Grief & Loss Support Group 1

Grief and Loss Support Group

A group for people who have experienced a loss and are grieving.​

Facilitator: Jill Carroll and Bhavna Bharvani

This group provides support for individuals who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

NEW GROUP STARTING 8TH MARCH 2023

Grief can be a lonely and isolating experience. No matter the loss that is causing your emotional pain, you can feel very much alone in how it impacts you. A support group can offer a different quality of support and connection that comes from being with people who have also recently experienced a loss.    

This group is a non-judgmental space for people to come together.  To support one another in their loss, to be able to talk openly about their experience and the different aspects of grief, and to learn to regulate and manage overwhelming emotions.  This is a way to connect with others who are also grieving – it is a space to be heard and be supported by others.

What the group would entail?

This is an 8-week closed group, this means that once we begin as a group, no new members are able to join us. This is to allow group members to relate to one another and hear one another’s stories in a safe space.  At the first session members introduce themselves and it is your decision how much you wish to share. What everyone will be aware of is that each member has lost someone and is grieving. Each week there will be a theme that we’ll discuss and a tool to take away. There will be some sharing of different aspects of grief by the therapists as a way to help understand the process of grief and the different ways it can impact someone, cognitively, behaviourally, affectively and relationally. Reminding members there is no right way to grieve.

From previous groups, people have shared that although initially unsure, they gained support from other members, realised that what they were experiencing was grief and they were not ‘losing their mind’.  They began to find ways to manage their grief in everyday life.

This group is a way to start to help you process and manage your grief.

At our last session we will spend time saying goodbye to one another, acknowledging that the ending of the group is as important as the beginning.

What the role of the psychotherapist is?

It is our role, as the therapists, to contain and manage the process of the group.  To ensure smooth, safe and effective group dynamics.  What this means is that at our first session we will create a group contract, this means how we want to be in the group and agree on the etiquette of the group, (e.g.: respect, confidentiality inside/outside the group, recognition).  In the first session we will share aspects of grief and how this can impact people in different ways.  The purpose is to support you to understand what is happening as you grieve and to understand there is no ‘right’ way to grieve.

In managing the group process, we will manage the timings of the group, giving people time and opportunity to talk, to share their story (at their own pace), to facilitate people sharing and supporting one another during their grief.

Is this group for me?

This group is a support group for people that are grieving the death of someone.  If you find that you are struggling to talk about your grief with those around you yet want to know that what you are experiencing is a ‘normal’, ‘healthy’ aspect of the grief process then this group could meet your needs.  Withdrawal can be an aspect of grief, yet during these times, connection with others is what can support us to manage and deal with grief and loss.

A pre-screen call with the therapists running the group will be carried out with all potential group members to check the group is the right place for you and whether you would need any different support.  This is also an opportunity for you to ask any further questions or seek clarification about the group.

Start date : Wednesday, 8th March 2023
Time : 7-8:30pm
Duration : 90 minutes
Total no. of sessions: 8 sessions
Total fees : HK$4,000

Group size: 8 – 10 participants

*80% attendance mandatory for group cohesiveness

For more details and registration contact :

Email : [email protected]

Call : (852) 2813 6108

Facilitator

Jill Carroll - Psychotherapist, EMDR Practitioner, Relationship Counsellor

Specialising in Psychotherapy Grief + Repetitive Patters

Jill is a UK trained Psychotherapist who has run her own successful private practice in London and worked part-time as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist within an NHS service based in South West London. Jill works with individuals as well as facilitating process groups for people struggling with grief and loss…

Jill Carroll - Psychotherapist & Relationship Counsellor

Bhavna Bharvani - Clinical Counsellor Relationship Counsellor

Specialising in LGBTQIA + Trauma & Self Actualisation
Bhavna is a US-trained Associate Professional Clinical Counsellor, registered with the California Board of Behavioural Sciences (APCC#3254). She is trained in San Francisco, where she worked with individuals, couples, teenagers, and LGBTQIA+ folks whose lives have been disrupted by chronic and complex trauma. Bhavna has worked across a range of community mental health settings, high schools, and ….
Grief & Loss Support Group 2
Book a Group Session

We recognise the courage it takes to seek professional support. If you have questions and would like to know more about working with us, please check out our frequently asked questions or fill out the contact form below. Once you have submitted a contact form, a member of our team will be in touch with next steps within 48 hours.

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Use Exit D1 to leave Central MTR Station.

