When a loved one dies, nothing is the same for children and young people. They find themselves in an emotional state of emergency, their thoughts and feelings go round in circles and they themselves no longer know what is happening to them.
The "HopiKids" are a great help in this situation. In the form of individual grief counseling and grief groups, children and young people find support and understanding here.
An experienced team of full-time staff from the outpatient hospice service and the inpatient hospice "Am Roten Läppchen", together with trained volunteers, offer this bereavement work for children and young people.
In individual counseling, a few conversations are often enough to better understand irritating experiences of grief. If these conversations reveal that more than grief counseling is needed, additional therapeutic support may be recommended.
In the "HopiKids" children's bereavement group, the children learn that they are not alone in their situation. They share their grief with each other. They learn that other children have also experienced loss and support each other in the group. As children grieve differently to adults, it is a great help for them to express and experience their grief together with other children.
Therapy dog Motte is also an important part of the group and a good door opener for some difficult situations.
Before the first group meeting, there is a preliminary discussion with the children and their relatives. During the children's bereavement group, there are two parents' evenings for the parents.
The "Hopi-Kids" meet every 14 days from 16:00-18:00 in the house of the outpatient hospice service in Hamm, Dolberger Straße 57, 59073 Hamm.
Information about the service and the meetings is available from the outpatient hospice service:
Phone: 02381-30440
E-mail: trauer@hospiz-hamm.de
Website: www.hospiz-hamm.de
Photo © Sylvie Blätgen