Programs

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Support and Share provides immediate help for grieving individuals. Each session is independent. Sessions are usually held once per month and last 2 hours. Adult participants of all backgrounds can attend. Attendees may be at different stages in the grief process. Attendees can attend alone or bring a support person. At these sessions, attendees will also receive appropriate guidance on recommended programs that will suit their individual needs. Advance registration is required.

This is a 6-week program designed to bring people together who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Any adult experiencing the loss of a loved one (for example, a relative, a friend, parent, partner etc.) can attend this program. Each week, a grief-related topic is covered to help participants move through the grief process in a systematic way. Attendees must commit to the full six weeks and advance registration is required. 

 This 6-week program is designed to bring adult individuals together that have suffered a similar loss. The loss of a spouse/partner program provides a safe space for individuals navigating the complex journey of grief after losing a partner. We offer empathetic support, share experiences and tools to help individuals move through grief. Attendees must commit to the full six weeks and advance registration is required. 

The Loss of a Parent/Grandparent program is a 6-week program that supports adult individuals grappling with the profound loss of a parent. The program provides a safe space to share memories, insights, and ways to heal. Through our peer-led, facilitated approach, you will find comfort in understanding how to navigate the grief process. Attendees must commit to the full six week and advance registration is required. 

This 6-week program provides a nurturing and safe space where adult parents who have lost a child can connect, share their experiences, and find solace in a community that understands the depth of their grief. Each week the trained facilitators discuss topics, provide helpful tools with open discussions on how to move through your loss. Attendees must commit to the full six week and advance registration is required. 

This 8-week program is designed to support individuals who have lost a person through suicide. This program recognizes the unique challenges of this type of grief, including the stigma that many bereaved individuals face. The program is rooted in creating a safe and compassionate space where

participants can learn coping skills, explore their grief journey, and understand how trauma shapes their experience of loss. This program is offered in collaboration with Roots of Hope Nova Scotia. Attendees must commit to the full eight weeks and advance registration is required. 

The 8-week Traumatic Loss program is a general program designed for individuals that are grieving the loss of a loved one through a traumatic event.  This can include loss through an accident, suicide, substance abuse and homicide. This mixed group is supported via our trained peer-support facilitators. Participants will gain coping skills to tackle traumatic grief. Attendees must commit to the full eight week and advance registration is required. 

Recognizing the deep bond between individuals and their animal companions, the 6-week Loss of a Pet program offers space to navigate the unique grief that comes with pet loss. Through the weekly topics and group discussions led by a trained facilitator, participants find comfort, understanding and healing in the company of fellow pet owners who share similar journeys. Attendees must commit to the full eight week and advance registration is required. 

  Resilience and Well-being sessions are designed to foster emotional well-being and empower individuals to navigate life after loss. There is one type of activity offered several times per year allowing individuals to re-discover a path of inner strength and renewal. Activities offered include guided meditation, therapeutic workshops, healing through music, paint nights, creative writing and cooking classes. Advance registration is required. 

 The Death Café is open to everyone and designed to engage and encourage people to openly discuss death with the goal to remove the stigma attached to conversations about death. The idea originates with the Swiss sociologist and anthropologist Bernard Crettaz, who organized the first café mortel in 2004 and is expanding quickly around the world. Bereaved Families Death Cafe events are held all over the province of Nova Scotia at various times per year and are free to attend. They are advertised in the local jurisdictions where they are held. Advance registration is required. 

 BFNS offers a six-week Adolescent Grief program for youth in middle and high school, in partnership with Schools Plus.  For more information, please call 902-574-0200  or e-mail paulaleblanc@@gnspes.ca.