Parenting
without your own
parent
A six week online group therapy experience
Currently Enrolling
〰️
Currently Enrolling 〰️
A 6-week group therapy experience for parents of young children (elementary age and younger) who are navigating the complexities of parenting while grieving the death of a parent. This “holiday edition” will also cover navigating challenges related to parental loss and parenting around the holiday season. Open to residents of North Carolina, all genders. Open to those who have lost a mother, father, or primary caregiver regardless of how recently the death occurred.
I have questions! Email sarah@fermata-counseling.com
Information
Details:
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Meeting virtually in North Carolina
Mondays
Dates: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7
**This group is contingent upon enrollment of at least 3 participants. Group size is capped at 8.**
Investment:
Cost: $300 ($50/session)
Attendance anticipated at all sessions
A free 15 minute consultation and assessment phone call with Sarah to be completed prior to first session
I have questions!
Email sarah@fermata-counseling.com
About the group leader
Sarah is a licensed clinical mental health counselor associate, a board certified music therapist, and owner of Fermata Counseling, PLLC based in Raleigh, NC. She primarily serves women throughout North Carolina experiencing perinatal mental health concerns through individual counseling. Sarah had her first child 2 years following the death of her mother and has personally navigated and processed grief and parenthood, and is passionate about providing a space for others to engage in exploration, connection, and healing in their own grief and parenting journeys.
Why a group?
While losing a parent in early adulthood is not uncommon, it can feel like it. Maybe your peer group has active grandparents in their children’s lives, and you feel like the only one with a gaping hole where your parent should be. Being in a space where having lost a parent is a common factor will challenge the loneliness and isolation you may be feeling. Hearing others’ stories may help validate or clarify your own. Providing support for another group member can give you a feeling of strength or meaning.
Each week, we will walk together through topics related to the intersections of grief and parenting. You will have a space to share your story and feelings, witness others’ stories, and learn about topics unique to this life circumstance. Due to the timing around the holidays, we will also be exploring the feelings connected to this time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the parameters of the group?
There are many ways that feelings of loss and grief can impact a relationship with a parent, not just through death. Why does this group focus on bereavement (loss through death)?
If you are experiencing estrangement from a parent, ambiguous loss of a parent who may be physically present but who is cognitively or psychologically changed, are experiencing anticipatory grief for a parent diagnosed with a terminal illness, or any other loss of parent relationship: your grief is real and valid.
This group focuses on bereavement loss as a unifying factor of the group, and also because for any of the groups mentioned above, open discussion of death may be triggering (or impact the way group members may feel about discussing death).
Grieving my parent is impacting me and my parenting even though my kids are older. Why is this group for parents of kids elementary school age and younger?
There is of course no age cut off for grief! However, the stage of parenting is also another unifying factor of the group. We will be discussing issues unique to early parenthood, including identity development as a parent without the guidance of the generation above. Because the parental loss “club” has more and more members as we age, parents in the early stages of parenting may feel more alone and isolated in their experience of parenting without their own parent.
Why do I have to be in North Carolina?
It’s a legal thing.
Can I use my insurance?
Fermata Counseling is an out-of-network provider. However, if you are interested in using insurance, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement. There are a few steps to take:
1) Call the back of your insurance card and ask about out of network benefits for group psychotherapy.
2) Email me, and I will send you a release of information form to allow me to contact your primary mental health therapist. You must be working with a therapist and have a diagnosis on file.
3) I will consult with your therapist about your treatment plan and add your diagnosis to my paperwork.
4) Following the group therapy sessions, you will receive a superbill from me to submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
I’ve tried support groups before and hated it. What makes this different?
Unlike a support group, this is a therapy group. I will be providing psychoeducation about grief and parenting, there will be structure and things to learn. Because of the parameters of the group, while everyone’s story is unique, everyone will be in a similar stage of life. It is not a random mix of people without anything in common except knowing someone who died.
I had a complicated relationship with my parent who died. Is this group for me?
Yes.
We will be making space for parents who were not perfect. We expect that, actually. One of the things that’s so hard about parenting without your own parent is seeing your own childhood (the good, the bad, and the ugly) through your parenting lens, and not being able to process it with the adult who was a part of that.
More questions?
Email sarah@fermata-counseling.com