Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/882101
IN THE 15 YEARS that I have been Coordinator of The Healing Place, the ways in which we communicate with one another have drastically changed. Today, I can talk to my granddaughter and participate in her life via FaceTime. I can "like" a picture a friend posts on Facebook, or text a loved one at any time of the day or night. Despite the novel ways we stay in touch, most of us would still rather hold our grandchildren than view them on a screen, and have a face-to-face conversation with a friend instead of texting. We will always need people to be physically present in our lives, especially after an event such as the death of a loved one. To be able to give and receive a warm hug and share our stories of grief, to know that we are not the only ones who feel what we are feeling, is both validating and healing. This is why our support groups meet regularly. It is also the reason we continue to offer free one-on-one counseling on a short-term basis. In addition to these support services, we have added new classes and programs that provide tools to navigate life's transitions. Our ongoing meditation groups and Living Mindfully class help anchor us in the present moment. Our Parker Palmer Courage and Renewal Retreats and Living Your Life on Purpose workshop provide tools to create lives that are meaningful and filled with intention. All of this and more is free, or offered at a very low cost, due to the generosity of our donors. We are so grateful to each and every one of them! Inside this magazine you will find descriptions of the key programs offered by The Healing Place. If you are an old friend, we hope you are surprised and delighted by the innovative programs that are now available; and if you are new to The Healing Place, we look forward to getting to know you in the near future. Blessings, Amy Segerstrom MS, LPC Coordinator, The Healing Place: A Center for Life's Journeys A HISTORY OF HEALING FROM COUNSELING SERVICES TO WORKSHOPS AND RETREATS, THE HEALING PLACE IS DEDICATED TO SERVING THE EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THOSE IN ITS COMMUNITY. GRIEF KNOWS NO BOUNDS. The late Monsignor Edmund Klimek, former HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital chaplain, learned this in his early teens when he suffered the loss of his father. As he watched his mother struggle to raise their family, Klimek developed a soft spot for the bereaved, which was why he later became a huge proponent of The Healing Place: A Center for Life's Journeys. The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis established the Center—then under a different name—in 1989 to commemorate the 100th year of HSHS Sacred Heart. It provides free or low-cost services to anyone in the community who has experienced loss and is in need of spiritual and emotional support. Our trained counselor connects with people of all ages and seeks to help them become active participants in their own healing process as they deal with their grief. To offer all of these services at a low cost or free to participants, The Healing Place is funded by wonderful donors through the HSHS Sacred Heart Foundation. TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 A HISTORY OF HEALING 3 A CHANCE TO QUIET THE MIND 4 LOSING YOUR OTHER HALF 6 THE ROAD TO REINVENTION 7 ENDURING THE LOSS OF A CHILD COPING WITH A LOVED ONE'S SUICIDE 8 A GOOD START 4 6 7 8 ® For more information about The Healing Place: A Center for Life's Journeys, visit sacredhearteauclaire.org/a-healthy-you/the-healing-place. To make a donation, visit sacredhearteauclaire.org/giving or call 715.717.3996. 2 I N S P I R I N G H E A LT H