Bereavement Walks, a new and unique outdoor counseling technique that helps people cope with the loss of loved ones, are now available in Narrabeen and Long Reef.
Set up by palliative and aged care provider HammondCare, specifically their Northern Beaches Palliative Care Service, the new outdoor counseling program dubbed The Bereavement Walks Group was created to let those dealing with grief meet up in an informal setting to share their feelings while getting some exercise.
The program was launched in July 2020, and each of these walks are facilitated by a trained counsellor as well as volunteers who are trained to help people cope with grief and loss. The walks themselves last one to two hours, and given their success, it is likely that HammondCare will expand their reach to cater to people in the lower and upper north shore.
These walks are particularly therapeutic as they allow people in need of counseling to seek help and assistance by themselves, giving them avenues to unwind and talk about their feelings with other people while simultaneously receiving professional help. Volunteer counsellors occasionally interact with runners even outside of the organised group settings to have chats.
One trait that differentiates Bereavement Walks from traditional counselling is the less formal and emotionally demanding setting than the average indoor sit-in counselling sessions people have. Physical activity such as exercise also improves moods by creating positive focuses during challenging times.
In order to participate in these walks, registration is mandatory, and the eligibility criteria for involvement was the loss of a partner, a child, or a parent following palliative care at a HammondCare Hospital or HammondCare Community Service, or at a Northern Sydney Health District Hospital.
It is estimated that two new Bereavement Walks groups will open in Wahroonga and the lower North Shore at the end of June 2021. For more information on HammondCare’s Northern Beaches Palliative Care Service, visit their website here.
