We have all been there

Anyone who works with children and teens may be familiar with that sinking feeling that occurs when children ask difficult questions about death and divorce, or are experiencing sad and painful feelings.

On average, most adolescents will encounter 15 significant losses before they reach adulthood.
Some of the most common ones are:

Loss of a grandparent
Loss of a pet
Divorce
Moving / Changing schools
(Cyber)Bullying
Gang Violence
Covid

The recent monumental changes a global pandemic has brought, have created a huge disruption in our lives, often layering loss upon loss in a very short time.

Warning signs of unresolved and un-heard grief can include:

Angry outbursts
Difficulties concentrating
Bad dreams and trouble sleeping
Risk-taking behaviors
Sudden disinterest in activities

The way we support children in their grief is vital to their further development and overall well being.

Who this is for

This program is designed for adults with children and teenagers in their care:

Parents, grandparents & foster parents
School and preschool teachers
Nannies and Child Care workers
Youth Group leaders
Pastoral Staff
Community Outreach personell

and any other adult who has a position of trust in a child or teens’ life.

If you care about them - you qualify.

The HCWL programm is ACE’s informed and was created with the awareness that adverse childhood events can have a permanent impact on a person's wellbeing and later life.

HCWL has been adapted for children using the evidence-based Grief Recovery Method®, which has successfully helped thousands of grievers all over the world heal from the pain of personal loss.

Adults go first

How did we cope with emotionally painful events when we were younger? Chances are, we were given a list of logical sounding reasons why we should not feel sad.

Don’t be sad, we get you a new cat/dog/toy.
Grandma is no longer in pain.
Just think of all the new friends you’ll make.
Our new house is going to be so much bigger.
You’ll have two Christmases: one at mom’s and one at dad’s house.

Did any of those help? Not likely. Grief lodges in the heart. Grief is emotional, not intellectual.

While well-intentioned, statements like the above can even make the problem worse. Unfortunately, many adults have internalized the message that it is not okay to show sad feelings, or cry our tears when they are a healthy expression of an emotional truth. If that is all we know, then - we will pass on these same ideas!

As we seek to support those who are experiencing heart break, we dismantle myths that surround grief and replace them with helpful and actionable concepts.

When we go first, we change the trajectory for future generations and set a new, healthy tone for the emotional health of the children in our care.