Peter's Place - A Center for Grieving Children and Families

Peer Support for Young Adults

Peter's Place offers a bright, positive environment for families and young adults. We are a safe and compassionate community where families can get support after the death of someone significant in their lives.

Instead of counseling or therapy, we provide peer support. Children and teens are placed in age appropriate groups, 4-6 year olds, 7-10 year olds, 11-13 year olds, and teens (14-17 years old) that meet every other week. The participants come together for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the "talking circle" to share, to play games, and do creative, hands-on, activities. Parents or adult caregivers also participate in support groups to discuss concerns about raising children and teens in grief, and to share their own experience of grief.

We also offer a monthly Young Adult group for 18-25 year-olds.

Groups are facilitated by Master's level staff and trained volunteer grief facilitators.

Our Philosophy

Peter's Place was founded on the belief that every child, teen, and adult deserves the opportunity to grieve in a supportive environment.

Our Principles
- Grief is a natural reaction to death
- Grieving people do not need to be "fixed," but they do benefit from support
- Within each individual is the natural capacity to heal him/herself
- Duration and intensity of grief are unique for each individual
Getting Started

Parents and caregivers can contact us directly to talk about joining a support group. If appropriate, we will schedule a family intake appointment, during which we will talk about relevant family history, current family needs, and reactions to the death.

Families, including the children, are encouraged to ask questions and discuss concerns to make sure they feel comfortable coming to Peter's Place. Families may opt to sign up for a group immediately or at any time following the intake.

Some families contact us immediately after a death, while others come to us years later. We welcome families and young adults at any time they are ready to access our services.

Costs

Our support groups are free-of-charge, so that our participants can focus on healing.

Training & Education for Schools, Organizations, and Health Professionals

We provide presentations and in-service trainings on many topics and can accommodate the needs of our audience. The following are sample topics:
- General Presentation: Introduction to Grief and Culture
- Grieving Children: Their Special Needs and Experiences at Different Ages
- Professional Development Training for Counselors and School Personnel
- The Impact of Death on the Family
- Partner Loss and Adults with Children
- How to Support Grieving Friends
- Grief and the Holidays
- General presentation on Peter's Place
Find Out More

For more information about our support groups or to invite a Peter's Place staff member to address your organization, please contact us.