The HOPE Connection Group, New Beginnings, is an ongoing personal growth support group for people who have attended the two-year bereavement program and are now two years or more past the date of their loss. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at Valley Beth Shalom and the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at Wilshire Temple. In order to have a healthy group, we require a commitment to attend both groups each month. Consistency in group attendance makes for a more cohesive and safe group structure. As in the grief groups, issues of confidentiality are paramount to making this a safe group. If an individual misses two groups in a row without authorization, you will lose membership in the group.
The New Beginnings group assists individuals to discuss and transition into their new role as a “single,” and sometimes as a new couple. Issues discussed might include: family and friend relationships, dating, the life of a single person, changing values and beliefs, spirituality, grief issues that get activated and how to create a healthy, functional life after grieving the death of a spouse. This is a place for you to problem solve life’s ongoing struggles, share life’s joys and continue to feel connected.
Mother Teresa said to one of her anxious novices, “Don’t worry, in the United States, even the pets are lonely.” This is HOPE’s way of offering you a place to feel connected while you go about the task of creating a new life after the death of your spouse.
