Man’s feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell – Jean Paul Richter, writer, 1763-1825 At HOPE Connection, we encourage every group member to say goodbye to other group members and the group therapist when they move from one group to the next. There is a rationale behind this tradition, which you can read about here. Following this tradition, a group…
(818) 788-HOPE (4673)
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
Grief Support Groups Serving West Los Angeles, Encino and Agoura Hills
First Person (Page 4)
Man’s feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell — Jean Paul Richter, writer, 1763-1825
At HOPE Connection, we have a tradition that we encourage every group member to participate in. It is the simple act of saying goodbye to other group members and the group therapist when a member moves from one group to the next.
Character – Etched In Your Soul Have you ever wondered how — or if — grief has changed you? It seems like a simple question. At least that’s what I thought when the therapist leading our support group asked us: “How has grief changed you?” Then I realized that what seemed simple, wasn’t. Because my first thought was, “I haven’t changed.” And almost…
Michael L. Thal, an accomplished freelancer, is the author of The Koolura Series, Goodbye Tchaikovsky, and The Abduction of Joshua Bloom. He has written and published over 80 articles for magazines and newspapers including Highlights for Children, The Los Angeles Times and San Diego Family Magazine. You can learn more about him at his website or contact him at michaelthal@sbcglobal.net
Michael lives in Encino, CA. He’s the proud father of two adult daughters, Channie (who is also a HOPE therapist) and Koren, and the grandfather of Arielle, Shaye and Jordan.
Grief is part of us, for we’ve all experienced the loss of a loved one. I first experienced this emotion when my grandmother died when I was 10. Later in life my beloved uncle passed away, then my father and a decade later, my mom. I dealt with those losses and moved on, though memories of their lives are still a profound influence on me today. The most difficult loss, however, was the passing of my wife, Jila, who died three years ago from stage four-colon cancer.
I exhale. The breath born but a moment ago recedes into the past as I await the next breath to begin. Because every breath is a gateway between past and future, breathing is an ever-present metaphor for the temporal world in which we live. Nature’s patterns proceed in rhythms. Requiring belief in life’s continuity in stark counter-point to the reality of our…
Losing a parent is a unique event, and HOPE Connection’s Parent Loss Groups have proven to be just as invaluable as our Spousal Loss Groups. Here, Sydell Weiner gives a powerful testimony to the life-long effect of losing a parent. Click here for more information about HOPE Connection’s Parental Loss Groups. I ride to the cemetery with my step-sister’s daughter, a red-headed…
The hospital smells of disinfectant, trying to mask the presence of heartbreak and disease. I walk into my husband’s room and give him a hug. I hold on tight, and even though he’s too weak to reciprocate, I relish the familiar touch and feel of his body. How, I wonder, will I find the strength to watch him decline. He promised he’d…
Stella Davies became interested in healing from an early age, earning a Post-Graduate Expressive Arts Therapy (Drama) diploma at 22. In 2005 she discovered Reiki, trained as a teacher in 2011 and then as a Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master in 2014. Contact Stella at Info@StellaDavies.com. Losing a loved one is one of the most traumatic life events we can experience. The loss reverberates through our being on…
When our kids were growing up, they played in little league. Whatever my son did, my daughter also wanted to do. When they were playing, I would often help out with coaching. I wasn’t the main coach but was a base coach most of the time. The important thing to remember about being a base coach is that you need to put…
Los Angeles & Ventura County Grief Support Groups The mission of HOPE Connection is to help people whose lives have been touched by the death of a loved one – by providing individual and group support, educational programs and information that helps alleviate the pain of grief and promote healing. In this series of videos, Group Members share what HOPE Connection has…