Bothwell Regional Health Center to start new grief support group

Bothwell Regional Health Center is starting a new grief support group offered to the public and employees. The group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays starting Sept. 7 through Oct. 26 in the Bothwell Education Center at 600 E. 14th St. in Sedalia.

Hospital Chaplain Rob Ayers recently became a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and will lead the group. Ayers has served as Bothwell’s chaplain for nearly eight years and is pastor at Camp Branch Baptist Church. He has 30 years of experience in ministry and counseling and also teaches philosophy, ethics and religion part-time at State Fair Community College.

Ayers said he saw a need in the hospital for a program that helps employees and others cope with loss.

“Grief from loss comes in many forms including from death, divorce, career, trust, faith, safety and health,” he said. “I knew I needed to become certified in grief counseling because I have seen many Bothwell employees, patients and their families go through significant loss, and I want to help them understand grief in themselves and in the case of employees, in their work.”

Ayers will use the Grief Recovery Method Outreach Program, based on the Grief Recovery Handbook, and guide those who wish to resolve their loss issues and move beyond their grief to a richer quality of life. In the eight-week program, Ayers will help participants discover what their grief is, assist in developing coping mechanisms and debunk myths associated with grief.

The class may be joined during the first two weeks, and it then becomes a closed group. There is no fee to join the group; however, participants are encouraged to purchase the program book for $10 at the start of the course.

For more information or to register, contact Ayers at cayers@brhc.org or 660.287.1090.

To view other classes and support groups, visit brhc.org/classes.

Bothwell Regional Health Center also hosts a grief recovery group in collaboration with Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care on Mondays. The next group starts on Sept. 11.