Faith Community to offer grief support

Grief is a hard thing to get through. Faith Community Hospital is offering a support group to help people deal with loss.

A Grief Support Group, led by licensed professional counselor Becky Matlock, will begin a free, six-week cycle starting Monday, June 6 and running through Monday, July 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the FCH Board Room at the hospital on Chisholm Trail.

The group is for teens to older adults and was started after Matlock was approached last Fall about the need for such a group in Jack County. Matlock did some research and found that to be true. After speaking to a Ladies of Faith group about depression in March, she was told by many of the ladies that their depression comes as a result of grief and loss.

“It was then that we decided to put together a group,” Matlock said.

Matlock said the cycle of grief affects everything we do. There are no real topics that are “off the table” during the meetings and Matlock encouraged anyone with a question to ask it.

“What we find is someone will feel a question isn’t a good question or they’re embarrassed to ask it,” Matlock said. “They ask it and someone else in the group will respond they wanted to ask it too.”

Some of the subjects that will be discussed include when is it okay to date again and making decisions on that. Guests will have the opportunity to share what they’re going through as well as learn safe and constructive methods for healing.

Everyone will have the chance to tell their story about who they lost and what they meant to them. Subsequent discussions will deal with the feelings around the loss.

“There is a definite process of grieving even though no two people grieve alike,” Matlock said. “It’s not a true step by step process. People will back slide and go back and forth.”

A light meal will be served to those who RSVP in advance to Becky Matlock at bmatlock@fchtexas.com or call 940-567-6633 for any questions.