The Chapter Meeting

Sharing with others is the very heart of The Compassionate Friends (TCF). Chapter meetings are havens where members feel free to talk about their children who have died; the emotions they are going through; the painful, thoughtless comments that may have been made to them; their feelings of sadness, guilt or anger—things no one else wants to hear them talk about. They discuss the progress they are making and ways of coping that have been helpful to them.

With the guidance and reassurance of members who are further along in their grief journey, gradually—sometimes over a period of many months or several years—they resolve what has happened, find a “new normal” and begin rebuilding their lives.

The Compassionate Friends is not a therapy group, nor are chapter meetings “therapy” sessions. Yet, healing is slowly and gently promoted as families gain insight and understanding. At chapter meetings we learn that we are not alone in facing this terrible tragedy—others have also faced the isolation and desperation this loss can bring.

Families who have felt they were coping effectively with their loss, as well as those who are discouraged by their lack of progress, have found attending meetings to be helpful. While there are no instant solutions, no easy answers, and no timetable for grieving, there is comfort in the sense of direction found through knowledge and understanding of the grief experience. Bereaved families can find hope and healing.