World News
Bereavement groups aid those grieving death of a loved one
Published: November 1, 2007
METUCHEN, N.J. (CNS) -- Jessie Flynn knows firsthand the wide range of emotions that often come with the loss of a loved one. At the age of 15, Flynn experienced the sudden passing of her father. Although many around her tried to offer their support, she found that few really understood her grieving and there were no available resources to help the bereaved. "Back then, there had been no research done on grieving and well-intentioned people did all the wrong things," Flynn told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Metuchen Diocese. As she grew older, Flynn began to feel the residual effects of not properly dealing with her loss. "It came back to haunt me probably in my 30s," she said. "I decided that things had to change. People needed to be educated about normal grief responses and they certainly needed support." Flynn studied the process of bereavement and learned how to help others overcome the grief that she herself had felt as a teenager. Since becoming a certified grief counselor, Flynn, now 63, has devoted more than 30 years to helping people come to terms with the death of someone close to them.
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