Our Programs
Creative expression is weaved into all of our programs at Full Circle. Our “Hands On Healing” approach allows children and families to use creative arts to assist them in experiencing their grief and working through their feelings. Art, writing, music, crafts, scrapbooking, photography, movement, play, and other hands on activities are used to enhance communication, express feelings, and release stress and anxiety.
Our goal is to create a compassionate place where families feel comfortable, find on-going support and resources, share their experiences, and begin healing. Each family member’s needs are unique and we offer a wide-ranging circle of options for expressing grief. We do not attempt to fit families into a “one size fits all” program. We look at the individuals that make up a family and decide which part of the circle would best meet their needs. Grief work takes place on an individual’s time table, not ours.
Learn more about our programs here:
Grief Counseling Programs
“Hands On Healing” groups
Peer grief counseling groups with a focus on creative outlets will be offered for individuals who have experienced the loss of a parent, sibling, primary caregiver, close friend, or someone significant to them. Concurrent sessions also will be offered for the parents or caregivers of children attending the counseling groups. Led by a licensed counselor, the groups are offered on an 8 week cycle. Each group consists of a 20 minute family activity and 50 minute peer groups. These groups are formed based on age, and are a combination of structured time - such as discussion, whole group exercises and art activities - and unstructured self-guided activities - such as crafts, drawing, painting, journaling, movement, or play. The counselors work to help the group members to identify feelings, develop ways to deal with the loss and establish effective coping strategies and communication skills.
Click here to learn more about our current Hands On Healing groups.
Individual Counseling
Short-term individual counseling services will be offered to children facing a variety of circumstances. These services are not considered therapy, only a forum allowing for expression of feelings, thoughts, beliefs, etc. through art, role play, journaling, or discussion. If the circumstances warrant long-term counseling or a particular expertise, then our counselors will offer an appropriate referral for a mental health provider outside of our organization.
Community Outreach
We will create partnerships with community organizations and schools to run our “Hands On Healing” groups at their facility. The goal is to join our efforts to support grieving children who may not otherwise have access to grief support services. In addition, our grief counselors are available to members of the community during times of terminal illness and loss. The professionals at Full Circle are available to come to a neighborhood, school, religious organization, community center, etc. and hold a group meeting with the children dealing with loss. The groups are made up of discussion, age-appropriate art/play, and remembrance activities to help the children process what they feel and the loss they have experienced.
Education Programs
Grief Resource Library
The memorial library houses books, grief journals, and other resources related to bereavement and the care of the grieving. The library can be used by anyone associated with Full Circle and books can be checked out for a specified period of time. In addition, individuals can donate books to the library “in memory of” their loved one.
“Conversations About Grief “series
Our “Conversations About Grief” meetings teach ways children grieve differently than adults, signs of normal vs. complicated grief, options for supporting grieving children, and resources available to help individuals dealing with a loss. We visit homes for informal gatherings, go to places of business or worship for a seminar, or speak at an organization’s meeting.
Remembrance Programs
Creative Connections
Full Circle offers a hands-on, creative outlet for those grieving the death of a loved one. Creative Connections allows individuals to use writing, art, crafting, or other creative avenues to enhance their healing process and create a keepsake to honor a loved one. A different theme is presented each month. Theme examples include creating quilts from loved one‘s belongings, developing a website/blog, creating a book of stories or poems to commemorate the loved one, painting a picture or writing a goodbye letter, scrap booking, making photo collages or family albums, using various art mediums to process feelings, building a memory box, and using poetry to document feelings/thoughts. Currently, these once a month workshops are offered through a partnership with Hospice of Virginia.
“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” - From the television show The Wonder Years