop-in group! Individuals grieving a loss of a loved one can come together in a more relaxed setting for conversation and support alongside others who are grieving. Connecting over Coffee is facilitated by trained Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice volunteers.

Held the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 7:00-8:30pm. Our Fall Dates for Connecting Over Coffee is as follows:

September 14
September 28
October 12
October 26
November 9
November 23
December 14

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

More than Words: A Music Therapy Grief Support Group

When we experience the death of a loved one, we may grieve in ways that words alone cannot describe. This program offers opportunities for grievers to share, listen, and tell their stories in a supportive environment, using the emotional and creative qualities of music-listening and music-making experiences. Group members will be given time and space to explore/express different themes pertaining to navigating grief through a combination of verbal discussion and musically-based activities. Music will be used to help participants identify and express their own responses to loss, to connect with others who are also grieving, and to learn and develop additional coping skills and music resources that can be used for continued support through the grieving process.

This group will be held in person or virtually dependent on Public Health Guidelines at the time of the group offering.

Participants can register for as many or as few sessions of our music therapy-based drop in group. This group will meet Wednesdays on the following dates (time TBD):

September 22
September 29
October 6
October 13
October 20
October 27
November 3
November 10

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Navigating Our Journey: A Serious Illness Loss Support Group

Loving and losing someone to a serious illness is a unique experience. Sometimes we may also be playing the role of caregiver while still being partners, siblings, children, friends, and parents to our loved one. The uniqueness of our grief, before, during, and after the loss of a loved one, can feel as if your whole world has stopped while the rest of the world continues to turn. Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice invites you to take part in our 8-week group designed for those who have experienced the death of a loved one through a serious illness.. This 8-week group is facilitated by trained hospice volunteers.

This group will be held in person or virtually dependent on Public Health Guidelines at the time of the group offering.

This group will meet Thursday Afternoons from 4:00-6:00 on the following dates:

October 7
October 14
October 21
October 28
November 4
November 11
November 18
November 25

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

First Steps, First Bonds: A Parental Loss Support Group

Each loss is as unique as your relationship with your loved one. The bond between parent and child is one of the first we experience in our life, and at times may be one of our first significant grief experiences in our lives. Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice invites those who experienced the death of a parent or elder to please join us for a 8-week support group facilitated by trained hospice volunteers.

This group will be held in person or virtually dependent on Public Health Guidelines at the time of the group offering.

This group will meet Thursday Evenings from 6:00-8:00 on the following dates:

September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 14
October 28
November 4
November 11

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette

Spousal Loss Support Group

The loss of a spouse and/or partner can be one of life’s greatest challenges. Our spousal loss support group provides an opportunity to connect with other bereaved individuals in a safe and supportive environment. This group welcomes anyone who has experienced the death of their partner and is facilitated by trained hospice volunteers.

This group will be held in person or virtually dependent on Public Health Guidelines at the time of the group offering.

This group will meet Thursday Evenings from 1:00-3:00pm on the following dates:

September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 14
October 28
November 4
November 11

To RSVP please call 905-387-2448 ext. 2206 or email Jessica Milette