Support Group for Parents Affected by Jan 2025 Altadena Fire

Tuesday evenings, 8:30-9:30pm on Zoom

This group will not meet on Feb 18th or 25th. We will resume in March.

I’ve teamed up with my network of trusted and heart-centered colleagues to offer a weekly support group for parents who need a space to have their grief and struggles witnessed and held in compassionate community.

Each group meeting will be hosted by 2 co-facilitators, who will be coaches and therapists trained in trauma, child development, and grief work (among other things), but we will not be offering therapy in these groups.

Our intention is to hold a space where your feelings are welcome, and to offer you an open-hearted container of empathy, love, compassion, curiosity, nonjudgment, and holding, bound by accurate knowledge of child development and early trauma.

Each pair of facilitators will bring unique offerings. Some of us may encourage you to draw or dance/move your feelings through (camera off if you like), or walk you through a somatic grounding exercise. Some of us may sing to you, or cry with you.

All of us are here from our hearts and extend the biggest heartfelt hugs as you navigate an unprecedented time of uncertainty, fear, grief, and even, at times, despair.

I (Jamie) am here as a parent whose child lost her school in the fires, though our home and neighborhood were spared, and this is one of my ways of showing up for this community I love so much.

PLEASE RSVP! If there are no RSVPs by about mid-day on Tuesday, we won’t open the Zoom room.

Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88999282442?pwd=fFepoxYP2UPxXzIgAkoAVLbHTssaRi.1

**Adults only, please, so everyone is free to share the heaviest things on their hearts without having to censor for young ears **

FAQ:

How will we balance (1) the intention to offer permission to share and feel everything that’s showing up, and (2) the emotional rawness and shaky nerves that might be triggered and seeking regulation?

Trying to balance this is never easy. One of the approaches I’ve taken in the past is to have groups organized around a loose topic, so those who are working with a given issue can speak freely while those who would find such discussions triggering have the ability to opt for another group meeting. Given the dynamic and emergent nature of the kind of support and witnessing needed right now, it doesn’t feel like that approach works here. What I will do, however, is share a few words at the start of each session to request that graphic / triggering details be kept to a minimum, shared only if necessary for processing. We will offer somatic grounding &/or ritual practices at the beginning and end of the sessions to help attendees tap into internal resources. And if someone needs extra support at the end of a meeting, I can stay on for an extra 30 minutes as needed.

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(will add here as we receive questions or concerns)