Oceans Grief and Loss Programme

By Anglican Family Care | Posted: Tuesday April 30, 2024

Helping people in North Otago learn ways to cope with their experience of grief in a supportive environment

In 2011, our sister organisation Anglican Care South Canterbury developed a grief and loss programme for children and young people. The OCEANS Programme, formerly known as Seasons, is unique and based on one of the latest therapeutic models of loss and grief. Since 2016, Anglican Family Care has been running this programme in Oamaru.

OCEANS is a Grief and Loss programme that provides an opportunity for people who are missing someone in their lives to:

• share and learn from others in the group who have experienced a similar loss.
• experience and learn from the programme activities how to cope with loss and change in their lives.
• be supported by caring and trained facilitators who are experienced in delivering the OCEANS programme.

Who comes to the OCEANS programme?
Any person who:

• is experiencing the pain of loss or separation from someone they love
• has had a parent or someone significant in their life die
• is missing someone in their family through divorce or separation
• who has lost a really important friend through death or family separation
• who has lost someone they loved but never really mourned
• who is living with a foster family and misses their birth parent/s

OCEANS for Children
OCEANS for Children helps children and young people aged 5 - 16 learn to talk about their experience of grief and loss in a supportive environment. Each group of up to six participants meets for one hour a week for an eight to ten-week programme.

OCEANS for Adults
OCEANS for Adults is a peer support programme based on the latest therapeutic model of grief and loss. Each small group of up to six participants meets for two hours a week with trained facilitators for a six-week programme.

What is covered?
The sessions topics include;

• Introductions and naming the loss
• Coping with my grief and feelings
• Telling my story and listening to yours
• Memories and treasures
• Changes
• My strengths
• Looking beyond and celebrations

Referrals
Anglican Family Care runs the OCEANS Grief and Loss Programme in Oamaru. If you live in the Waitaki District and you feel you or others could benefit from our service, please complete the referral form and email to Maria at oceans.oamaru@familycare.org.nz or phone 020 459 6900.

Become a Facilitator

We are always keen to meet with people who would like to lead a group.

Check out the video below, head to our website, or contact Maria on at oceans.oamaru@familycare.org.nz or phone 020 459 6900 to find out more.