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About Grief Healing Discussion Groups Experience teaches us that, when facing life-threatening health concerns or the gut-wrenching grief that accompanies significant loss, we respond well to the information, comfort and support available to us on the Internet, provided that it is valid and reliable. It helps us feel as if we are not alone, exposes us to alternative ways of understanding and managing our responses, and puts us in touch with resources we might not know about otherwise.
Who can use the site? Authority - How does this site differ from other online grief support groups? What distinguishes our Grief Healing Discussion Groups site is that, unlike other self-help forums for the bereaved, this one is privately administered, closely monitored and professionally moderated to ensure the highest level of quality, safety and security for our participants. Every post is reviewed and read by our moderator, a nationally certified grief counselor who visits the site several times a day. (Our moderator feels a deep personal and professional responsibility to monitor our site in a way that encourages understanding, growth and healing. Verify her qualifications and professional credentials here.) Confidentiality - What about privacy? Membership is free, but will require that you register with a unique user name (not your "real" name) and secret password of your own choosing. Bear in mind that whatever you post on our site will be visible to anyone who visits the site, and may be searchable on public search engines. In order to protect your privacy (and prevent Internet search engines such as Google from finding you here), please do not use your full name as your display name, and do not include your address, telephone number or your e-mail address in any of your posts. We hope that you will decide to join us! Simply click on Grief Healing Discussion Groups, then click on the green Create Account button at the top of the page, and follow the instructions there. (After you register, remember to bookmark the location as one of your favorite places. Use your browser's "Back" button to return to this page.) Why offer
on-line discussion groups? The
Grief
Healing Discussion Groups offer yet another way for those of us who are bound by the
experience of loss to learn more about what is normal in grief, and to communicate directly with one another so that everyone can benefit from the same information.
It is our hope that by posting, reading and responding to the messages
written here, we'll all come to a greater understanding of each other's
grief and loss, and learn to be more caring, accepting and tolerant of
one another.
If you wish to share helpful or inspirational material written by
someone other than yourself (e.g., excerpts, songs, poetry, quotations),
please identify and credit your
sources. If you post health or medical information that is not
part of your own personal experience, please make certain that
such information is correct and true (to the best of your knowledge),
and cite your reference (e.g., include a link to the online
resource). Our site is accessible to anyone using the Internet. Individuals using our site accept and agree to abide by certain basic guidelines:
Complementarity - Are these forums designed to be a substitute for grief counseling or grief therapy?
We strongly recommend that our forums be used as a compliment or adjunct to traditional grief therapy or grief counseling. It also needs to be said that some people’s needs may exceed the capacity of an online message board to help. Sometimes grief can be so complicated that people get “stuck” in the process, and they need more help than we can give them in forums such as these. Individuals struggling with complicated grief are encouraged to seek the help of a professional therapist. Persons in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, those whose anger is out of control, or those whose grief does not diminish at all over an extended period of time, will not find what they need on this site, no matter how many messages they post. Therefore we urge such individuals to seek professional assistance at once, so they can get the help they so badly need and deserve. We believe that grief counseling and individual psychotherapy are among the most precious gifts we can choose to give to ourselves, and they can change our lives for the better.
What do those who've used the site have to say
about it? What if you are in crisis? This site is not intended for individuals who are in crisis and actively contemplating suicide. If you're thinking of suicide, read this first. If you are experiencing serious suicidal thoughts that you cannot control, please stop now and telephone 911 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
What if you need technical
assistance?
If you wish to contact someone about
your member account, contact the site's moderator (TousleyM@aol.com
or
forums@griefhealingdiscussiongroups.com). |
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: |
Please return to the
Grief
Healing Discussion Groups
from time to time to read the most recently posted messages
or to respond to those that are of greatest interest to you. Wishing you peace and healing, Marty Tousley, RN, MS, FT, DCC Grief Counselor TousleyM@aol.com forums@griefhealingdiscussiongroups.com |