The grieving process

Welcome to our Hope & Healing Grief Support Program.

At Howe-Peterson, we believe in being there for our families before their loss, during their loss, and after their loss with our aftercare grief support program. Often, the experience of losing someone can be isolating and difficult for those left behind, so it is our honor to help our families, our communities and support those who are living life after a loss. Our aftercare program focuses on providing a platform for our families and community to share their stories through grief support groups, educational information, and community and resource connection.

In the grieving process, there is no timeline and that means there is no time limit on when you can reach out to us. Whether it is five weeks, five months, or five years, before, during, or after a loss, Howe-Peterson promises to be there for you and your family.

Our aftercare program is run by our Certified Aftercare Coordinator, Danielle Sienkiewicz. Danielle received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and has 10 years of experience working within the death, dying, and bereavement field. She has a specialized background in group facilitating, human development, family dynamics, and crisis intervention. We could not offer our support groups and individualized attention to each family we service without the expertise of Danielle.

Our Support Groups

We offer general grief support groups, called Hope & Healing, that are free to attend, open to anyone, and are continuously ongoing. We believe that connecting our families with other grievers and with their community can help them lessen the isolation that can be felt after experiencing a loss. This means the heavy emotions associated with grief can be eased. We know this benefits group members by helping them learn how to adjust to life without their loved ones. These groups have been especially valuable for those who have lost adult children or spouses/significant others.

Our aftercare program is also proud to be able to offer special support to those who have lost someone to suicide. A loss from suicide can be especially difficult to navigate, so we are honored to offer a grief support group called “Grief After Suicide.” It’s facilitated by our own aftercare coordinator and a clinical social worker/psychotherapist. This group is active in the suicide prevention community and has had a lot of success in fundraising for suicide prevention organizations.

Special Sessions and Events

We often host special grief support groups such as Loss During the Pandemic and our After School Special designed for the younger members of our families. These are run at different times during the year or upon request.