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Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 6:30 pm
Saturday
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday & PH
Closed
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8th & 10th Floor VC House,
4-6 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong

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Jill Carroll

MSc Psychotherapy, Middlesex University, UK

EMDR Practitioner, EMDR Association of Hong Kong

Certified Transactional Analyst (Psychotherapy), The Berne, UK

PgDip British Sign Language/English Interpreting, University of Central Lancashire, UK

 B.A.(Hons) Deaf Studies and Psychology, University of Wolverhampton, UK

 Diploma in Relationship Counselling, Relate Institute, UK

Jill is a UK trained Psychotherapist who ran her own successful private practice in London and worked part-time as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist within an NHS service in London.  Jill is also qualified as an Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Practitioner. 

Jill is an empathic, warm, and compassionate Psychotherapist.  She works with clients to explore the underlying aspects of themselves that they may not be aware of, to understand how they see themselves, how they deal with others and see the world.  She helps clients to understand why they keep behaving or thinking in a particular way, or why certain things keep happening to them (for example repetitive patterns in relationships). Jill works with clients to understand the influence their past experiences in life can have upon them in the present day as she believes that when a client has awareness of this, they can move towards changing these patterns of behaviour.

Jill has experience working with clients with a range of presenting issues.  Her areas of expertise include working with traumatic events, both cumulative and single events, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress, lack of confidence, struggling with decision making, grief, relationship issues, transitions.

As well as psychodynamic therapy, Jill integrates EMDR, Eye-Movement Desensitization Processing into her work with clients. 

“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders” (EMDRIA.ORG).  Jill is an approved therapist of the EMDR Association of Hong Kong.

Groups: Jill developed and independently ran process groups in the NHS for individuals who were struggling with bereavement and grief. Jill recognizes how isolating grief can be and the impact this has upon people and their relationships with others.

Jill is a native English speaker and can also work with clients who are Deaf and use British Sign Language.

Jill is a member of:

The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association

Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong

EMDR Association of Hong Kong

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

UK Association for Transactional Analysis

UK Council for Psychotherapy

Please note that Jill is currently not working with couples.

Bhavna Bharvani

MA Clinical Counselling from California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco

BA Psychology from Georgetown University, Washington DC

EFT Couples Therapy – Certification Track

Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 2 Certified

EMDR Basic Training – pursuing EMDRIA Certified Therapist status

Bhavna is a US-trained Licensed Professional Clinical Counsellor, registered with the California Board of Behavioural Sciences (LPCC 10182). She started out practicing in San Francisco, where she worked with individuals, couples, teenagers, and LGBTQIA+ folks with chronic and complex trauma. She worked across a range of settings including community mental health, schools, and residential substance use treatment centers.

Bhavna is passionate about collaborating with adolescents, adults, and couples of all ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender expressions so that they can know themselves deeply and cultivate fulfilling, meaningful lives and relationships.

Couples: There is something undeniably powerful, and healing about being in a secure loving partnership. However, when our important relationships come under stress, they can be completely debilitating. Bhavna provides a safe space for couples to identify negative patterns of interaction, access and communicate their primary needs to each other, cultivate the intimacy they want in their relationships, and work through sexual issues. Bhavna is also polyamory and non-monogamy informed, and kink/BDSM aware. In addition, Bhavna also works with clients who wish to end relationships through an intentional breakup process.

Adults: Conscious and unconscious beliefs, assumptions, and relational patterns can hold people back from living the lives they envision. Bhavna is passionate about helping people move through “stuckness”, manage depression and anxiety, overcome self-doubt, deal with change, learn coping skills for stress, heal shame, shift their inner critical voice and befriend themselves, and develop greater awareness of their feelings, needs, and desires.

Teens: Bhavna helps teens cope with the challenges of adolescence, including the pressures that come with a 24/7 online presence, anxiety around school/exams/friends, depression, feelings of inadequacy, and addictions. Bhavna also provides coaching to teens to unlock their potential, motivation, and self-confidence, and helps bring them in alignment with their goals.

Bhavna’s style is collaborative, warm, relational, and non-judgmental. She believes that trust and connection with the therapist are essential components of successful therapy. Her goal is to provide culturally-sensitive, empathetic, and strength-based psychotherapy through an integrative approach. She is primarily client-centered and combines techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness principles, attachment theory, narrative therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy and dialectical behavioural therapy to suit the unique needs of each individual client. 

In addition to her therapeutic work, Bhavna works with Mind HK to reduce the stigma around mental health issues by developing and delivering training on Mental Health First Aid in workplaces. Prior to becoming a therapist, Bhavna worked in investment banking, television journalism, and market research. She has substantial experience relating to people from diverse backgrounds, having worked in Mumbai, New York, London, and San Francisco.

Bhavna is currently fully booked and not taking on new clients.