Activities for Families at Retreats:
• Family Group Therapy: Guided sessions with grief counselors and therapists to allow parents and siblings to openly discuss their emotions, challenges, and coping mechanisms. These sessions create a safe space for family members to support one another and express feelings they may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere.
• Wellbeing Rituals: Activities like lighting candles, releasing balloons, or planting a memory garden to honor the child who has passed or the journey of a child going through cancer. This can provide a physical space for families to come together in remembrance and healing.
• Father-Specific Circles: Creating spaces for fathers to talk with one another about the challenges of loss, grief, or being a caregiver to a sick child. These groups can focus on the emotional weight men often carry in silence, providing a place to share openly.
• Sibling Connection Circles: Sessions where siblings can bond with others who have gone through similar experiences. Using art therapy, play therapy, or story-sharing, they can express their feelings and connect with peers who understand their unique challenges.
• Couples Healing Time: Dedicated time for parents to reconnect as a couple, process their grief together, and strengthen their relationship amidst trauma. This may include couples’ yoga, therapeutic sessions, and quiet reflection.
