Living with Grief: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved one

Facilitated by Bernadette Arena and Allison Boyle, these residential programs provide that opportunity in a safe and nurturing space at the Quest for Life Centre in Bundanoon.

At times, grief can feel unbearable and all-consuming. We’re left with shattered hopes and expectations and, for some, a tumult of conflicted and painful emotions. This program addresses your heartache and provides a shared understanding of the often-lonesome journey through the complexities of grief.

Grief around suicide is often complicated as it frequently comes with overwhelming guilt, shame, anger, blame or feelings of failure or regret. We don’t grieve for a time, and then we’re ‘over’ it. We grieve for a lifetime but, with understanding, self-compassion and support, we can learn to live a meaningful life. Grief is intensely personal and idiosyncratic. When we draw together with other people who truly understand, we can drop the mask of coping and find common ground in our grieving.

Suicide may be planned, but often it’s a spontaneous decision due to overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, emotional or physical pain and/or distress or, their decision stems from a mental illness. Occasionally there are no discernible signs. Their suicide is a catastrophic decision, never to be understood.

While mental illness may play a role in suicide, not everyone who dies by suicide is mentally ill. Some families have experienced years of treatments and hospitalisations. They’ve lived with the daily nightmare of feeling their much-loved child, sibling or friend slipping through their fingers. While for others their death by suicide comes as a total shock.

We can gain strength, comfort and create a healing pathway to a future worth living when we join with others who truly understand the devastating consequences of a death by suicide.

Program inclusions

• Friday Arrival 2-3pm. Dinner, accommodation, welcome session and workbook.
• Saturday breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, accommodation and all sessions
• Sunday Departure after lunch. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, and all sessions.