St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the Congregational Church of New Canaan will present a workshop on Managing Grief and Loss During the Holidays on November 17 at 11:30AM. The workshop is free and all are welcome. This is the first event in a series that convenes a spiritual conversation around issues of life, death, mental health, and human flourishing in the New Canaan community.

Julie Hall, a therapist at the Greenwich Center for Hope and Renewal, will lead the workshop. Hall is licensed in the state of Connecticut as an LMFT. Before joining Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal, she practiced at the Seattle Pacific University Counseling Center working with students, parents, couples, and families around many issues including anxiety, depression, disordered eating, and trauma. In addition, Hall has walked many engaged and committed couples through premarital counseling as a Certified Prepare and Enrich Instructor. Hall is experienced in mindfulness training and is trained in the treatment of trauma. She is also experienced in facilitating various support groups for sexual abuse recovery and coping with divorce grief.

The Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons bring ample opportunities for happiness and celebration, but those same holiday rituals and routines are uniquely challenging for those who have suffered a significant loss in their lives. Drawing from Ms. Hall’s deep experience as a therapist and grounded in the hope and joy of Christian faith, this workshop will explore the experience of grief and loss and discuss ways to navigate them during this time of year. Particular attention will also be given to how we can support children and youth in grief.

RSVP to Marianne Perry, Pastoral Care Coordinator, the Congregational Church of New Canaan at mperry@godsacre.org or 203.966.2651, x822 by Wednesday, November 13. For more information please visit the St. Mark’s website at www.stmarksnewcanaan.org.