Kayla Langmaid/Winonan
In the first twelve months of college, 22 to 30 percent of students are grieving the death of a family member or close friend.
College students who are grieving are affected physically and emotionally and may not know how to cope with everything they are taking on, which is why Winona State University counseling services will be offering group grief and loss support seminars.
The seminars are for those who have lost a loved one and are searching for support in a confidential group setting.
The goals of the seminar include talking about the grieving process, taking care of oneself and finding support.
Eunie Alsaker, a Winona State counselor, said, “We don’t return to normal. We create a new normal, and everyone has a unique style of grieving.”
The seminar strives to help students find ways to strategize and to be successful, since they may be struggling with the feelings of sadness, anger, fear and guilt, and exhaustion.
Grieving students often feel extremely alone and as though others are avoiding them.
The stereotype that college is considered one of the best times in life may make it hard for a college student who is in the grieving process to have fun without feeling guilt.
The seminar will focus on continuing on with life by learning how to integrate the lost loved one into life.
Another main point the seminar will focus on is that grief does not have a set timetable. The amount of time it takes one individual to grieve won’t be the same as another individual. The grief may shift with times of happiness.
“We help each other find and discover their unique way to grieve,” Alsaker said.
The seminar will be held weekly for five Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. in the counseling services group room.
Each week the group is encouraged to share positive and negative experiences and share individual information the counselor can respond to.
“If you’re grieving, support is available and past participants have gained support and new ideas from this experience. Grief can be a very lonely experience, and if you have lost a loved one, we welcome you to the group,” Alsaker said.
Pre-registration is required for the seminar and can be done by emailing Eunie Alsaker at [email protected].
Contact Kayla at [email protected]
