Support groups provide help coping with grief

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Aug. 17, 2026 - When a loved one passes away, grief can be overwhelming and isolating. While each person experiences grief in their own way, getting support to understand your grief and find companionship with others can help you navigate your feelings and move forward.

Parkview Hospice counselors know the challenges of working through grief. That's why they help guide bereavement support groups that meet regularly across the region. Any community member who has experienced the loss of a loved one is welcome to attend, regardless of whether the loss is recent or happened farther in the past.

The groups focus on concepts in "Understanding Your Grief," a book by author, educator and grief counselor Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. Wolfelt's exploration of grief, self-compassion and practical steps toward healing has been a helpful guide for thousands of people nationwide.

Support group members receive a free copy of the book, which they read and discuss during the meetings as they explore the normal emotional responses to illness and death and ways to cope with loss.

September - November support group meetings

Ten-week groups begin soon in the region's northernmost counties. Times vary by location.

LaGrange County
4 - 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Sept. 15 - Nov. 17, at First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Michigan St., LaGrange.

Noble County
4 - 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Sept. 17 - Nov. 19, at the Community Learning Center, 401 E. Diamond St., Kendallville.

DeKalb County
1 - 2:30 p.m. on Mondays, Sept. 14 - Nov. 16, at the Heimach Center, 1800 E. 7^th St., Auburn.

Steuben County
1 - 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Sept. 15 - Nov. 17, at Fairview Missionary Church (Fireside door), 525 E. 200 N., Angola.

Experienced hospice social workers encourage group members on their grief journey. Rev. Ken Weaver, LCSW, LMFT, hospice chaplain, and Cathy Petrie, LCSW, MSW, bereavement counselor, have led support groups together in Noble and LaGrange counties for 18 years. Other helpful group leaders include Angela Beer-Walker, LCSW, hospice social worker; Amber White, LCSW, hospice social worker; and HaEun "Sam" Cho, hospice chaplain.

Support group participants have commented that the group gave them a safe place to express their thoughts and equipped them with the tools to share their feelings with friends and family members so they feel less alone in their grief. Group leaders strive to create a warm, accepting, non-judgmental atmosphere. Participants may attend as often as they like and may join a group even if they've missed the first meeting. No registration is required.

The 10-week groups are among several Parkview Hospice services made possible in part by the generous support of donors through the Parkview Health Foundation.

For inquiries and enrollment in a LaGrange, Noble, DeKalb or Steuben group, call 800-292-9894. Groups can also be arranged for Zoom or conference call format.

Year-round support group meetings

Bereavement support groups are also available on an ongoing basis in Allen and Huntington counties on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.

Allen County support group
5:30 - 7 p.m., PACH Conference Room at Parkview Randallia Hospital, 2200 Randallia Drive, Fort Wayne. Participants should use ground floor entrance 2 to access the PACH room.

Huntington County support group
5:30 - 7 p.m., Parkview Hospice, 2708 Guilford St., Huntington.
Participants should enter the Parkview Walk-In Clinic/Parkview Ortho Express in the Kroger Plaza. The meeting room is on the right.

For information about the Allen or Huntington County groups or other bereavement support, call 260-373-9800.