Grief and Loss Circle

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INTRODUCTION:
At your Image Reborn retreat, we hope we helped you feel safe, secure, and loved. While we often spend many moments of the weekend deep belly laughing together, we also hold space for a lot of tears. If you attended your retreat within the last few years, you likely participated in a grief circle led by one of our incredible, experienced grief facilitators. This is because we are big believers in the power of grief-tending and have witnessed how sharing grief in community opens us up for deeper connections – to ourselves and to others. It can also open our hearts to experience profound gratitude and joy.

WHY NOW:
Following your retreat, you may begin to notice a desire to tap back into this inner wisdom and deep connection you gleaned from reflecting on and sharing your grief in such a safe, sacred place. New in 2024, Image Reborn is now offering a monthly, virtual “Grief and Loss Circle” to help you continue this practice of honoring and releasing emotions within a community who already understands and supports you.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
We will start each session with a self-check in for your personal reflection. How are you feeling in this moment? No grief or joy is too big or too small. If nothing comes up for you, that is also completely fine. No intention is needed other than the desire to be present and supportive of yourself and others. You may choose to share, or you may choose to only listen. At the end of the session, you will be invited to share your name and contact info with the group, if you choose to do so.

WHAT THIS CIRCLE IS NOT:
This is not a therapy session. It is not a place to placate, fix, or offer feedback or advice to any other participant.

WHEN AND WHERE:
The first Thursday of every month 6:30-8:00 pm MT via Zoom. Please choose a cozy space for yourself where you feel comfortable and are able to be present and free of distractions.

WHO WILL FACILITATE:
Our beautiful, experienced team of grief facilitators each has her own way of guiding the group through a process of honoring grief and then releasing it. Here is a closer look at each of the facilitators leading this series, followed by a schedule of sessions to be offered this year.

1. February 1 – Tara Pennington
2. March 7 – Julia Moench-Parent
3. April 4 – Mindy Relyea
4. May 2 – Mindy Relyea
5. June TBD
6. July 11 (first Thursday is July 4) – Mindy Relyea
7. August 1 – Julia Moench-Parent
8. September 5 – Mindy Relyea
9. October 3 – Special in-person/Virtual (hybrid) event – Julia Moench-Parent, Susan Basmajian (yoga); details to come
10. November 7 – Mindy Relyea
11. December 5 – Julia Moench-Parent

Mindy Relyea will be facilitating the circle on April 4th:

Mindy first came to Image Reborn in 2018, offering her expertise and gentle, patient guidance on all things grief-related. In the past, she has facilitated several weekend renewal retreats and has continued to provide counsel and leadership in educating our facilitators and providers in grief processing.

Her resume is extensive – working in the nonprofit realm for much of her career, providing end-of-life doula services and leadership for those entering the field, and creating intimate and conference-level spaces that promote conversations about death and dying and life and living. She has offered grief sharing circles at Image Reborn retreats; presented at other organization events, such as at the Young Survivor Coalition Summit and Ever Presence Symposium; as well as at many corporation team-building events.