Grief Services Overview

As part of our mission to serve the entire community, we offer bereavement services—at no cost—to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, even if their loved one didn't receive end-of-life care from Hospice of Southern Maine.

Kelly Blanchette, CT, CCLS
Bereavement Services Manager

Contact our Bereavement Department
207-289-3674
bereavement_dept@hospiceofsouthernmaine.org

Grief & Bereavement

Bereavement is the unspecified period of time that follows the death of a significant person in your life—when someone you love dies, you become bereaved.

Grief is the naturally occurring response to the loss—the internal feelings that arise that cannot be wished away. Grief is not an event, but an ongoing process, unique to each individual. Often grief can include feelings of overwhelming sadness, emptiness, anger, confusion, and despair. The duration and intensity of grief is directly related to the depth of the love and connection you shared with the one who died. One can grieve without mourning.

Mourning is the outward manifestation and public expression of grief. It might include a funeral or memorial service, participating in healing rituals, and sharing the loss with others - whether individually or in a support group setting. It often includes crying and the ability to express many feelings of grief. Mourning facilitates the path towards healing and the ability to once again find meaning and joy in life.

Individual Bereavement Services

While we offer many grief support groups, we recognize some people are not comfortable with the thought of sharing their grief in a group setting and would prefer to meet individually with a bereavement professional to process their grief. We offer individual bereavement counseling to family and friends of HSM patients for up to 13 months following the death of their loved one. We also offer up to 6 counseling sessions to individuals whose loved one did not receive Hospice of Southern Maine’s services.

Counseling for children is also available. Our children’s sessions look very different from adult counseling sessions; we use art, games, STEM activities, movement, and mindfulness to help children process grief and develop coping mechanisms.

Sessions may be held by either phone, Zoom, or in person at our Scarborough office. If necessary or requested, we make referrals to outside grief therapists.

For more information, please contact our Bereavement Services team at bereavement_dept@hospiceofsouthernmaine.org or (207) 289-3640.

Meet Our Bereavement Team

  • Kelly Blanchette, CT, CCLS

    Bereavement Services Manager

  • Maria McCann, LCSW

    Bereavement Support Counselor

  • Taylor Watts-Hall, LCSW

    Bereavement Support Counselor