Grief is a natural process and Alive Grief Support Services is a comprehensive program that addresses the needs that arise following the death of a loved one. Alive Grief Support Services provides bereavement care for patients’ family members and the community at large. Our services are designed to meet the bereavement needs of children and adults who have experienced the death of a loved one in the past two years.

Help with Coping 
Alive Grief Support Services has professional grief counselors and trained volunteers to guide individuals through the process of mourning. This assistance is available in both individual counseling sessions and group settings for any bereaved person, regardless of the nature of the death. Grief counseling helps adults, children and families cope with death and grief as families face the loss of a loved one.

Programs Offered by Alive Grief Support Services
Counselors with master’s degrees in social work or a related field provide the types of support services listed below. To receive any of these services or for more information, call (615) 963-4732. To reach a counselor in our Murfreesboro office, call (615) 907-1677.

Individual Counseling 
Individual sessions provide clients a one-on-one counseling opportunity. Sessions are provided free of charge to relatives of Alive Hospice patients. A fee of $30 per session is charged for people whose relative was not an Alive Hospice patient. However, no one is denied counseling because of an inability to pay. Arrangements can be made for the fee to be reduced or waived.

Support Groups

Groups provide participants the opportunity to receive grief support along side others who may be experiencing similar thoughts and feelings. The groups are offered several times a year. There is a $40 participation fee, but it can be waived if needed.

• Spouses Group: for those who have experienced the death of a spouse
• General Grief Group: for adults grieving the death of a family member or friend
• Bereaved Parents Group: for any parent who has experienced the death of a child, regardless of the child’s age
• Children’s Group (grades 1-8): for young people who have experienced the death of a family member or friend
• Camp Evergreen and Camp Forget-Me-Not: three-day summer camps for children who have experienced the death of a family member or friend
• Teen Retreat: Overnight weekend camp retreat for high school students who have experienced the death of a family member or close friend.
• Holiday seminars: support sessions offering helpful strategies for coping with the intensified sense of loss during the holiday season
• Additional support groups: additional support groups such as Loss of a Same-Sex Partner offered as community needs arise

Additional Services for Alive Hospice Families  

Bereavement Care Notes contain helpful material about the grief process and suggestions for coping during the time of adjustment. These mailings are sent regularly to the bereaved during the first year after the patient’s death.

Memorial Services are held regularly and provide an opportunity for families, Alive Hospice staff, volunteers and friends to remember those who have died in the recent past.

Community Services

Alive Hospice’s Grief in the Workplace series brings our professional grief support staff into area businesses to give employees an opportunity to address grief issues that may arise in work environments. Fee for services is based on length of presentation and number of staff needed.

Educational presentations about dying, death and grief are offered as a community service to faith communities, schools and civic groups upon request.