Program Over the Mountains
The program Over the Mountains operates during the school year – from September to May. In September, the application process for the program begins and introduction meetings are organized with families. In October work in groups and/or individual consultations begin.
Introductory meeting
Up to 2 weeks after the application has been completed, an Over the Mountains specialist will contact You and arrange an introductory meeting. During the meeting we will evaluate what type of support would be most suitable for Your family. You will also have the opportunity to get acquainted with Over the Mountains offer, rooms and to get insight into questions about mourning processes.
Types of support
Individual consultations: if a relative has died in the recent past or the mourning process is traumatic or complicated, an individual consultation would be beneficial. Consultations can be arranged at a time that works for you and together with a specialist, You can evaluate whether the whole family should participate together or individually.
Over the Mountains groups: it has been established that besides professional support, support from those, who have experienced a similar loss, is a very significant resource for overcoming sorrow. It is even more important to a child who feels the need to fit in with their peers, but after the loss, they might feel different. In Over the Mountains groups children have the opportunity to meet peers that have experienced similar loss, therefore, allowing them to better understand each other.
The group for the younger children (0-6 years) and their parents/guardians is organized from the beginning of November until the middle of April, every other Thursday, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, the total of 11 meetings. Children (7-11 years) and adolescent (12-18 years) take place from the middle of October until the end of April, every other Thursday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, the total of 13 meetings. The parent/guardian group takes places parallel to the children and adolescent groups once a month, the total of 7 meetings.
Over the Mountains group for the younger children (0-6 years) and their parents/guardians
In the parents/guardians group we will discuss what sorrow is and how it is expressed at different ages; what are the most common difficulties a family experiences after the loss of a relative and ways to overcome those difficulties; how to improve communication, get ready for holidays as well as talk about other questions and discuss concerns You might have.
The children ready to leave the safety of their parents’ nest are welcome in the next room, where a preschool teacher from Montessori and an art therapist will engage in creative activities with the children. They will play with toys, musical instruments, colour, create and make friends. During the activities, experiences and feelings associated with the sorrow will be discussed and expressed and recall of positive memories with the lost relative will be encouraged.
Over the Mountains group for children (7-11 years), teenagers (12-18 years) and their parents/guardians.
With children in one group and teenagers in the other, we will think and talk about what means grieving and how it makes us feel, how the death of a loved one has impacted grades in school and relationships with friends, how to cope with anger, fear, and to find more positive activities in life and expand support system. Together we will search for the answer to the question "why?", learn relaxation exercises that will help us feel better, remember and honor the life of a dear loved one. In addition to these grieving activities, we will fill our belly with a delicious pizza, socialize and spend time in active and creative activities.
In the parent/guardian group, we will talk about what grieving is and how it is manifested at different ages; what are the most common difficulties a family faces after losing a loved one and look for ways that can help them overcome them; how to improve communication with each other, how to prepare for the holidays and celebrations, and discuss other topics.