As a bereavement counsellor, Louise Brazier has worked with people experiencing various types of loss.
Lately, however, she has been seeing an increasing number of people who have lost loved ones to overdoses.
“I’ve been seeing more people over the last year, year and a half with losses related to this,” said Brazier, bereavement services co-ordinator with Hospice Orillia.
In response, the agency is starting a bereavement group for those dealing with the overdose-related deaths of loved ones.
“It’s heartbreaking that we have to do a specialized group, but it’s a sign of the times,” Brazier said.
Family and friends of people who have had fatal overdoses have attended Hospice Orillia’s regular bereavement groups, but Brazier noticed a demand for a specialized group.
“What we kept hearing over and over is that people felt there was a stigma — and there is — attached to this and they wanted to be with people who knew what they were going through,” she said.
“There are many layers to this. We’re here to give them a safe space to go through some themes and give them a chance to grieve.”
The sessions will run Wednesdays for eight weeks, from 1 to 3 p.m., starting April 17. They will take place at the agency’s offices in the Common Roof building at 169 Front St. S.
Registration is required, and spots are filling up fast. If necessary, a second group will be added.
To register, or for more information, contact Brazier at 705-325-0505, ext. 209, or [email protected].
