Local Grief Center Aims To Combat Common Holiday Season Struggles

The holiday season brings an enormous amount of excitement for many families, but for those struggling with grief it can be a difficult time of year. 

On Thursday, just 3 weeks from Thanksgiving Oklahoma’s only grief center, Calm Waters, is offering a free workshop to help with those challenges. 

The goal at Calm Waters is to help people identify their feelings, know they’re not alone and find healthy ways to cope. 

The holidays typically bring a large amount of family time and many traditions. The center recognizes that those can be upended by death, divorce or other forms of significant loss. 

“It comes with an overwhelming amount of feelings like sadness, maybe some regret maybe a fear about what is to come," says Calm Waters Executive Director Erin Engelke. 

Engelke says the pandemic has created an environment where people recognize they may need help. Many people have been in isolation. Some were not able to properly memorialize those lost, or properly grieve. 

Calm Waters saw a record number of registrations for this workshop. 

“It creates an enormous amount of emotion,” says Engelke. “I think a lot of families are struggling right now and they’re seeking help." 

The workshop is available to those ages 3 and up. Calm Waters says children are often the most impacted by grief because they don’t always know how to process what they are feeling. They make up for about 70 percent of the center’s grief support services. 

At the workshop Thursday, the kids' group will use art to process emotion, honor a loved one, or honor a tradition that may not happen this year. They are encouraged to bring a photo for a celebration lantern they can take home. 

The adult group will go through a workbook to help build healthy coping practices or develop new traditions. 

Engelke says the workshop is also meant to provide one of the most critical needs, community. 

“We need each other. We need each other to recognize that we're not alone,” she says. “What we're experiencing and feeling in our grief journeys is not unique. There are special ways to navigate that, and it does take leaning on each other to get through it." 

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. at the center’s downtown location on North Walker. 

For those who were not able to register or may not be able to attend, Engelke’s advice is to be gentle with yourself this holiday season. 

She adds the resources at Calm Waters are always available. 

For more information you can head to: www.calmwaters.org