The past year and a half has been unprecedented, due to the pandemic. Health guidelines and safety protocols have impacted us greatly – limiting our interaction with others, restricting activities, and completely transforming the way we live, work, socialize and even seek emotional support and guidance.
In order to help the South Jersey community cope with the loss of a loved one due to coronavirus, Samaritan is offering a complimentary, six-week virtual support group called Coping With A COVID-19 Loss. Whether the loved one is a family member, spouse, close friend or others, this group is specially designed to provide unique guidance and support to those who may have experienced the loss of a loved one during the pandemic, which is a traumatic experience in and of itself.
“The reality is that some individuals have been uniquely touched by or have directly experienced the loss of a loved one during the pandemic,” explains Kimberly Rumaker, MSS, LCSW, Manager of Social Work and Counseling Services at Samaritan. “This kind of loss can be extremely difficult to deal with under normal circumstances. But when you consider the fresh, compounding emotional trauma brought on by the pandemic, these individuals need a special kind of support. That is where we at Samaritan can step in – showing individuals that they never have to face their loss or grieve alone.”
Each virtual session runs for 90 minutes and offers supportive information about coping, communication and compassion for self and others, while reinforcing the importance of self-care and addressing the unique challenges the worldwide pandemic poses on those in need of grief support.
The kick-off session for Coping With A COVID-19 Loss is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 at 6 p.m. Space is limited for this group – pre-registration is required by contacting the Samaritan Center for Grief Support via phone at (856) 596-8550 or e-mail at [email protected].
The Samaritan Center for Grief Support, a member of the Samaritan family of services, offers several free services for those seeking support, focusing on their own unique emotional needs during these unprecedented times. The Center’s team of dedicated professionals works tirelessly to explore new, creative ways of providing both one-on-one counseling and group support via telephone and other virtual platforms.
For an updated schedule and additional information on support groups being offered by Samaritan in 2021, visit: https://samaritannj.org/resources/grief-support-groups-south-nj/.
