Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health Announces Upcoming ‘Grief & Loss Support Group’ Series Starting September 23rd, 2025.
Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health is pleased to announce the next offering of its Grief & Loss Support Group, beginning Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025, at the Plymouth Senior Center. The focus for the group will be “The Presence of an Absence.” 
In whatever losses we experience in our lives, someone or something that has been there for us is no longer present and available. Our grief and mourning is initially directed to feeling the absence of that presence. Oddly enough, growing through the sadness and sorrow brought on by our loss, includes recognizing that absence is a genuine reality in itself that invites our attention.
Some specialists in grief studies speak of welcoming as friends or guests the range of emotions and feelings that came into our lives with the loss. Others suggest embracing and learning to love these feelings. This is certainly a challenge that we might not want to even consider. It might be compared to looking into a black hole in the universe or the rabbit hole Alice fell down into Wonderland.
We will think about such things as emptiness, numbness, and feeling disconnected. The exploration, however, might carry us along another step in coming to terms with a different realm of reality as we process our experiences of grieving and mourning. It will not erase our loss or remove our grief, but we may continue to discover companions along the way who are enduring similar responses.
The group will meet weekly on Tuesdays: September 23rd, 30th, October 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Sessions will be held in the upstairs art room of the Plymouth Regional Senior Center (8 Depot Street, Plymouth), accessible by elevator. Participants needing a parking slip should plan to arrive by 10:15 AM to obtain one at the front desk.
There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required. To sign up, please contact Guy Tillson, Bereavement Coordinator, by email at gtillson@pbhha.org or by phone at 603-536-2232 (voicemail available).
Each session is structured around open dialogue rather than a rigid syllabus. While broad topics guide the group, the true value comes from the shared experiences and honest conversations among participants. Handouts may be provided to spark reflection, but the focus is on personal connection and support.
This group is inclusive of many kinds of loss—not just the death of a loved one. Whether you’re dealing with the end of a relationship, the loss of a pet, job, home, or other life changes, this space is for you.
“We recognize that grief is deeply personal, and we strive to provide a welcoming environment where all forms of loss are respected and validated,” said Tillson.
Offered by Pemi-Baker Hospice & Home Health and Plymouth Regional Senior Center.
You must pre-register by Wednesday, February 7, 2023, in order to attend so that we know how many to prepare for. The groups will be facilitated by Guy Tillson, Pemi-Baker’s Bereavement Coordinator. You may contact him by email: 
The merry and festive atmosphere of the upcoming fall and winter holidays can pose a challenge to those who have endured significant losses. The losses do not have to be the deaths of loved ones. They can include such things as a divorce or the breakup of a relationship, being laid off from a job, relocation from a long-familiar setting to a brand-new place where all seems strange, the death of a pet, or the loss of physical health and powers due to a medical condition. In any case, one may not feel at all like celebrating even though it seems like everyone else does.
We will be making use of GRIEF ONE DAY AT A TIME by Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD. Dr. Wolfelt is a noted grief educator, having written several books about healing personal grief. His expertise derives from his compassionate interaction and caring service with mourners, listening to and reflecting on their responses to loss. He is the Founding Director of The Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado. Although our group is offered for support rather than clinical intervention, the use of reading materials for the purpose of self-care and personal growth and healing is sometimes called bibliotherapy. The books will be made available at our first session of the group. We ask, if possible, for group members to make a donation toward defraying the cost of purchasing the books which group members will be able to keep for themselves. No one will be turned away if they are unable to make a donation.
