“Growing Through Loss”

"Letting Go" Ceremony

Indianapolis Grief & Loss Consulting Services provides a comprehensive adolescent grief and loss curriculum for adolescents who have experienced a loss.  Losses often include family divorce, abandonment, death, sexual abuse, physical abuse and pregnancy loss.

 In an effort to deal with these losses “Growing Through Loss” is a 12 session curriculum which combines grief education, life skills, anger management & character education and leadership training.  Research completed by the YWCA of Indianapolis revealed that 85% of those completing the program have experienced a decrease in levels of depression upon completion.

“Growing Through Loss” has received national recognition from the Peter Drucker Foundation, Youth Today & Channel 13 of Indianapolis.  The program has been used by the YWCA, YMCA, correctional facilities, alternative schools, community centers, traditional schools, churches and residential treatment centers.

The experience of grief wears many faces for adolescents.  Death, sexual abuse, physical abuse, divorce, abandonment, pregnancy loss or an incarcerated parent often leaves a teen struggling to cope with life.  The feelings and emotions experienced from such losses are often intense frequently resulting in depression, destructive behaviors, drug and alcohol abuse, self-mutilation and eating disorders.  While programs are available for grieving adults, little support and few resources are available for grieving teens often resulting in a teen left to grieve alone or with very limited support.  When teens experience severe emotional pain they are tempted to “numb out” to avoid the painful and unfamiliar emotions.

A 1993 survey completed by the YWCA of Indianapolis at the Indiana Juvenile Correctional Facility found that 141 of 150 female offenders had experienced at least one painful loss prior to incarceration.  Many revealed multiple losses.  Recent studies completed in 2003 at the Indiana Juvenile Correctional Facility found that 99% of those surveyed reported multiple losses prior to incarceration.  The average number of losses per teen was 4.5.  Of those surveyed, 61% admitted to using alcohol or drugs or the combination thereof and 35% reported they had engaged in self-mutilation to cope with the pain.

The Growing Through Loss curriculum, a seven-year project, developed upon the recognition that many youth entering the correctional system had experienced multiple losses.  Using collected data, surveys from participants, trial and error and feedback from counselors and facilitators, it became crucial to address the core issues of grief rather than treating the symptoms of the destructive behaviors we were observing in our youth. 

Growing Through Loss has been created with defined goals, objectives and session activities.  The curriculum contains information that covers antisocial attitudes, values, beliefs, interpersonal skills, consequences of alcohol and drugs abuse and adverse family circumstances.  The curriculum employs multiple strategies that have consistently proven to be effective in teaching pro-social skills.

Growing Through Loss has been successful in reducing levels of depression among incarcerated youth, incarcerated women and at-risk youth in 85% of program participants.  Since 1993, the YWCA, YMCA, group homes, schools, prisons, churches, domestic violence centers and community centers have used Growing through Loss.  Lives are forever changed through loss.  Growing Through Loss uniquely combines the opportunity for youth to grieve through personal losses while empowering them with leadership skills to use their painful experiences to make a difference in family and community.  The journey of grief is a lifelong process and often the greatest strengths are recognized through painful experiences.  Combining loss experiences with leadership skills enables participants the opportunity to find meaning and purpose to the loss.  This serves to benefit group participants, their families and society as well.  

Indianapolis Grief & Loss Consulting & Educational Services

Paulette Walker, Director
8306 Balmoral Lane

Avon, Indiana 46123

Phone:  317-442-0289 

Fax:    317-837-7754

Email:  indygriefloss@sbcglobal.net