Healing Your Broken Heart After the Death of a Baby

is a 6-week educational grief group for parents

by Camille Hawkins, LCSW with Camille Hawkins Counseling  & Lyndsey Proctor, LCSW with Serenity Wellness & Recovery

Dates: Group will occur on Thursday Evenings May 5 – June 9 2022  7:30-9:00 pm

Cost: $40 per class for an individual/couple, $240 total full six-week commitment required 

About the Group: This group is for anyone who is struggling with their grief journey after a pregnancy loss or death of a baby including miscarriage, stillbirth, termination for medical reasons, or infant death. The group will take place in an online classroom in order to reach a broader range of urban and rural parts of Utah

Topics will include:

• Understanding grief as it pertains to the death of a baby
• Understanding trauma
• Dealing with depression and anxiety
• Healing rituals and keeping your baby’s memory alive
• Facing the outside world
• Navigating grief in an intimate partnership
• Talking with young children about loss
• Living your best life after loss
  And More!

About the Facilitators: Camille Hawkins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is a leading reproductive and perinatal specialist in Utah. In addition to providing one-on-one therapy, Camille is also involved in community nonprofit work as the founder and prior Executive Director of Utah Infertility Resource Center. She currently serves on the board of Postpartum Support International Utah’s Chapter and the Utah Reproductive Mental Health Network. She volunteered at the Sharing Place, a grief support center for families, and worked on the OB floor of a hospital assisting families at the bedside when they experienced stillbirth or infant death. Camille is also a certified teacher through the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death. She has personal experience with grief and loss through infertility, miscarriage, and the stillbirth of her daughter, Everly.

Lyndsey Proctor is the founder and owner of Serenity Wellness & Recovery, a center focusing on supporting the mental health of families before, during, or after pregnancy.

Interested in attending? Fill out and submit the following request for Enrollment. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I lost a pregnancy/baby at ____ gestation/age. Will the group be a good fit for me? This group is for anyone who has lost a pregnancy/baby regardless of age/gestation. The concepts apply to anyone who had a deep connection to a baby/pregnancy and each participant will be guided to apply the concepts to their specific grieving situation. The facilitators are experienced in managing different types of loss in one space, acknowledging everyone’s story is unique and valid. If you have specific questions about your situation please reach out to discuss.

How long ago/recent does the loss need to be? A: Grief is a lifelong process, so there is no rule on how recent the loss needs to be in order to participate. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions regarding your situation.

Is this group online or in person? This group will be taught in an online format in order to increase access to families who need the information and support

Can people outside Utah enroll? Yes. Due to this group being education-based and not a therapy group, people outside of Utah are welcome.

Who can participate? This specific group is designed for parents. We encourage single parents, couples, and step-parents to attend. We know there is much needed support for other family members such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, etc. Check with Star Legacy Foundation, The Sharing Place, and Share Parents of Utah for extended family support.

Can I cry and fall apart? I want to attend, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold it together. Crying is an appropriate and natural reaction to grief and loss and is welcome in the group. Many people who have lost a pregnancy/baby have also experienced trauma and some may need more calming skills and resources before they are able to open their mind to grief and loss concepts. If you are unsure if you’re ready for learning in a group setting, please reach out to discuss.

How much sharing will be involved? This group is education-based so there will be a wealth of information presented by the facilitators as it pertains to grieving a baby/pregnancy. At times, individuals will be invited to share how the concepts apply to them, but are never required to share. Commenting in the chat is another way past participants have shared.

What is the cost? The cost is $40/class. Payment for the full six-weeks is required which is $240 for 6 weeks or $280 with the optional pregnancy after loss class. Participants may pay in full or reach out to request a payment plan.

What if I need to miss a week? We will record the classes if everyone in the class consents to it. If that isn't an option, group members will still have other ways to access the material through slides and handouts.

Is this a processing group/psychotherapy group format? No. All of our groups in this series are educational support groups. The focus of these groups will be on psychoeducation of navigating grief and loss and associated topics. If you have personal needs for therapy those will need to be addressed outside of this group. Feel free to reach out to the facilitators if you need help with a referral.

Is this an open group? No. This is a closed group, meaning once we start the group we do not allow others to join. As such, full payment for the entire six weeks is required in order to enter the group. If an emergency arises, please discuss with the facilitators. 

This group address multiple types of loss. What if I feel uncomfortable knowing there will be others who have different experiences than mine? Some may initially feel uncomfortable to be in a space with another family whose experience is so different from theirs. In grief work, the concepts we teach are the same regardless of the age or gestation of pregnancy, and each person responds differently and individually to grief. In the group, we will not compare losses, but allow people to identify which concepts taught apply to them and their grief process. Each person gets to define how their loss affects them and their lives. 

What if I feel triggered by some of the educational material? Having compassion for ourselves in the grieving process is one of the core focuses of our curriculum. Working through triggers compassionately in the safety of the group environment is one of the many benefits of the group process. Please note, in the educational material to aid in teaching important concepts, there will be images of families spending time with their babies who have died of all ages and gestations.

 

What kind of equipment do I need to participate in group? Each participant will require a device with video, audio, and a microphone. If there are two people attending on one screen, please set up so both of you can be seen on the camera. It is encouraged for all members to keep their videos on throughout the group to increase feelings of connection. If you have other children, we recommend having someone else to tend to their needs so as to not have interruptions that may be triggering to other group members and you can put your full attention on the class content.

What are the start times of each class? Check-in for the class is between 7:15-7:25 pm and the class will begin promptly at 7:30 pm. Due to the sensitive nature of the group, admittance to the group will close at 7:40 pm unless previously discussed with a facilitator. Do you have any questions about this?

 

Consent to Participate: Participation in a psychoeducation group can result in several benefits, including more knowledge and support for a specific topic.  This group is an educational support group, meaning the focus will be on psychoeducation about navigating grief and loss and associated topics. As such, some of the topics may bring up considerable discomfort or distress. This group is not a psychotherapy group, meaning if you have personal needs for therapy or to process what you are learning in the group at a deeper level, those needs will need to be addressed outside of this group. Enrolling in this class does not constitute a patient-client relationship.

Payment: Full payment for the entire course is due before enrolling in the class. Insurance for this particular class is not accepted. Payment arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis and will need to be arranged with the facilitators in advance. This is a closed group, meaning once we start the group we do not allow others to join after the second class. As such, full payment for the entire class is required in order to enter the group and will not be refunded in the case of a missed group session. If an emergency arises, please discuss with the facilitators.

Confidentiality: Information you disclose within group sessions and the written records pertaining to those sessions will be kept confidential by the group facilitators, except where disclosure is required by law. Disclosure is required where there is a reasonable suspicion of child, dependent or elder abuse or neglect; and where a client presents a danger to self or others. All group members will be required to make a commitment to group confidentiality, but members should participate with the understanding that other members are not bound legally to this commitment as the group facilitators are. The groups will only be recorded if all participants consent and recordings will only be shared via a password-protected link with an expiration date.

Dual Relationships: The group facilitators have a commitment to maintaining professional relationships with all group members. They will never acknowledge working with anyone without his/her permission.  For this reason, the group facilitators will not accept any invitations via social networking sites such as Instagram, Facebook, etc. If you are to see your group facilitator at a community event or in person, it is up to you whether or not to approach the facilitator to say hello.

Materials: Group members agree to not record the classes themselves or to redistribute any of the course materials or handouts without prior permission.

Group members agree to the following guidelines: In order to maintain a safe learning environment, we have a few group guidelines we ask each class member to follow:

Class will begin promptly at 7:30, please log in between 7:15-7:25 to check-in
Arrange childcare for any other children so there are not any triggering interruptions to others
Silence cell phones and manage other possible interruptions
Be located in a private area
We ask that cameras are on during the group when possible
Please mute mics when not speaking and utilize “raise hand” feature
Respect the confidentiality of each group member
Show respect to all group members
Honor that everyone’s experience is valid and unique
Allow every member equal opportunity to share
Give directed advice only when invited
Tears and all emotions are welcome, touch base with a facilitator if you need additional support resources
Refrain from recording or redistributing any class materials without prior permission
By signing below, I am stating that I understand this consent form and I agree to its terms. I agree to follow the above guidelines to ensure a supportive and safe learning environment for all involved.